Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Wright State University seeks an innovative and entrepreneurial vice president for institutional advancement. This prominent leadership role provides exciting opportunities for an ambitious and collaborative individual to develop a clear vision and provide leadership to the position and grow Wright State's long-term fundraising strategy.

Wright State University, located 12 miles northeast of downtown Dayton, Ohio. It offers more than 295 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional degree programs through eight colleges and three schools. The University also operates a regional campus, Wright State University-Lake Campus, on the shores of Grand Lake St. Mary’s in Celina, Ohio across 211 scenic acres. Enrollments on the two campuses surpassed 12,000 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate, doctoral and professional students in the Fall of 2018. Wright State University was named to honor aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright, who invented the world’s first successful airplane in their Dayton bicycle shop. The Wright State University footprint contains over 750 acres of developed and undeveloped property, which includes lush forest and a biology preserve. The University’s state-of-the-art facilities include 71 academic and support buildings, 33 student residential buildings and an entertainment and athletics venue.

Wright State is well positioned to have relatively new leadership in President Schrader as she joined the University as its first female president in July 2017. She bears impressive credentials and has already shaped strategic direction, embedded fiscal integrity and focused on the students and their successes. Additionally her strong academic and research background has positioned the University to continue to advance depth in research and excellence. With advanced degrees in electrical engineering, her academic background includes multiple leadership positions at the University of Texas at San Antonio, Boise State University, and, most recently, service as the first female chancellor in almost 150 years at Missouri University of Science and Technology. President Schrader personally led an intense and comprehensive university-wide strategic planning process during much of 2018. Elements of the new plan will become fundraising priorities for the new vice president for institutional advancement to develop in collaboration with her and other members of the University community. 

Joining her in 2018, President Schrader invited Wright State's new provost, Dr. Susan Edwards, to lead the academic vision of the University to new levels of success. Dr. Edwards comes from a science and research background with advanced degrees in biology. She joined Wright State from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She began her higher education career as a faculty member in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at James Cook University in Australia. Provost Edwards looks forward to engaging the academic leadership in new fundraising strategies and to learning from and collaborating with the new vice president for institutional advancement. The college and unit leadership will be primary partners with the VPIA as they prepare for the next comprehensive campaign.

Wright State is a rising star on the national scene. With new leadership in place, the University is preparing to move boldly forward to engage new philanthropic partners, to build on current and trusted relationships and to envision a dynamic and highly innovative future. Many of these visionary ideas and goals are tied to re-engaging current philanthropic partners and to discovering new friends and advocates who share in the Wright State mission. The key to expanding philanthropic successes is securing a new vice president for institutional advancement (VPIA) who will be a trusted member of President Cheryl B. Schrader’s senior leadership team.

The new VPIA will lead a dynamic and comprehensive team of professionals dedicated to outreach, engagement and transformation. This talented team will include those whose vision of a successful Wright State includes forging partnerships at many community and national levels. This group includes:

• Corporate and Community Engagement
• Alumni Relations
• Major, Planned, Annual Giving
• Advancement Services
• Marketing and Communications
• Events and Sponsorships
• Comprehensive Campaigns
• Liaison to Wright State University Foundation

Additional information about this position can be found at www.wittkieffer.com.

Applications, nominations and inquiries may be directed in confidence to Kim Brettschneider, Ann Yates and Veena Abraham, J.D., the WittKieffer consultants assisting Wright State University Foundation with this search, at WSU-VPIA@wittkieffer.com. Electronic submissions are required and should include a letter of interest and current curriculum vitae. For best consideration, please send materials by October 11, 2019.

Wright State University values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law.