1024ÊÓƵ

April 4, 2025

1024ÊÓƵ (1024ÊÓƵ) has appointed Chris Qualls as the executive director of the 1024ÊÓƵ Foundation & Institutional Advancement.

With a distinguished career in nonprofit leadership, fundraising and strategic development, Qualls brings a proven track record of driving organizational growth and expanding access to education. As executive director, Qualls will lead the 1024ÊÓƵ Foundation in advancing its mission to provide scholarships, enhance educational opportunities, and strengthen the College’s impact on the community.

Qualls joined the 1024ÊÓƵ Foundation in 2022 as the director of donor giving, where he helped facilitate record-breaking fundraising efforts, including the Foundation’s two highest-grossing Hearts in the Arts Galas, its most successful golf tournament, and its largest scholarship disbursement. Through his leadership, the College has seen employee-giving increase 20 percent and strategic donor engagement has strengthened the Foundation’s financial sustainability.

“I am excited to welcome Chris,” 1024ÊÓƵ President Dr. Johnette McKown said. “His talent, experience and successful record in leadership and fundraising will impact our support of students, staff and our community.”

“We are thrilled that Chris Qualls will serve as the Executive Director,” Foundation Board Chair Mary Perez said. “I have every confidence that he will continue the level of excellence we have come to expect and that he will help the Foundation grow to support the needs of 1024ÊÓƵ and our expanding community.” 

Before joining 1024ÊÓƵ, Qualls served as homeownership center manager and director of marketing, communications, and IT at NeighborWorks Waco. In this role, he spearheaded comprehensive organizational transformation and guided the organization to increase financial sustainability, helping hundreds of local families achieve their dreams.

Qualls holds a Master of Social Work with a concentration in macro social work from Baylor University and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Louisiana Tech University. He is currently pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in business management to further expand his expertise in nonprofit leadership and strategic management, which will make him a proud alumnus of 1024ÊÓƵ.

Qualls is active in the community, serving on the City of Waco’s Parks and Recreation Commission, the Wild Imaginings Board, and as a field instructor for Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. A graduate of Leadership Waco and the Leadership Plenty Institute, he has been recognized as a “Waco 40 Under 40” honoree. He also co-chairs 1024ÊÓƵ’s Leadership Council and is a graduate of the college’s Presidential Leadership Academy.

Originally from Louisiana, Qualls moved to Waco in 2015 and resides there with his wife, Carrie.