Shawn Wax (center), surrounded by his I FUND staff at the Nokia Sugar Bowl.

A former first team All Big Ten wide receiver for the 1990 Big Ten Champion Illinois Football Team, Shawn Wax returned to his alma mater in October of 1994 to serve on Athletic Director Ron Guenther’s development team.

Recently promoted to Associate Director of Athletics for Resource Development in July 2004, Wax oversees the Office of Athletic Development, Marketing and Promotions, Public Relations and Sports Information, and the Athletic Ticket Office. He reports to Director of Athletics Ron Guenther.

"If you study the history of Illinois Athletics, there has never been a more exciting or a more demanding time to be part of our department. A $100 million capital campaign is on the horizon and quickly approaching as are multi-million dollar plans to reinvest in Memorial Stadium and our basketball facility. Promoting and expanding academic and athletic opportunities for all our student-athletes and insuring championship level support for our coaching staff is high on our agenda. I’m invigorated by the challenge and humbled at the same time to be part of it. And I am extremely fortunate to work with a lot of talented people. It is going to be fun!"

Prior to his new role Wax served as Director of Development overseeing an 11-person staff that last year received nearly $15 million in pledges and gifts. While at Illinois he has worked to grow the I FUND from $2.4 million per year in 1994 to $5.4 million per year today. A vital component of that growth has been the increased membership in the $10,000 per year club level Loyalty Circle, which has grown from 15 members in 1994 to over 285 members today. Additionally he spearheaded a development team that assisted Ron Guenther in completing a $70 million capital campaign for facility enhancements and scholarship endowments.

Wax, a Rockford, Ill., native, began his career in 1994 as Director of the Varsity I Association the UI’s letterwinners organization. Instituting a volunteer structure he was able to increase annual giving of former athletes from less than $200,000 in 1994 to well over $500,000 annually. Today over 1100 active VI members including several professional athletes, annually donate more than $600,000 to the I FUND.

Wax serves on the Board of Directors of the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club where he is chair of the resource development committee. He is leading a campaign for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics to raise $500,000 for the University of Illinois Undergraduate Library as well as serving on the library steering committee.

Wax has two daughters, Courtney, 8, and Ashley 6, and resides in Urbana. Wax can be reached at wax@uiuc.edu or by phone (217) 333-6277.