WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

BACKGROUNDER | 1

Associate Vice President and Managing Director,

College of Letters & Science

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association Madison, WI

http://www.wisc.edu/

https://www.supportuw.org

Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to:

Zena Lum

Search Director

617-262-1102

zlum@LLLSearches.com

The Opportunity:

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association

(WFAA) is dedicated to encouraging the interest,

Madison. In 2014, WFAA was created by the

merger of the UW Foundation and the Wisconsin

Alumni Association. The Foundation is the official

fundraising and gift-receiving organization for the

University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is an

independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization.

donors and friends of the University of Wisconsin-

engagement and financial support of alumni,

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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An elected Board of Directors oversees its assets and activities. The Foundation works closely with the

University’s leadership to determine and support fundraising priorities and nurture lifelong relationships

with alumni, donors and friends.

A highly selective public research university and land grant institution, the University of Wisconsin-Madison

is widely recognized as one of the finest universities in the world. Founded when Wisconsin achieved

statehood in 1848, UW-Madison is the flagship

campus of the University of Wisconsin System.

UW-Madison is organized into 13 Schools and

Colleges that enrolled 29,536 undergraduates, and

13,802 graduate and professional students in

2016-17. It employs 21,750 faculty and staff. Its

comprehensive academic program offers over 200

undergraduate majors and certificates, and over

250 master’s, doctoral and professional programs.

The University ranks 10th in U.S. News & World

Report’s list of best public universities, 3rd in number of doctorates granted among U.S. universities and 7th in

number of patents recorded among U.S. universities. There are over 435,000 living alumni of the UW-

Madison.

UW-Madison is a founding member of the Association of American Universities. In 2016, it ranked sixth in

total research expenditures among U.S. universities, with over $1B in annual expenditures.

The Wisconsin Badgers compete in 25 intercollegiate sports in the NCAA Division I and Big Ten Conference.

For 15 consecutive years, the Badgers have been invited to both the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament

and a post-season football bowl game, the longest

simultaneous streak on record. In 2016, Madison

was named one of “America’s Best College

Football Towns” by Travel & Leisure magazine.

The Associate Vice President and Managing

Director for the College of Letters & Science is the

primary Advancement officer for UW-Madison’s

largest unit on campus. The competitive candidate

will be a seasoned major and principal gifts

fundraiser, a demonstrated strategic driver, and a

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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results-oriented team leader who values staff growth and development. This is a superb opportunity for a

senior leader committed to success. Ideal qualities include a natural intellectual curiosity, a genuine passion

for the value of a liberal arts education, and proven savvy in navigating a complex, fast-paced and

sophisticated organization.

Position Overview Associate Vice President and Managing Director,

College of Letters & Science

The Associate Vice President and Managing Director (AVP) is an employee of the Wisconsin Foundation and

Alumni Association. S/He reports to the WFAA Vice President and Managing Group Leader, with a dotted

line to the Dean of the College of Letters & Science. The AVP is the strategic lead in all aspects of the

College of Letters & Science (L&S) development program, including campaign planning and execution,

principal and major gifts, leadership annual giving ($1,000+ gifts) and stewardship initiatives. S/He will have

11 direct reports: 9 Major Gift Officers; an Associate Director of Development; and a Program Manager for

whom s/he will provide leadership, coaching and prospect strategizing, goal setting, accountabilities,

reporting, resources and support.

In addition to managing a personal portfolio of high-capacity L&S prospects, the AVP will oversee plans for

L&S top prospects and the Dean’s relationships with top prospects, and will coordinate and prioritize the

Dean’s portfolio. S/He will serve as the WFAA lead liaison with the L&S Dean’s office and advancement

team, facilitating cross-team collaboration and effective information flow between teams.

As a key member of the WFAA development management group and serving as the L&S unit leader, the

AVP is expected to contribute to the growth and refinement of the University’s overall development

operation. Along with other senior managers, s/he will identify issues for attention, craft policies and

procedures, provide input on organizational goals, expectations and report results. The AVP will be expected

to support organizational initiatives and facilitate change management efforts in a leadership capacity.

Core Responsibilities:

I. Program Leadership

• Design, implement and manage all development activities, including campaign plan and

implementation, major gifts, leadership annual gifts and stewardship. Also oversee the broad-

based annual giving activities implemented by WFAA Marketing/Communications and L&S

advancement teams.

• Serve as development strategist and advisor to the Dean on all development activities and donor

strategies.

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• Establish and monitor L&S campaign goals and annual fundraising goals. Regularly report on

progress to L&S leadership.

