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Pepperdine Announces Senior Administrative Appointments
August 9, 2006 - Keith Hinkle, Pepperdine's associate vice chancellor for Estate and Gift Planning, was named recently by President Andrew K. Benton as the University's vice president for advancement and public affairs.
A graduate of the Pepperdine School of Law, Hinkle joined Pepperdine’s Center for Estate and Gift Planning in October 2000. Licensed in the state of California as an attorney and a certified public accountant, prior to joining Pepperdine, Hinkle practiced tax law for three years in southern California and also worked in public accounting for four years in Nashville, Tennessee.
In his new role as vice president, Hinkle assumes overall responsibility for alumni affairs, annual fund, major and leadership gifts, donor services, planned giving, and public affairs including public relations and news, university communications, and university marketing. “Keith is a talented professional who truly understands and appreciates Pepperdine’s heritage and the mission of the University,” said President Benton. “Over the past six years, Keith has had a tremendous impact on Pepperdine and has earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues, our friends and donors, as well as our regents and alumni. We are excited to have him join the executive leadership team.”
Hinkle was born in Tennessee and grew up in Nebraska. He received his undergraduate degree from Lipscomb University in Nashville in 1990, and his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine’s School of Law in 1997. Members of the Churches of Christ, he and his wife, Elizabeth, and their three children, live in Thousand Oaks.
In other announcements concerning senior administrative staff at Pepperdine, President Benton has appointed long-time vice president for finance and administration Jeff Pippin to the newly created position of senior vice president for investments and chief investment officer. President Benton noted that the sophistication of Pepperdine’s endowment portfolio matches endowments twice its size and that Pippin’s role on the board of Commonfund and the advice and support of a new Investment Committee within the University’s Board of Regents, offers a unique opportunity for growth and strengthening of Pepperdine’s financial future. President Benton cited that last year, Pepperdine added over $100 million to its investment portfolio as a consequence of carefully chosen profile in the market.
Lastly, President Benton named Gary Hanson executive vice president and chief operational officer. The former Pepperdine vice president and general counsel’s new management responsibilities will encompass areas formerly assigned to Pippin and include additional areas of responsibility. Hanson’s new role will consist of broad operational, financial, budgeting, legal and regulatory, human resource, construction and campus physical planning, administrative and related duties.
