UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has launched a national search for the next vice president for development and alumni relations. A member of the senior leadership team, this position reports directly to the president and is charged with strategically leading the University’s advancement with frontline fundraising, alumni relations, event planning, major gift cultivation, corporate and foundation relations and more.  

This role manages a budget of more than $67 million and leads nearly 600 full-time professional staff members in the Penn State Alumni Association and the Office of University Development, engaging with the University’s more than 775,000 living alumni and friends to further the University’s land-grant mission. 

“One of the things that sets Penn State apart from other institutions is the passion and support of our alumni and friends,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Penn State is home to the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world with more than 174,000 members, and in our most recent fundraising campaign, more than 697,000 donors pledged gifts to the University. With strategic foresight and a clear grasp of Penn State’s academic, research and service missions to benefit those throughout the commonwealth and beyond, our ideal candidate will continue this committed engagement with all Penn Staters and contribute to the University’s dedication to inclusive community as the foundation of our work.”  

The vice president for development and alumni relations will be charged with strengthening the University’s focus on and ability to raise principal gifts by identifying and working with prospects, while also expanding the University’s community of support by building meaningful and enduring relationships with those prospects and existing Penn State donors. The successful candidate will be creative, strategic and visionary as they lead the development and alumni relations operation in new directions, using contemporary theory and best practices.  

Penn State is partnering with Isaacson, Miller, an executive search firm, to identify and recruit outstanding prospects into the search pool.  

Members of the search advisory committee include: 

• Kelly Altland, associate vice president of development and alumni relations and chief development officer for Penn State Health 

• Lee Kump, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences 

• Pat Kraft, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics/director of athletics 

• Megan Nagel, regional chancellor of Commonwealth Campuses Fayette, Greater Allegheny and New Kensington 

• Lydell Sargeant, senior director of development and alumni relations in the College of the Liberal Arts 

• Michael Wade Smith, senior vice president and chief of staff for the Office of the President 

• Erica Smithwick, associate director of the Institute of Energy and the Environment; distinguished professor of geography; and director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute 

This search also will be advised by Gene Chaiken, who has worked with the University and its advancement leaders for many decades. He and his wife, Roz, are Penn State’s second largest donors. 

The previous vice president for development and alumni relations, O. Richard Bundy III, announced his departure in March 2023, after leading Penn State through the $2.2 billion fundraising campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence” — the most successful and comprehensive fundraising effort in University history. David Lieb, senior associate vice president for development, has served as the interim vice president and will continue to do so until a permanent replacement is named.  

Applications and nominations will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Nicole Poe (npoe@imsearch.com) at Isaacson, Miller. 

To learn more about Penn State’s alumni relations and development programs, visit alumni.psu.edu and raise.psu.edu.