• Develop and maintain systems to support L&S development activities. Work closely with and

strategically align efforts with WFAA colleagues in Gift Planning, Corporate/Foundation, and

Regional Development, as well as with colleagues in Alumni Relations and Engagement,

Research/Prospect Management and Marketing/Communications.

• Collaborate with colleagues in the L&S Office of Advancement to ensure a well-aligned and

integrated fund development and engagement program.

• Work proactively with chairs of the L&S departments that partner with WFAA and L&S to invest

in assigned development staff. Work together to set appropriate expectations and goals for

development directors, communicate regularly on progress and address challenges and

opportunities.

II. Team Leadership

• Lead, manage, empower and support a team of development professionals in meeting team and

individual goals.

• Hire, train, mentor, evaluate and motivate direct reports. Guide and support their professional

career growth.

• Set individual goals and track progress toward meeting targets.

III. Prospect Management

• Actively manage a portfolio of major and principal gifts prospects.

• Support the Dean’s role as lead fundraiser and prioritize the Dean’s development-related

activities.

• Oversee strategies for expanding and strengthening the L&S donor base, with a specific focus on

major and principal gifts development around L&S funding priorities.

• Develop and implement effective personalized strategies (cultivation, solicitation, stewardship)

for major gifts donors and prospects, including oversight of Dean’s prospects, often in

collaboration with WFAA President, and CDO.

• Lead comprehensive stewardship strategies in partnership with the L&S Program Manager and

the L&S Office of Advancement.

• Work closely with the L&S Board of Visitors and leadership volunteers to increase engagement

and philanthropic support.

IV. Support a service-oriented atmosphere in accordance with WFAA mission, values, and philosophy.

a. Strategic beliefs:

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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• The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a transforming impact on students, alumni

and society;

• Authentic, lifelong relationships and engagement with alumni, donors and friends are

fundamental to sustaining the reputation and continued success of the University;

• Philanthropy has an essential and growing importance on the future progress of UW-

Madison;

• The highest level of stewardship and fiduciary responsibility in financial, investment,

data and gift administration is vital to maintaining trust with stakeholders; and

• Diverse views, experiences and perspectives strengthen WFAA and the University

community.

b. Organizational values:

• Serious about delivering results;

• Work together and with campus partners as a team;

• Committed to alumni, donors, volunteers and others;

• Be open-minded; and

• Create a positive work environment.

Required Experience/Skills

• Minimum of eight years’ experience in complex development organizations, including a minimum of

three years managing a team of development professionals, preferably within higher education.

• Strong leader with successful record of experience managing people and programs.

• Supervisory and management skills and a demonstrated ability to build, manage, mentor and

motivate an effective team. Establish effective processes, metrics and accountabilities.

• Expertise in strategy development and proven ability to execute on a plan.

• Experience working in a comprehensive campaign, including a strong track record of closing major

and principal gifts from VIP donors.

• Ability to navigate a complex academic community, and to build bridges and strong collaborative

relationships with a range of internal colleagues and external stakeholders.

• Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to champion the liberal arts, and to articulate the vision and case for L&S philanthropy.

• Strong ethical sense and exemplary integrity in decision making.

• Ability to meet travel requirements (approx. 20%)

______________________________

The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA) is the “doing business as” name of the merged

organization comprising the University of Wisconsin Foundation (www.supportuw.org) and the Wisconsin

Alumni Association (www.uwalumni.com), whose legal corporate name is registered as the University of

Wisconsin Foundation.

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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Development Overview

UW-Madison launched its fourth comprehensive

fundraising campaign in 2013, with the goal of

attracting $3.2B by 2020 to support University

funding priorities. As of June, 2017 the All Ways

Forward campaign has raised $2.08B (65%) toward

this goal. Approximately $334.5M of this has been

designated for the College of Letters & Science in

support of its $508M goal (66%). You can learn

more about the campaign on the All Ways

Forward website.

In calendar year 2016, WFAA raised $295.6M in new gifts and pledges for UW-Madison, with $51M of this

designated for the College of Letters & Science.

WFAA manages an endowment currently valued at $2.5B. Total assets under management at WFAA are

approximately $3.5B.

College of Letters & Science:

The College of Letters & Science (L&S), the largest unit on UW-Madison’s campus, graduates more than

3,000 students each year and teaches more than 60 percent of all the credits offered at UW-Madison. L&S

has 34 academic departments, 13 non-academic departments, 5 professional schools, and 73

interdisciplinary research centers and institutes. For students, it offers 69 undergraduate majors, 33

undergraduate certificates and 106 graduate majors. Almost every undergraduate student at UW-Madison is

touched in some way by this College during their matriculation.

