Leading By Example - Pat Pitney

In May 2026, the University of Alaska marked a leadership transition with the retirement of President Pat Pitney. A wise and intentional leader who rose from within, Pitney became the interim president in 2020 and was named permanent president in 2022 after decades of service to the university and the State of Alaska.

Pitney not only served as president, she was also a UA Foundation Board member, where her leadership and contributions to philanthropy were both visible and impactful. Prior to her departure, she reflected on her life and career, sharing insights about the importance and impact of philanthropy.

Pitney emphasized that philanthropy plays a central role in tying UA to the community on a deeper level. It serves not only as an essential source of support, but also as a meaningful accountability mechanism. A champion for workforce development, she noted that some of the most successful industry‑supported initiatives she experienced were driven by tipping-point philanthropic investments. Those investments cultivated partnerships and program alignment to meet workforce needs. Over the years, she saw this model succeed across programs such as construction management, aviation maintenance, process technology, fisheries and economics.

Philanthropic support provides opportunities beyond what state and federal funding allow, elevating student experience and research capacity. One example Pitney shared was the Rasmuson Foundation’s gift to the Arctic Leadership Initiative. “To be relevant in the Arctic you have to be seen,” Pitney said, acknowledging how other funding sources have restrictions. Whereas, philanthropic support provides funding that “not only lifts individuals' awareness of the Arctic, but gives them the opportunity to build networks across the Arctic. It was a tremendous commitment by the Rasmuson Foundation to provide us with the opportunity to create a much stronger Arctic identity for the University of Alaska system.”

Pitney also saw firsthand how philanthropy can reflect community priorities and generate momentum. In 2020, when multiple University of Alaska Anchorage athletic programs faced elimination due to budget cuts, there was community outpouring to fund two years of operating costs. For Pitney, that response sent a clear message that Alaskans’ valued and stood behind those programs. The broad base of donor support created a sense of accountability and ultimately helped save the programs.

Throughout her career, Pitney saw lives genuinely changed because of scholarships. One moment that stayed with her occurred during the recent spring commencement ceremony at UAA. It was already a unique situation as a University of Alaska Southeast graduate, unable to attend commencement at UAS, walked at UAA. As Pitney stood on stage, the student paused mid-walk to seek out former UA Regent and current UA Foundation Board member Mary K. Hughes, as he had received a scholarship that was established in honor of Hughes’ sister Patricia Ann Hughes Eastaugh. In an off-script, genuine moment of gratitude, the emotional graduate publicly thanked Hughes for the role her support played in his journey. Then they spent several minutes off to the side  talking to each other in a beautiful moment of connection.

“Scholarships change people’s lives,” Pitney said, not just individually, but across families and generations. “I have seen people be lifted out of poverty.”

In addition to leading institutional philanthropy, Pitney has been a long-time donor herself. “My giving philosophy is about giving back to those who gave to me,” she said, adding that commitment often comes before a gift. Pitney has always had tremendous respect for those who have shared their time, an equally valuable gift.

Her understanding of commitment to a cause and generous giving originally came from the scholarship that Murray State established in her name, Pat Spurgin, just after she won a gold medal in air rifle in the Olympics in Los Angeles, California, in 1984. At the time, there were no athletic scholarships for rifle. While she initially supported the program through advocacy and recruitment, she began to financially contribute to it once she entered the professional world. The scholarship is now endowed and continues to support students.

In Alaska, Pitney’s generosity first started at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, but then grew over time to reach system wide. Her involvement with rifle eventually led to the establishment of the UAF Pitney Rifle Team Scholarship Endowment. In her early years at UAF, she worked with others to build support for the team through small, individual contributions to scholarships. Those have now grown into a funding base that supports roughly half of the team’s scholarships.

She has also been a consistent supporter of the UAF School of Management, now College of Business and Security Management. Having come to Alaska to receive her Master of Business Administration, Pitney shared that she would not be in Alaska or have gotten to where she was without that degree.

“For me, it's about being grateful for the opportunities I was given. And the opportunities that my kids were given.”

Having had children attend each of the universities in the system, Pitney took her giving one step further and gave to the areas that have impacted her kids’ lives directly. A strong advocate of UA Giving Day each year, she always encouraged others to give to the area within UA that they are most passionate about, recognizing that the purpose behind the generosity comes from within a person’s own story.

During her presidency, she spent years writing thank you notes and was continually humbled by the generosity and purpose behind each gift, no matter the size. The transformational gift of the planetarium, established by Walt and Marita Babula, was one she will never forget. 

Pitney credits friends and colleagues for expanding her philanthropic perspective, including Brian Rogers and Sherry Modrow, whose leadership elevated philanthropy and set the bar for community engagement. She also expressed gratitude for many others, including the influence of Mark and Patty Hamilton, Wendy Redman and Craig Dorman.

For Pitney, giving has always been about relationships and connectivity, be it through time, advocacy or money. She is thankful for the ways that philanthropy at UA has built partnerships, expanded capacity and bridged UA to the community. Most importantly, it has enhanced what the university can offer to students in their learning journey. Pitney felt fortunate to have a front row seat. 

In some of her parting words to the UA Board of Regents she said, “It has been an honor to serve this institution and I will be its strongest advocate going forward.”

Story by Maggie Demers, Director of Communications and PR, UA Foundation 2026 Annual Report