Tell us about your job at Stetson.
My job at Stetson is multifaceted. I oversee the Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, which means that I’m responsible for all of the fundraising initiatives related to all four of our campuses as well as any and all alumni engagement initiatives. I oversee Stetson’s current $150 million comprehensive fundraising campaign – “Beyond Success – Significance” – and we’ve raised $95.3 million to date. Under the leadership of President Wendy B. Libby, the university also was successful in raising money for the new $7 million Marshall & Vera Lea Rinker Welcome Center.

How long have you worked at Stetson?
I came to Stetson in late April of 2014, so I have been here two years and six months.

What do you like most about your work?
The relationships. This is an interesting job because you meet so many people from so many walks of life. I’m in my 28^th year working in higher education advancement and I have had many, many opportunities to get to know business leaders, politicians, entrepreneurs, farmers, educators, pro athletes, lawyers, Supreme Court justices and so many other benevolent people who have made a significant impact on my life and the institutions I’ve served.

Where would you like to see Stetson in 10 years?
Great question! I want to see a much stronger network of alumni throughout the state and nation. We want Stetson to be in the forefront of the minds of our alumni because we offer beneficial and relevant programming in the form of lifetime learning, career services, networking opportunities and mentoring for current students. We want “The Power of The Hatter Network” to really mean something to our alumni. As alumni and friends become more engaged, Stetson should become much more successful in securing lifetime investors and partners who understand that their gifts are the key to sustaining and building excellence in all of our academic and athletic programs. After all, we are fiduciaries of this historic institution and we must make it better and pass the torch to the next generation of Stetson students.

When people ask you about Stetson, what do you say?
Stetson is a jewel in the State of Florida’s crown. Although some of Florida’s oldest institutions claim deeper roots and earlier dates of establishment, Stetson opened its doors in 1883 and was serving the citizens of the state before many of Florida’s counties were established, and well before the 1905 Buckman Act that consolidated seven state-supported institutions into three. In fact, our institution has produced many of Florida’s leaders, legislators and Governors who were influential in having the vision, foresight and leadership to forge this great state. They were pioneers who saw the potential in a state once thought of as a wasteland, and they envisioned a learning institution that would be known for its academic rigor, cultural enrichment and its commitment to developing upstanding leaders, citizens and scholars. We have a lot to be proud of, both historically and in how we are positioned for the future.

Bio:
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, University of Florida
Hometown: Williston, Florida
Family: Wife, the former Lisa Allgood from Smyrna, Tennessee, and daughter, Tara McGriff (husband Michael), of Murfreesboro, Tennessee