L&S Faculty

The faculty are some of the finest in the world. Forty-seven L&S faculty are members of the American

Academy of Arts & Sciences. Forty-one are Fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of

Science. There are two MacArthur Fellows and 36 John Simon Guggenheim Fellows. This year, two L&S

faculty became Carnegie Fellows. Every year, faculty win major awards, such as the Maxwell Prize for Physics

(received by Astronomy Professor Ellen Zwiebel this year).

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L&S Alumni

There are 200,000 living L&S alumni and they are considered the College’s greatest asset. Most of them

achieve success and job satisfaction upon graduation. Two recent comprehensive alumni surveys,

administered in 2015 by the UW Survey Center, revealed that nearly 90 percent of L&S alumni are employed

fulltime, attending graduate school, or both.

L&S alumni go on to do amazing things, across a wide spectrum of fields. They become leaders in

entertainment. Media. Finance. Marketing. The creative fields music, art, poetry and novel-writing.

Nonprofit management. Government work. L&S Badgers are go-getters who find that a liberal arts degree

from UW-Madison opens doors and launches careers.

L&S Students

Every year, L&S can boast student winners of at least a few of these prestigious scholarships: Rhodes,

Truman, Goldwater and Churchill. But its students are also known for their “change-the-world” mindset, with

hundreds of L&S students volunteering to help the community through UW’s Morgridge Institute for Public

Service. L&S students often study abroad via a variety of programs and opportunities, and have the option

of learning one or more languages through its internationally renowned foreign language program (UW

graduates more students with language majors than

any university in the United States). One of the

biggest benefits to studying at a large public

research university like UW-Madison is the access to

unique opportunities in the lab. Many L&S students

get to work alongside top-notch faculty on

groundbreaking science, thanks to the L&S

Undergraduate Research Scholars program. High-

impact learning opportunities abound in L&S, and

are life changing for students.

The L&S Career Initiative

In 2013, the Letters & Science Career Initiative was launched an effort funded entirely through private

donations. The goal: to radically transform career services by giving liberal arts students the resources to

explore, plan and act strategically early in their college careers. The results have drawn other great public

research universities to the campus to see how it’s done. Through the L&S Career Initiative, the College aims

to lead the nation in career services among public universities.

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Alumni have stepped up in large numbers to act as mentors and support the program. An effort to secure

$20M by 2020 has been launched to position the initiative for long-term success by bolstering staffing,

expanding career-prep courses for students, envisioning a new career center, and supporting internships.

This is a program that positions L&S as a leader in preparing liberal arts students (prized by employers, but

too often underprepared to articulate their unique skills) for success in life and work.

The Location - Madison, WI:

Spanning 936 acres along the southern shore of

Lake Mendota, the UW campus is located in the

city of Madison, the state capital with a

population of approximately 245,000. Total

population of the surrounding metro area

exceeds 600,000.

Against a backdrop of high-tech businesses and

acclaimed academic institutions, Madison,

Wisconsin exudes the casual, down-to-earth feel

you'd expect in the capital of America's

Dairyland. On a given night, Madisonians can

dine on food prepared by award-winning chefs and take in performances by national and international

musicians and actors. The next morning, Madisonians can buy produce, meats and baked goods at the Dane

County Farmers Market, often grabbing breakfast and coffee there or at hot spots like Marigold Kitchen and

Michelangelo's Coffee House.

A hotbed of the healthcare, biotech, and information technology industries, Madison has steadily welcomed

new residents over the past decade and is growing to accommodate and entertain these transplants.

Developers are quickly erecting mixed-use luxury housing with ground floors occupied by trendy

restaurants and coffee shops. Options for fine dining, microbrews and craft cocktails in Madison are

constantly expanding.

Much like in New York City, it's somewhat rare to encounter a native Madisonian. Some who have relocated

permanently attended UW-Madison and never left. Others relocated to Madison for work. Nevertheless, the

small-town vibe of Madison shines through.

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The city tops many “best” lists, including:

• America's Best College Football Towns

Travel + Leisure, August 2016

• 30 Most Fun Places to Live in the U.S.

U.S. News & World Report, July 2016

• #3 in Top 100 Best Places to Live 2016

Livability.com, February 2016

• Top Ten Happiest Cities in the World

National Geographic, January 2015

• #1 Best City for Quality of Life

NerdWallet, August 2014

The University’s location in south central Wisconsin makes for convenient access to Milwaukee (80 miles),

Chicago (150 miles) and Minneapolis (270 miles). Daily buses serve all three cities.

Related Websites:

• City of Madison

• Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Dane County

• State of Wisconsin

• Visiting Wisconsin

Background Checks:

Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. LLLS does verify academic

credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to finalizing an

offer.

