Caltech searches for development officer

The recent announcement of Jerry Nunnally’s departure from the vice presidency for development and alumni relations has prompted the formation of a committee that will begin an immediate search for his successor.

Chaired by Bill Jenkins, Caltech’s executive vice president for administration, the committee includes Peter Dervan, Bren Professor of Chemistry, Sandra Ell, treasurer and chief investment officer, Jean Grinols, administrator for the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, John Ledyard, chair of the Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Bob O’Rourke, vice president for public relations and interim vice president for development and alumni relations, and Caltech trustee Wally Weisman.

“This superb committee will play a key role in finding and selecting the best candidates and then help convince the candidates about the many positive attributes of Caltech and Pasadena,” Jenkins said.

The quest for candidates was assigned to Gary Posner, a recruiter with Witt/Kiefer, a firm that specializes in searches for senior personnel and executives at institutions of higher education.

Given that Caltech’s ambitious capital campaign has advanced into the planning and organizing phase, there is a sense of urgency to find a successor. The kickoff is planned for the fall.

According to Jenkins, the successful candidate will be a seasoned development professional who must take charge of a range of development, fund raising, and outreach functions. His or her duties will be to identify, cultivate, and attract new donors; solicit and procure gifts to support the Institute’s priorities; plan and direct programs to meet annual fund-raising goals; and meet or surpass the goals set for the capital campaign. Through staffing and creative partnerships both within Caltech and with outside entities, the new vice president will also establish an efficient fund-raising organization that will serve the Institute through the coming decade.

The office of development and alumni relations includes the Alumni Association, whose members have graduated as far back as the 1940s; Gift and Estate Planning, which raises funds through deferred gifts and bequests; the Alumni Fund, which contacts 17,000 alumni every year for support; and Corporate Relations and Industrial Associates, which develops mutually beneficial relationships with corporations.

The incumbent will also oversee Foundation Relations, which works with faculty and the administration to establish relationships with private foundations; Development Services, which comprises Donor Relations, Gift Processing, and Research; Principal and Major Gifts, which works to increase support from select individuals; and the Associates, a support group of dedicated friends of Caltech who provide the Institute with private donations.
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