VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
Founded in 1845 and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Wittenberg University invites nominations and applications for its Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement (“VPAAE”). This individual will be the University’s chief strategist and advisor to the president regarding alumni engagement, donor cultivation and stewardship, including through the design and execution of future comprehensive and targeted campaigns to support Wittenberg’s strategic priorities. The VPAAE will exhibit the highest standards of excellence and integrity and will advance Wittenberg’s mission and values.
The VPAAE will report to Wittenberg’s next president (who will begin their term in July 2025) and will serve as a member of the president's Senior Staff, setting priorities and strategies for university-wide objectives within and outside of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. The VPAAE will develop partnerships across Wittenberg’s faculty and staff, as well as with alumni, families, and friends, using their time and talents efficiently and appropriately to lead an excellent advancement and alumni relations program. When fully staffed, the VPAAE will oversee ten staff members across alumni and constituent engagement, philanthropy, major planned giving, alumni relationships for affinity and student groups, regional programming, and donor relations.
The VPAAE will--in partnership with the president, Senior Staff, and Board of Directors--develop clear funding and engagement priorities and goals for the University and actively provide insight, perspective, and take collaborative action. The successful candidate will foster a culture of philanthropy at Wittenberg that fully engages its various constituencies at an increasingly deep and meaningful level. They will personally pursue principal and major gift support for the University and orchestrate the participation of others in cultivation and stewardship of key donors; develop innovative, meaningful engagement strategies to broaden the reach and impact among Wittenberg’s 26,000 alumni in the Tiger Network and more fully integrate these activities into the University's development efforts; and deepen Advancement and Alumni Engagement’s connection with the rest of the Wittenberg community, keeping faculty, staff, coaches, and students current about the division’s work on the University’s behalf, and inviting them to participate in the process at many levels.
Key qualifications for the next Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement include the ability to develop and execute an aspirational philanthropic vision and strategy at a similarly sized institution and experience implementing and maintaining a culture of accountability through data-driven goals and performance metrics. The VPAAE will have a track record of successfully recruiting, developing, and mentoring staff and encouraging them to engage with donors at all levels. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required. While experience in higher education is not required, experience in a comparably complex environment and a deep appreciation and commitment to the academic enterprise is expected.
The full position profile can be found here: https://www.dsgco.com/search/21823-wittenberg-university-vp-advancement-and-alumni-engagement/
Nominations and inquiries should be submitted electronically as soon as possible to the email address below. to ensure fullest consideration. Applications should include a resume and a letter of candidacy that responds to the agenda for leadership and the desired qualities and qualifications for the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement of Wittenberg University. All application materials will be considered in full confidence and should be submitted via the Talent Profile, https://talent-profile.dsgco.com/search/v2/21823
Susan Van Gilder, Global Practice Lead
Danielle Mebert, Managing Associate
Storbeck Search
WittenbergVPAAE@storbecksearch.com
As an institution that values the dignity of all, the University adheres to all federal and state civil rights laws banning discrimination in private institutions of higher education. Wittenberg University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, military status, veteran status, familial status or any other protected category under applicable local, state or federal law, ordinance or regulation. This includes protections for those opposing discrimination or participating in any complaint process on campus or within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Ohio Civil Rights Commission or other human rights agencies, as well as in the planning and administration of its admissions policies, educational programs, scholarships, loans, and other financial aid, athletic and other school-administered programs, services, and activities, or in employment. Sexual harassment, which includes acts of sexual violence, is a type of sex discrimination.
The University does not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on these bases and takes steps to ensure that students, faculty, staff members, and third parties are not subject to a hostile environment in University programs or activities. Protective measures are available during an investigation into allegations, and where harassment or discrimination is found to have occurred, the University will take appropriate steps to eliminate such harassment or discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects.