By Kyle Peveto, Arts Editor

ACU hired Phil Boone this month as the new director its centennial campaign.

Boone graduated from ACU in 1983 with a bachelor of business administration degree in finance. Since then Boone owned, operated and worked in various sales firms and training companies.

Before being hired by ACU, Boone owned and operated Learning Endeavors, a consulting company. He and his family moved from Austin to Abilene in 2000.

Raising funds for ACU’s 100th anniversary is the main goal of the centennial campaign.

“It’s a natural time to reunite people in the 100th year,” Boone said.

The centennial campaign’s goal is for it to become the largest campaign in the university’s history, topping the “To Lead and To Serve” campaign, which raised over $114 million from 1996 to 2000.

Directors look for donations from alumni, friends of the university, corporations and foundations. Boone, who is still involved with his company Learning Endeavors, keeps a connection to the corporate world that is very helpful in his position as campaign director.

For the next year, Boone and others involved in the campaign will be busy raising funds and preparing to present the campaign to the public.

“Hopefully a good percentage of the goal will already have been met”ore the public appearance of the campaign in February 2004],” he said.

When “To Lead and to Serve” became public, it had already raised $35 million.

Boone began his work Tuesday, replacing Mike Barnes, who left in August.

“He did a great job,” Boone said. “He was a great addition to the ACU family.”