John Smith has been named Interim Associate Vice President of University Development. Smith currently serves as the Executive Director for University Advancement, where he leads the Advancement Services unit (which encompasses financial services, gift and pledge processing, and records and research) and provides strategic vision and coordination for the entire University Advancement division. In addition to 25 years of experience in relationship building, fundraising, and advancement policy, Smith also serves as a district board member for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration, both from Tennessee Tech.
The Associate Vice President for Development provides long-term strategic leadership for the University’s philanthropic needs and day-to-day leadership of the Development Team. This critical position also serves as a thought partner to the deans and other academic leaders and will assume responsibility of a portfolio of donors and prospective donors.