UIF names Wesley W. Curtis vice president and general counsel
June 13, 2016 11:24 AM
Wesley W. Curtis has been named vice president and general counsel of the University of Illinois Foundation effective August 1, 2016.
Curtis has served as associate university counsel for the University of Illinois since 2007—providing advice and counsel for matters related to real estate, gifts and bequests, investments, bond issuances, governance, procurement, and other business transactions. He has provided counsel for a number of University and University‑related organizations including the Foundation, Alumni Association, Research Park, and Illinois Ventures.
Curtis brings more than three decades of experience to his role at the Foundation where he’ll be responsible for planning and directing the day‑to‑day aspects of the organization’s legal affairs. He will represent the Foundation, providing expert and strategic legal advice to management and the Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally, Curtis will prepare and review contracts and agreements, develop and implement policies and procedures, negotiate terms, and ensure legal compliance.
Curtis will also work with his former colleagues in the Office of University Counsel on University‑related matters and be the liaison to the University Ethics & Compliance Office.
“We are excited to add Wes to our team. He brings both public and private enterprise experience to the Foundation, in addition to being a U of I graduate. Beyond his passion for his alma mater, Wes understands how institutionally‑related organizations function and the importance of working closely with our University partners,” said Foundation President/CEO James H. Moore, Jr.
Curtis earned both a finance degree and a juris doctor from the University of Illinois at Urbana‑Champaign. Prior to joining the University, he held positions in the legal and banking sectors, having served as senior vice president of commercial banking at Main Street Bank & Trust (now part of First Busey Corp.) for more than 10 years.
Curtis is currently a director (and past president) of the Champaign Public Library Foundation, president of the First United Methodist Church Foundation, and was president of the Champaign‑Urbana Schools Foundation.
About the University of Illinois and its Foundation
A world leader in research and discovery, the University of Illinois is the largest educational institution in the state with more than 700,000 alumni; more than 80,000 students; 24,000 faculty and staff; and campuses in Urbana‑Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. The U of I awards more than 20,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees annually.
The University of Illinois Foundation is dedicated to securing and administering private gifts for the University of Illinois and its three campuses. It secures, on average, more than $300 million in new gifts and pledges annually; and manages, along with the University, a combined endowment of more than $2 billion.