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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To learn more, call

Zena Lum, Search Director at

617-262-1102

or send nominations or cover letter and resume to

zlum@LLLSearches.com.

All inquiries will be held in confidence.

Setting the Standard in Development Search

LOIS L. LINDAUER SEARCHES, LLC

420 Boylston Street, Suite 604, Boston, MA 02116

617.262.1102

www.LLLSearches.com

WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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Appendix

Leadership:

Rebecca M. Blank

Chancellor

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Rebecca M. Blank became Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-

Madison in July 2013.

Leading Wisconsin’s flagship university represents a return to academia for Blank. From 2009 to 2013, she

served in top positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She started as undersecretary for economic

affairs, and then was named deputy secretary and acting secretary of the agency, managing nearly 45,000

employees and a $10B budget. During her time at the agency, Blank not only led a large and complex

organization, but also worked to promote economic development with an emphasis on connecting research

and innovation with job creation and economic growth.

Blank brings strong academic credentials to the position of Chancellor. She served as dean and professor of

public policy and economics in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan from

1999 to 2008. Earlier in her career, she was a member of the faculty at Northwestern University and

Princeton University, as well as an assistant visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She also spent two years, from 1997 to 1999, as a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.

John Karl Scholz

Dean

College of Letters & Science

John Karl Scholz is the Dean of the College of Letters & Science at UW-Madison.

Prior to this, he was the Nellie June Gray Professor of Economic Policy in the

department of economics, which he joined in 1988. In 1997-98 he was the Deputy

Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis at the U.S. Treasury Department, and from

1990-91 he was a senior staff economist at the Council of Economic Advisors. He

directed the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW–Madison from 2000-2004.

Professor Scholz writes on diverse topics, including household saving, the earned income tax credit and low-

wage labor markets, financial barriers to higher education, and bankruptcy laws. His research has appeared

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in leading economics journals, including The American Economic Review, The Quarterly Journal of Economics,

Journal of Political Economy, and the Review of Economic Studies. In 2007, Scholz and his colleagues Ananth

Seshadri and Surachai Khitatrakun were awarded the twelfth annual TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for

Outstanding Scholarly Writing on Lifelong Financial Security for their paper "Are Americans Saving

'Optimally' for Retirement." He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His

undergraduate degree is from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and his Ph.D. is from Stanford

University.

Michael M. Knetter

President and CEO

Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association

Michael M. Knetter joined the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association as

President and Chief Executive Officer on October 16, 2010 after eight years as Dean

of the Wisconsin School of Business. As Dean, he orchestrated the novel $85M

Wisconsin Naming Gift, the expansion of Grainger Hall, and the restructuring and

improved national standing of the fulltime MBA. In addition to leading the

business school, Knetter worked with the campus leadership team to develop

strategies to increase revenue as Vice Chancellor for Advancement beginning in 2010.

Prior to joining UW-Madison in 2002, he was associate dean of the MBA program and professor of

international economics in the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He also served as

senior staff economist for the President’s Council of Economic Advisors for former Presidents George H.W.

Bush and Bill Clinton.

Knetter completed his undergraduate studies in economics and mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-

Eau Claire and his Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University.

Anne Lucke

Vice President and Managing Group Leader

Anne Lucke is Vice President and Managing Group Leader at the Wisconsin

Foundation and Alumni Association, providing strategic leadership to, and overall

supervision of, the Development teams responsible for the fundraising programs

of six academic units at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: the Wisconsin

School of Business, College of Letters & Science, College of Engineering, College

of Agriculture and Life Sciences, School of Education and the School of Human

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Ecology. Collectively these six Schools and Colleges recorded $119M in new gift commitments in 2016.

With 17 years of Development experience in higher education, Anne leads the Foundation’s Development

Leadership Team and plays a key role in shaping the organization’s fundraising strategies, policies, and team

performance and accountability measures. She also works closely with University leaders to cultivate and

solicit leadership gifts from some of the institution’s most prominent and generous alumni.

Anne joined the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association in 2000 as Director of Development for the

College of Letters & Science, and in 2008, she was promoted to Managing Senior Director of Development

and assumed overall leadership of the Letters & Science Development team. In 2011, she took on

responsibility for overseeing the Development teams working on behalf of the School of Education and

School of Human Ecology, and in 2013, she was promoted to her current position as Vice President and

Managing Group Leader overseeing the development work of six Schools and Colleges.

Prior to joining the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, Anne held management and marketing

positions in the bookselling, tourism and information technology industries. She earned her Master of Arts

degree in English Literature from UW-Madison and Bachelor of Arts in English from Holy Cross College in

Worcester, MA.

Organization Chart