WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Director of Athletics Mike Buddie announced the hiring of Chris Wood as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development on Thursday.
In his role at Army, Wood will manage a front-line fundraising team responsible for annual and sport-specific fundraising efforts as well as revenue generation through events and the administration of membership benefits as Army West Point Athletics embarks on a major capital campaign.
“I have been following the career path of Chris for years, and he is clearly a rising star in collegiate athletics,” Buddie said. “We are excited to have the Wood family join the Army team as we embark on an aggressive new fundraising campaign.”
Wood will additionally serve as a member of the West Point Association of Graduates (AOG) major gifts team.
“I’m thrilled that Chris will be joining our development effort in support of Army West Point Athletics,” said Kristin Sorenson, Vice President of Development for AOG. “His proven track record as a thoughtful leader and a successful fundraiser will add depth and expertise to our team. I look forward to welcoming him and working with him to accomplish great things for West Point.”
Wood arrives on the banks of the Hudson following a six-year stint at High Point University where he was hired as a Senior Associate Athletics Director of External/Internal Operations in October 2014, before being elevated to Deputy Athletics Director in the summer of 2017.
While at High Point, Wood was responsible for the oversight of corporate sponsorships, development, the Panther Club, marketing and season ticket sales while also serving as the sport administrator for the baseball and cross country/track & field programs.
Wood’s leadership efforts helped overall giving to the Panther Club see an 83 percent increase, while the number of Panther Club donors rose over 200 percent. He also saw corporate revenue increase by 50 percent. Wood has been directly involved in helping lead all revenue streams for the upcoming $130 million Qubein Basketball Arena and Conference Center.
Prior to his arrival at High Point, Wood spent three years as the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for the Winston-Salem Dash, a minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Wood additionally worked in ticket sales for the Carolina Panthers as well as various other roles with the Dash from 2008-12. He has managed and generated more than $6 million in ticket sales and sponsorship revenue over his career.
During his time with the Dash, Wood was responsible for developing sponsorship plans and promotions to drive business and awareness for all team sponsors. He oversaw the corporate sponsorship team and sold more than $700,000 in new sponsorships while managing more than $2.6 million in existing contracts. Prior to his role as VP, he spent three seasons as the manager for all season ticket and inside ticket sales for the Dash from 2010-12. In that position, he generated more than $150,000 in ticket revenue and managed more than $600,000 of overall ticket revenue while working directly with the president and vice president of sales to open the new BB&T Ballpark. Wood also worked as an account executive for the Carolina Panthers in 2012 and sold more than $700,000 in new season ticket packages and corporate hospitality suites. He began his career as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in 2007.
Wood is a graduate of Wake Forest University. He is married to Megan Wood, and they have one daughter and one son.
