BJ Riley ’16, ’23MLD, ’24MBA has been promoted to vice president for advancement at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC). Riley has served the College as associate vice president for strategic marketing and community relations since 2024. A 32-year veteran of the newspaper industry, Riley graduated from the Woods Online program in 2016. In 2019, he joined the SMWC staff as the College’s marketing director.
“I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve the College in this role. I am honored to continue to promote the mission of The Woods and develop meaningful relationships with the SMWC community,” Riley said.
Riley took over as SMWC’s interim vice president for advancement following the departure of Catherine Saunders ’98 in February.
“I am excited to officially name BJ Riley as the next Vice President for Advancement at SMWC,” said Brennan Randolph, president of SMWC. “He brings to this role a deep care for West Central Indiana and SMWC. BJ has been with the institution since 2019 and has faithfully served our mission in the marketing and advancement areas.”
During her tenure, Saunders led SMWC to several historic achievements, including reaching a fundraising high of almost $9 million in a single year in 2023-24 and guiding the Woods Fund to its highest level in institutional history of over $3.5 million last year. These accomplishments strengthened the College’s philanthropic foundation and expanded support for scholarships, academic programs and student success initiatives.