Katherine Sawyer serves as the Chief Advancement Officer for Oakton College (Des Plaines, IL). Reporting to the president, Sawyer is responsible for the College’s marketing and communication functions and serves as the executive director of the Oakton College Educational Foundation, recipient of the Association of Governing Board’s 2024 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership. Sawyer came to Oakton in 2018 having previously served as the Executive Director of the Elgin Community College Foundation (Elgin, IL) and the Associate Executive Director of the Harper College Educational Foundation (Palatine, IL). 

Sawyer’s 30 years of business experience prior to entering the higher education sector includes positions as regional vice president and director of development, marketing and operations functions for the American Cancer Society, Motorola, NEC, and others. 

Sawyer holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from West Virginia University and a Master of Business Administration from George Mason University. She is credentialed as a Certified Fund Raising Executive.  She is a Board Director for the Association of Governing Boards (AGB, Washington, D.C.) and also serves on the AGB Council of Foundation Leaders and previously served on the National Committee for College and University Foundations with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE, Washington, DC).