For thirty years, Gonzaga has been blessed by the talents and dedication of Laura Gatewood, whose fascination with the interwoven stories of the University’s students, benefactors, alumni, faculty, and staff has manifested in elegant and meaningful ways.
Raised on a farm near Boise, Idaho, Laura was the oldest of four, playing an important leadership role for her three younger brothers. Her interests were broad, which led her to major in public relations at the University of Idaho, where she worked in new student services after graduating. She added to that job two more—a development assistant role at Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and at a sign shop in Moscow, Idaho—and juggled all three until she happened upon a posting at Gonzaga that caught her eye.
“When I interviewed,” she said, “they said, ‘well, if you can handle three jobs at once, then you’re going to do great here!”
Beginning as the assistant director of major gifts, Laura then moved into the role of assistant director—and later, director—of annual giving. She went on to help establish the stewardship division of University Advancement, serving as director of stewardship, and then senior director of donor relations. In 2022, she was promoted to assistant vice president for donor relations—a well-deserved recognition. She has been instrumental in three major capital campaigns and countless dedications, events, and communications.
Laura (far right) and her colleagues at the Gonzaga Men's Basketball team's appearance in the NCAA Final Four.
“I love hearing their stories of why people support Gonzaga and what brought them here,” she said. “We have incredible people who do incredible things, and it is such an honor to walk alongside them and be part of their journey, helping them to realize a dream or two.”
Laura has always been a student of people and their stories. She loves documentary films and international travel. She was a foreign exchange student in Lucerne, Switzerland in high school through Youth for Understanding.
“Everyone should have an experience outside of their country,” she said, having just returned from facilitating Gonzaga’s Board formation trip to Italy. “It changes your life and perspective, giving you an appreciation of the different cultures.”
Some of the most special moments over the past 30 years for Laura have been the dedications and memorials, where the community comes together as a team to strategize how to honor individuals and tell their stories in unique and thoughtful ways.
“We’re helping people celebrate, and sometimes process grief—it’s a whole range of emotions our team gets to support. We help students, benefactors, and families so they can have their moment of joy or take the next step toward healing.”
Laura said she would never forget the smiles on the faces of John Hemmingson, Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh, and the 2015 Gonzaga Student Body Association (GSBA) President when the University opened the Hemmingson Center. “It was an incredible moment of pride to see and to feel ‘I was part of that.’”
Events like building openings and dedications also afford Laura with another opportunity to connect with students. She forges lifelong relationships with Gonzaga undergraduate work-study students, interns, scholarship recipients, senior class officers, GSBA leadership, and more.
“One of the things I love about my job and the ways in which it has evolved is that I’ve truly found where I can add the greatest value. I can be the connector between a benefactor and recipient—student, alum, faculty, and staff. I get to bring people together for different reasons and those relationships endure down the road. They only get better and broader as we all learn from each other. It’s very satisfying and rewarding as it fills my cup every day.”
Gonzaga has been part of Laura’s both work and personal lives—she and her husband Chris were married at Bozarth by Father Tony Lehmann, S.J., and now has a Zag junior majoring in political science and philosophy, which has given her the opportunity to see the University through yet another lens. But she most treasures the relationships she’s forged and nurtured with the University’s benefactors over the years.
“They are the reason we get to be here right now,” she said with a waver in her voice. “It’s emotional—it’s a good thing—and I’m so grateful to celebrate what these families continue to do because they believe in Gonzaga. This feeling,” she smiled and wiped a tear from her eye, “tells me I’m exactly where I should be.”
The Gatewood family poses for a selfie during their Christmas 2022 celebrations.