Arizona State University: Sparky's Biggest Fan Retires From ASU

Press release from Arizona State University:

2022-03-02

It was 1977 when Anna Wales first set foot on the Arizona State University campus while visiting a friend. She recalls strolling down Palm Walk, breathing in the aromatic orange blossoms, absorbing the relentless Arizona sunshine and knowing that she belonged.

In 1993, Wales moved from her home in Oswego, Illinois, to Phoenix, where she would begin a fulfilling career at ASU. Now she is retiring from her role as Fulton Schools business relations coordinator and the place she’s called “home” for the last 28 years.

Anna Wales (third from right) tailgating with her family in 2016 at the Cactus Bowl football game at Chase Field. Photo courtesy Anna Wales
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As she packs up her office in the Sutton Director’s Suite on the Polytechnic campus, Anna’s colleagues, who will miss her dearly, wonder how she’ll fit 28 years’ worth of friendships, professional impacts, memories and enough ASU memorabilia to fill Sun Devil Stadium into some moving boxes. The reality is that while she’ll no longer be a daily presence on campus, Wales’ legacy will continue at ASU. It lives in the foundation of the Polytechnic campus and in the hearts of everyone she’s worked with.

Wales’ changemaking attitude, sunny demeanor, persistence and warm energy have been contagiously uplifting and allowed her to build relationships, push boundaries and cultivate culture across an array of pivotal roles.

Rain or shine, Wales, a staff achievement awardee, was the person who came in early, stayed late and answered weekend calls. She also spent weeknights and weekends cheering at every ASU sporting event she could squeeze into her busy schedule.

But Wales hasn’t just been a season ticket holder for her ASU teams, she is a season ticket holder for the university. A cheerleader in every sense of the word, Wales graciously supports anyone who crosses her path. That’s just the kind of person she is.

For Wales, who says she has an extreme aversion to the colors red and blue (the colors of ASU rival the University of Arizona), it was never just about work. The years flew by, colleagues became family, student success became her mission and Sun Devil country became her home.

A common thread runs through each personal and professional endeavor Wales took part in during her time at ASU; enthusiastically supporting and crediting others.

She has held roles in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the Graduate College, the W. P. Carey School of Business, the Office of the University Provost, the Office of Public Affairs for the President’s Office and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — and in each of them, she creatively introduced new ways to reinforce the university’s mission.

Most of her more than 10 roles centered around special events, alumni relations and donor stewardship, however, she wore many hats and enthusiastically took on responsibilities that often fell out of her scope.

When Wales met Chuck Backus, the founding provost of the Polytechnic campus, establishing what was previously known as ASU East and the move of the School of Agribusiness from the Tempe campus to the East Valley was pending. Backus recalls Wales walking into his office and asking how she could help make the move successful.

“I knew she was committed because she was asking for more work,” Backus says. “She became a ‘cheerleader’ within the School of Agribusiness, and thus made this transition much less painful for everyone involved.”

Professor Emeritus Thomas Schildgen, former department chair for the Department of Industrial Technology, met Wales during her first week of employment at ASU in 1994 and the two worked together for many years. He recalls laughing, crying and reminiscing with Wales, whose humor and outgoing personality shined brightest during times of adversity.

“Whether it was cancer in her family or generating the feeling of abundance when department budgets were limited, Anna’s dedication to the university was visible, and to this day, she remains an institutional icon,” Schildgen says.

In her most recent role as business development coordinator for the Fulton Schools, Wales fostered generosity through her many donor relationships, working directly with David Wahls, the Fulton Schools executive director of development. Wahls has known Wales for nearly his entire ASU career and says she brings light into any room she enters.

“Her passion to support people and help them flourish is truly unmatched,” Wahls says. “With all that she does, she brings the energy of 10 people along with her that motivates the group to go above and beyond, accomplishing more than anyone thought possible. While ASU will keep going after Anna retires, there will be a huge gap to fill, as we will miss her dearly as a part of our teams and our daily dose of sunshine.”

Professor Emeritus George Seperich was the associate sean of the Morrison School, now part of the W. P. Carey School of Business, when he and Wales worked together.

“To know Anna is to like Anna,” Seperich says. “Her retirement is as close as she’ll get to helping herself. She never thinks about herself. It is always about others. How many people have that attitude? I would hazard a guess that among the billions of people on this planet, there are a handful of people like Anna. We are lucky she chose us.”

Wales partnered with Warde Nichols, executive director in the Office of Government and Community Engagement at ASU, to organize tours and events for the community through engagement with elected officials and chambers. He recalls how she poured her heart and soul into ASU and ASU’s Polytechnic campus.

“Those who have worked with her and those who have been around her are better because of her genuine care of the individual and the ASU community at large,” Nichols says. “Her infectious smile and contagious excitement will be missed. She will continue in her retirement to impact lives and make a difference. And those of us who have been impacted by her will try to continue carrying the pitchfork forward.”

This press release was produced by Arizona State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.