By Staff
The $2.8B West Virginia University Foundation has appointed Jim Bethea vice-president of investments and chief investment officer, effective June 16.
Bethea will take over for Rick Kraich, who is retiring at the end of June. He’ll be joining the foundation from his current role as CIO for the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, where he is responsible for administering the foundation’s $2.1B assets under management from its investment portfolios, trusts, gift annuities and operating funds. He is also responsible for assessing and managing relationships with the foundation’s investment managers across a broad range of asset classes, including public and private equity, hedge funds, fixed income, real estate, natural resources, and commodity managers.
Prior to joining the University of Iowa in 2010, Bethea spent three years as a research consultant with RVK, Inc., in Portland, Ore., where he interviewed and performed ongoing due diligence on investment managers. Earlier in his career, he served as an investment analyst for Touchstone Investments in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2005-2007.
“I am thrilled that Jim has agreed to join our WVU Foundation team,” said Cindi Roth, WVU Foundation’s president and chief executive officer, in a press release. “He rose to the top following a nationwide search conducted by the firm RSR partners, led by Ed Fowler. Jim will bring a wealth of talent and diverse experience in all facets of investing, especially in higher education. An analytical and strategic thinker, he is passionate about building high-performing teams in a positive culture. I have no doubt our dynamic and strong investment operation supporting WVU, WVU Medicine and our affiliated agencies will continue growing to new heights under his leadership.”
