Northern Foundation director resigns

Shauna Albrecht has resigned as executive director of the Montana State University-Northern Alumni Foundation.

Damon Bricker, campaign co-chair of the foundation, said Albrecht resigned Friday, but did not know the details of why she resigned.

“The board accepted her resignation, and we’ve started a national search for a new director,” Bricker said.

Albrecht said she was waiting to speak to her lawyer before saying anything about the situation, but agreed to go on record that she had resigned.

Alumni Association Director Autumn Elliott, who worked in the foundation office, resigned late last year for unknown reasons. Her position was dissolved after she left, and two part-time positions were created afterward.

The positions were never filled and were put on hold until the foundation found a new director, Bricker said. He added, the two positions are being funded by the university administration because the foundation does not have the money to fund them.

“The school has taken a larger role in fundraising to help the foundation out,” Bricker said. “But the foundation is still a separate entity.”

Three or four people applied for one of the positions, but the applicants were not what the foundation was looking for, Bricker said.

The decision was made about a month ago to not post the positions online because the service the foundation was using cost too much money, and the board did not want to hire for them until a new executive director was found.

Bricker said the foundation officially put the positions on hold Thursday.

The foundation raises money for a variety of campus projects, especially scholarships. It has also been charged with raising money to build and operate the new Auto-Diesel Building. The state will pay for most of the building, but the university is responsible for raising $3 million.