Denver, Colorado - June 3, 2011 - The BACCHUS Network announced today that Drew Hunter, President/CEO, is retiring effective June 30, 2011, after 25 years serving the organization in a variety of leadership roles, culminating as President and CEO. In making the announcement, Dr. Ed Hammond, BACCHUS Board of Trustees Chairperson said, "Countless students and higher education administrators have been well served by Drew's long tenure with BACCHUS. His passion for student development and health promotion has made BACCHUS the cutting edge student leadership organization that it is today. We are forever indebted to him for his 25 years of leadership."

Drew Hunter at 2010 General Assembly

Under Drew Hunter's leadership, The BACCHUS Network grew from a loosely affiliated organization of chapters scattered across the country to a comprehensive non-profit network with more than 900 college and university based peer education programs providing critical student leadership on alcohol abuse prevention, sexual health education, tobacco prevention and control, and other health and safety issues. During his tenure with the organization, more than 500,000 students and 10,000 campus-based professionals have been a part of The BACCHUS Network.

Early in his career with BACCHUS, Drew was tasked with developing the marketing strategy and chapter services plan to build BACCHUS into a national network. He developed the volunteer structure that became the Area Consultant program, helped BACCHUS broaden its funding base, secured dozens of state and federal grants to support BACCHUS initiatives, and developed major health campaigns for BACCHUS including: National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW), impaired driving prevention efforts, Greeks Advocating Mature Management of Alcohol (GAMMA), Sexual Responsibility Week, the Collegiate Tobacco and Control Initiative, and the Safe Spring Break campaign. The development of the BACCHUS Educational Materials Center, the Certified Peer Education Program, the online learning courses and BACCHUS Websites occurred under his leadership.

According to Tom Goodale, BACCHUS Co-Founder and a long-time student affairs professional who first hired Drew for the organization, "I have known Drew Hunter since 1981 when I came to the University of Denver. He was an exemplary student leader and I quickly identified him as a person who could take BACCHUS to a new level. The success of The BACCHUS Network can be attributed to his passion for prevention, adeptness at securing outside funding and surrounding himself with good staff. We wish him well and thank him for all that he has done for BACCHUS."

On his decision to retire, Drew Hunter commented, "Having had the privileged of serving The BACCHUS Network for 25 years has, for me, been so much more than a career. I have long been humbled by the amazing student leaders and dedicated campus professionals attracted to BACCHUS' mission as well as the talented group of professionals who have served on our staff and as volunteers over the years. I have always shared with great sincerity that since day one with BACCHUS, I have had the best job possible because of the people I have worked with and served." Drew Hunter's immediate plans are to take some personal time off for reflection, to refresh and then explore other opportunities.