“Let’s go.”

For Michael Ward, those two words are more than a catchphrase.

They carry his love for NC State and his belief in the people around him. When he says it, it feels like encouragement. It feels like momentum. And, most importantly, it feels like Michael.

Over the past 10 years, Ward has brought that same energy to the Wilson College of Textiles and North Carolina Textile Foundation (NCTF), where he has grown from director of development to the foundation’s executive director. 

“Seeing the lives that the NCTF has changed makes this work more than fulfilling. It’s a passion that motivates me every single day,” Ward shares. “I’m honored to work with a team that fosters lifelong relationships while also inspiring philanthropy, engagement and partnership.” 

As the philanthropic arm of the Wilson College of Textiles, the NCTF helps make the college’s groundbreaking work possible by connecting donors with personalized opportunities to support students, faculty, research, programs and spaces. 

Under Ward’s leadership, the foundation’s work has remained deeply focused on people, especially the students whose futures are shaped by philanthropy. Each year, the foundation administers more than 100 life-changing scholarships. In turn, this opens doors to a world-class education and experiences that prepare students to lead in a global industry.

Ward proudly credits the NCTF Board of Directors for sharpening his skills. 

As top leaders within the textiles industry, the board works closely with Ward and David Hinks, the Prakash Chand Kochhar Dean of the Wilson College of Textiles, to seek individual, corporate and foundation gifts. 

Nancy Webster ’75, former president of the NCTF Board of Directors, has witnessed Ward’s steady leadership firsthand.

“Michael leads in a way that makes people feel valued,” Webster says. “He listens, he follows through, and he cares deeply about doing what is right for our college, our foundation and our donors. That kind of trust is built through years of showing up with sincerity and purpose, and Michael has done that beautifully.”

The board is not the only group Ward is quick to credit. 

Just as important is the close-knit foundation team, whose individual talents and commitment make the work possible every day.

“I feel fortunate to work alongside a team that has remained so committed to one another and to this college,” Ward says. “Everyone has an important role to play, and everyone knows this team cares about one another. I think our greatest assets are people.”

Ever the humble leader, Ward rarely starts with numbers. He starts with people.

That people-first approach has helped Ward connect supporters to the priorities and programs that make the Wilson College one of the most meaningful places to invest in textiles education.

“Michael’s passion for this college is genuine, and so is his care for the people around him,” says Dean Hinks. “He leads with service, humility and heart. Michael and his team have spent a decade fostering a Wilson for Life community that supports our students during their time at the college and beyond. It is that momentum that we look to build upon going forward, as we continue to make Wilson College Affordable for All.” 

Ward’s leadership and relationships have made a significant impact on the students, staff, faculty and alumni of the Wilson College. Together, he and his team have raised more than $100 million to support the college’s mission.

Helping others see what is possible

Ward sees philanthropy as more than a gift; it’s a relationship.

He wants to understand what matters to each donor, what has shaped their connection to the college and what kind of impact they hope to have. Sometimes that means supporting students through scholarships. Sometimes it’s strengthening faculty, research, facilities or high-impact programs. Always, Ward’s goal is to help donors see how their generosity can become part of something larger than themselves.

Since he first joined the NCTF in 2016 and especially since he stepped into the role of executive director in 2019, that belief has shaped Ward. 

That was especially clear in 2018, when the Wilson family made a $28 million gift to name the Wilson College of Textiles. For Ward, the gift was a turning point. It elevated the college’s visibility, strengthened its credibility with alumni and industry partners, and it opened the door for even greater momentum.

“It put a brand on it and really elevated the awareness and the credibility of the college,” Ward says. “It has been the catapult to so many other opportunities.”

“Michael has a gift for helping people connect their own story to the story of this college,” says Cres Wilson Calabrese ’89, a member of the Wilson family and the former vice president of the NCTF Board of Directors. “For our family, this college is deeply personal, and Michael understood that from the very beginning. He has stewarded our relationship with so much care, but what means even more is the friendship we’ve built along the way. Michael has become like a brother to me, and I’m grateful for the way he continues to honor our family’s love for this college while helping carry its future forward.”

