Administration

Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy to guide University fundraising

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.—As Penn State moves forward from the success of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, concluded in June of 2014, the University has assembled a core group of fundraising volunteers to help guide the next era in Penn State philanthropy. The Executive Committee of the Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy (PSACP) will assist University leadership in enhancing Penn State’s fundraising programs and continuing to secure private support.

“Our volunteers add tremendous value to our fundraising initiatives, offering unique perspectives as both industry and community leaders as well as principal donors themselves,” said Penn State President Eric. J. Barron. “The Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy will be essential as we continue the important work of raising support for Penn State students, faculty, staff, and alumni.”

The Executive Committee, a group of 15 volunteer leaders, was assembled following the For the Future campaign’s conclusion. “With the Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy, we have gathered an incredibly talented and devoted group of Penn State supporters,” said Rodney P. Kirsch, senior vice president for development and alumni relations. “I look forward to engaging their vast experience and knowledge as we seek to become an even stronger and more effective organization.”

Penn State relies on volunteers to advise on organizational decisions in the Office of University Development and help to cultivate support from other alumni and friends. The key responsibilities of the PSACP will include advising the University’s leadership on fundraising strategy, helping Penn State’s development operation to become more effective and efficient, and planning for the next University-wide fundraising campaign.

“The interim between campaigns is an ideal time to carry out the important work of getting better,” said Martha Barnhart Jordan, chair of the executive committee of the PSACP. “My fellow members of the Penn State Advisory Council and I look forward to making an outstanding University with an outstanding fundraising program even stronger. We have an extremely solid foundation on which to build.”

A graduate of the Smeal College of Business, Jordan previously served as a member of the Campaign Executive Committee for For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students as well as Chair of the Board of Visitors in the Smeal College of Business. She practiced law for more than 25 years at Latham & Watkins, one of the top global law firms in the world, and held several management positions in the organization before her retirement in 2011.

In addition to Jordan, the other members of the executive committee of the Penn State Advisory Council on Philanthropy, with their year of graduation and college, include:

John M. Arnold, 1987 graduate degree, BusinessRichard J. Barry, 1980, Liberal ArtsE. Lee Beard, 1999 honoraryJames S. Broadhurst, 1965 Liberal ArtsRichard K. Dandrea, 1977 Liberal ArtsBryon G. Deysher, 1977, BusinessRobert E. Fenza, 1980, Arts and ArchitectureElizabeth A. Fetter, 1980 CommunicationJ. Roger Moyer Jr., 1970 BusinessRobert E. Poole, 1972, BusinessThomas J. Sharbaugh, 1973, BusinessRichard S. Sokolov, 1971 Liberal ArtsRichard K. Struthers, 1977, BusinessPeter G. Tombros, 1964, 1968 graduate, Agricultural Sciences

Penn State’s volunteer fundraisers are invaluable partners in fulfilling the University's land-grant mission of education, research and service. Private gifts from alumni and friends enrich the experiences of students both in and out of the classroom; expand the research and teaching capacity of our faculty; enhance the University's ability to recruit and retain top students and faculty; and help to ensure that students from every economic background have access to a Penn State education. Penn State's third and most ambitious University-wide fundraising campaign raised a total of $2.188 billion. The University's colleges and campuses are now enlisting the support of alumni and friends to advance a range of unit-specific initiatives.

Last Updated January 21, 2015