University Advancement area strengthened and reorganized
The University Advancement area has undergone a major reorganization. Over the past five months, Dr. Steven Titus, senior vice president, has transformed university advancement operations and performance in order to more successfully identify, develop and secure the resources necessary to advance the Saint Mary’s University mission.
Highlights of the reorganization include new office structures, staffing changes, and advancement strategies. University Advancement is the overarching structure that pulls together and integrates the efforts of four divisions: Development, Alumni Relations, Marketing and Communication, and University Relations – SGPP.
A new senior leadership team directs the work of these divisions:
• Joe Sweeney, senior development director for Chicago and the U.S.
• Dominic Lawrence, assistant vice president for Development
• Meg Richtman, assistant vice president for Alumni Relations
• Bob Conover, vice president for Marketing & Communication
• Don St. Dennis, associate vice president for University Relations – SGPP
• Brother Ed Siderewicz, special assistant to the president for First-Generation & Lasallian Initiatives
In addition to the new office structure, five university-wide teams will be formed this spring (integrated marketing, integrated communications, web and new media, branding and design, and development strategies) that will include members from inside and outside University Advancement.
New strategies for University Advancement include:
• to be more external, to develop a more robust donor pipeline, and to expand the SMU donor base
• to overhaul development operations
• to more broadly engage our combined 33,000-member alumni base
• to reshape and enlarge the visibility and image of the university
• to prepare for a comprehensive campaign
• to develop the Chicago and Minneapolis markets in terms of both alumni and development
The new structure and staff roster for University Advancement can be viewed on the SMU website at: www.smumn.edu/universityadvancement.aspx.
