Tim Pavish is a 1980 cum-laude graduate of what is now Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. He spent 23 years in the advertising industry before joining WSU in 2003 as the executive director of the WSU Alumni Association. For over 20 years, Tim worked for DDB Worldwide Inc. During his tenure, DDB/Seattle (originally called Elgin Syferd, Inc.) grew from a small agency with 20 employees and $12 million in billings to the largest agency in Washington with over 165 employees, a quarter of a billion dollars in billings, and clients across the country. Tim was the managing partner of the advertising division which was the agency’s largest and most profitable unit. He was named to DDB’s “Team 2000,” the next generation of worldwide leaders. While at DDB, Tim worked with agency founders Ron Elgin and Dave Syferd to establish the Elgin Syferd/DDB Minority Student Scholarship Endowment to benefit WSU students of color pursuing a degree in strategic communications. He also led the development of several acclaimed ad campaigns in support of the WSU Foundation and WSU Athletics. In recognition of its support, the agency was named a WSU benefactor.
Since his graduation, Tim has remained involved with the university. In the fall of 1980, he started his alumni volunteer activities by speaking to advertising and public relations classes in Murrow. He soon became a member of the Murrow Professional Advisory Board and later served as chair of the Board. As a member of the Murrow Board, Tim conceived of the annual Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1994, led the revitalization of the Murrow Symposium, and reorganized the leadership structure of the Murrow Professional Advisory Board. In 2004, he proposed the creation of the Murrow Alumni Hall of Achievement which the college later established. He remains on the Murrow Board as an ex-officio member. Tim also served as a member of the WSU Foundation Board of Trustees for nearly a decade. Tim received the WSUF’s “Outstanding Service Award” after his first year as a trustee. He was the founding chair of the WSUF’s Athletics Advisory Committee. In addition, Tim has served on the Advancement Communications Committee and is a current member of the WSU Athletics Council and the Regents Distinguished Alumnus/a Award committee. He is a WSUF President’s Associate, a member of the WSUF’s Heritage Society, a Platinum Life Member of the WSU Alumni Association, and an inductee in the Murrow College’s Alumni Hall of Achievement.
As the executive director of the WSU Alumni Association, Tim, the WSUAA staff, and volunteers have dramatically increased the number of members in the Association; boosted alumni-engagement events from 150 per year to over 800; and significantly enhanced the financial strength of the WSUAA to better serve the needs of the university. Under Tim’s leadership, the WSUAA has grown from 13,000 members to over 33,000, and it now has its sights set on 40,000 members by 2020. The WSUAA recently won an international gold award for excellence in university events. In addition to working in alumni relations, Tim has provided the university, the WSUF, and WSU Athletics with marketing and communication counsel. The creative work produced under Tim’s direction was the most decorated in WSU’s history at that time. Tim led the production of the popular “Go Cougs” TV campaign which was recognized as one of the top three TV campaigns produced by a university in the world. He is a member of WSU’s University Council.
A Walla Walla native, Tim returned to WSU and eastern Washington in order to make a more meaningful contribution to the university he loves and to enjoy the rolling hills of the Palouse. Tim is married to Carin (Hull) Pavish, a fellow 1980 WSU graduate. The couple’s two adult children, McKenzie and Ben, are proud graduates of WSU, too. Tim and Carin live in a house they built on 23 acres outside of Pullman.