Over the past decade, Ward has played a meaningful role in helping bring several transformational gifts, in addition to the Wilson College naming gift, to life, including:

• The W. Duke Kimbrell Flex Factory naming, which honors a textile titan while creating a cutting-edge hub for rapid prototyping, product development, entrepreneurship and hands-on learning.
  
• Closing the gap on the Centennial Scholarship Program, which helped bring the program to 40 fully endowed scholarships and increase the minimum award for Centennial Scholars.
  
• The Milliken Textile Protection and Comfort Center naming, a $1.5 million investment to advance protective and comfort research while creating critical graduate fellowships.
  
• The recent Prakash Chand Kochhar gift from Anil Kochhar, which named the college’s deanship and created new support for graduate students, faculty excellence and the dean’s highest priorities.
  • This snowballed into a life-changing gift from the Kochhars to cover all final-year education loans incurred by spring 2026 Wilson College graduates.

Ward would be the first to say that none of these gifts happened because of one person. 

Instead, they point to a larger truth: when donors understand the Wilson College’s impact, they want to be part of its future. And Ward has spent the past decade helping them see themselves in that future.

Leading with heart

Before he built a career in philanthropy, Ward thought he might become a basketball coach.

He grew up in Raleigh as the grandson of an NC State alumnus, and he attended Appalachian State University, where he served as a student manager for the basketball team. That experience taught him lessons that still guide him today: team dynamics, time management and what it means to be committed to something bigger than yourself.

An internship with the Wolfpack Club later brought Ward back to the university he had grown up loving and introduced him to development work. It also gave him an early glimpse of what would become the foundation of his career.

From there, Ward followed that calling through advancement roles at Northern Illinois University, East Carolina University and Clemson University. His work spanned athletic development, major gifts and estate planning, giving him an understanding of how generosity can shape institutions. By the time Ward joined the NCTF in 2016, he had built a career around relationships.

“Michael brings both heart and discipline to this work,” says Rick Elmore ’92, president of the NCTF Board of Directors. “He understands the importance of relationships, but he also understands how to turn shared vision into real impact. His leadership has helped the foundation grow in ways that will benefit Wilson College students for generations.”

Ward also brings empathy to the job. He and his wife, Alison, have carried that same belief into their family.

“We don’t have many rules with our kids,” he says, “but the one rule we have is just to be kind. The world could use more empathy and understanding. We don’t know what’s going on behind anyone’s door.”

That commitment to kindness became even more personal during a difficult season last year, when Ward lost both of his parents within months of one another.

In the midst of that grief, he found himself reflecting on the lessons they left behind: the grace he learned from his mother and the hard truths he learned from his father. Their memory continues to guide how he leads and loves, building a legacy that would make them proud.

“I always feel like I have to put myself in other people’s shoes,” Ward says, “whether it’s a donor, a staff member, whatever. Leading with empathy is something we don’t see enough of, and my parents taught me that.”

Dreaming big for the next 10 years

At the 10-year mark, Ward is seeing something that gives him even more energy for the future.

“I’m seeing the true impact of philanthropy,” he says. “I can’t imagine how well-resourced and what this college will look like 10 years from now.”

That future begins with students. Ward wants to continue building support that makes a Wilson College education more affordable, reduces financial pressure and gives students room to fully embrace the experiences that prepare them to lead.

“Graduating students with low debt should be a goal, not just for this college, but just in general,” Ward says.

It also means deepening the college’s connection to the textile industry. Ward believes industry partners are not only supporting students when they invest in the Wilson College. They are helping strengthen the future talent, leadership and innovation their own organizations will need.

“They’re investing in the future of leadership and future employees,” Ward says.

As the next campaign comes into focus, Ward remains grateful for the team, the board, the donors, the alumni and the college community that has made the work so meaningful.

“It never felt like a job,” Ward says.

And as he looks ahead to the next chapter for the North Carolina Textile Foundation and the Wilson College of Textiles, one phrase still says it best.

Let’s go.