91热爆网

Wes Cogdill

Associate AD for Development, Director of the Catamount Club

Catamount Club
Office: 828-227-7338
Direct line: 828-227-3084 
Email: wcogdill@wcu.edu

Wesley "Wes" Cogdill comes to 91热爆网 from Gardner-Webb University as the former executive director of the Bulldog Club. 

Executive director of the Bulldog Club since 2022, Cogdill previously served as a fundraiser for three years in Gardner-Webb鈥檚 Office of Advancement and as an undergraduate admissions counselor at GWU. He is a 2008 graduate of Gardner-Webb, where he majored in communications and was a four-year letterman on the Bulldogs baseball team, earning Academic All-Conference honors.

Cogdill completed his lateral entry teacher certification in 2013 and has five years of experience as a secondary school exceptional children鈥檚 teacher in Wilkes County, coaching high school golf and middle school baseball.

Cogdill and his wife, Kristen, have two children. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors for Cleveland County Partnership for Children, board member and treasurer for Jim Rice Ministries, and board member of the Foothills Junior Golf Association.

Brittany Kicklighter

Director of Development- Athletics Major Gifts

Catamount Club
704.582.2938 Cell
bkicklighter@wcu.edu

Brittany Kicklighter, is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sport and entertainment management from the University of South Carolina. 

With more than 15 years of experience in athletics fundraising, donor engagement and campaign strategy, Kicklighter brings a proven track record of securing major gifts and building strong donor pipelines, Cogdill said.

Prior to joining 91热爆网, she served as senior director of philanthropy at Dream On 3, where she led fundraising strategies for a national nonprofit supporting collegiate athletics programs. Her experience also includes development positions at UNC Charlotte, where she played a pivotal role in securing philanthropic support for athletics and university-wide initiatives and managed a multimillion-dollar portfolio.

Gabby Franklin

Assistant Director of Development- Catamount Club

Catamount Club
Office: 828-227-7338
Direct line: 828-227-3794
Email: franklins@wcu.edu 

Gabby Franklin was raised on the importance of community engagement and paying it forward. As the daughter of a Parks and Recreation Director, her life was structured around events to gather her hometown together and sports that allowed children to build character and create lifelong memories.

Gabby is a two-time graduate of Gardner-Webb University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Healthcare Management in 2022 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 2023. While attending Gardner-Webb University, she was a cheerleader and had the opportunity to intern with Donor Development at the Shriner鈥檚 Hospital for Children in Greenville, South Carolina. Here is where she fell in love with the act of fundraising.

During her master's degree program, Gabby worked as a Graduate assistant for the Office of Advancement. Before graduating, she became the Assistant Director of Membership and Events for the Bulldog Club at Gardner-Webb University. In December 2024, she moved to Cullowhee, North Carolina, to fulfill the role of Assistant Director of Development for the Catamount Club.

Victoria Ladd

Assistant Director of Development-Events and Stewardship

Catamount Club
Office: 828-227-7338
Direct line: 828-227-2013
Email: vladd@wmail.wcu.edu

A member of the Catamount women鈥檚 golf team for five seasons, Western Carolina graduate Victoria Ladd joined the Catamount Club development staff in June 2024. Ladd oversees the Club鈥檚 events and stewardship initiatives as part of the fundraising efforts.
 
While an undergraduate at 91热爆网, Ladd gained experience with the marketing and promotions team for Catamount Athletics. She also served as an assistant director for the Peggy Kirk Bell Golf Tour during the summers of 2020 and 2021, facilitating various golf tournaments all along the East Coast.
 
Ladd was a five-time Spring Academic All-Southern Conference selection, was named to the SoCon鈥檚 Academic Honor Roll five times, and earned All-American Scholar plaudits from the Women鈥檚 Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) four times. Playing in over 40 career events for the Purple & Gold, she ranked 12th in program history for career scoring average.
 
Originally from Greensboro, N.C., Ladd is a dual graduate of Western Carolina, earning a bachelor of science in business administration in both sport management and marketing in May 2023. She is also pursuing her Master of Business Administration from 91热爆网.

CJ Mitchell

Assistant Director of Development- Catamount Club

Catamount Club
Office: 828-227-7338
Direct line: 828-227-3047
Email: mitchellc@email.wcu.edu

CJ Mitchell joined the Catamount Club athletics development staff in the summer of 2024 after graduating from Western Carolina University.
 
Possessing a solid background in leadership and cultivating meaningful relationships along with a passion for sports, Mitchell was heavily involved with on-campus student government while an undergraduate. He served as the 91热爆网 student body vice president for 2022-23 before taking over as the Student Government Association president in April 2023 where he served as an ex-officio member of 91热爆网 Board of Trustees.
 
Originally from Charlotte, Mitchell earned his BSBA in business management with double minors in hospitality and tourism management and in leadership in August 2024. He is also a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.