Centre Foundation Selects Dave Lieb as Next President and CEO

A longtime Penn State fundraising leader has been selected as the president and CEO of Centre Foundation.

The foundation’s Board of Directors said on Thursday that David Lieb will begin leading the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting philanthropy in Centre County on Nov. 17. He succeeds Molly Kunkel, who earlier this year announced her intention to retire after more than a decade at the helm.

“On behalf of the board, we are thrilled to welcome Dave,” Erin Meitzler, chair of the Board of Directors, said in a statement. “He brings exceptional leadership, deep local connections and a shared commitment to our mission.”

Lieb comes to the role with more than three decades of experience in philanthropy and advancement. After starting his higher education fundraising career at Penn State in 1989, he worked as the associate vice president for university advancement at California University of Pennsylvania and led its first first comprehensive capital campaign.

He returned to Penn State in 1999, rose to the role senior associate vice president for development and served as interim vice president for development and alumni relations during his final two years at the university before stepping down in February. Lieb played a part in five major fundraising campaigns — including planning the current campaign slated for a public launch next year — and managed the major gift fundraising efforts for all of the Penn State’s academic colleges and campuses.

Centre Foundation’s board cited Lieb’s “collaborative leadership style and commitment” as aligning with the organization’s mission and values, and said his appointment comes at a pivotal time with as it advances its five-year strategic plan.

“I am thrilled to accept this incredibly important role,” Lieb said in a statement. “The foundation collaborates with so many nonprofits across the county, significantly enhancing the quality of life which we all enjoy in the Centre region. It’s an honor to be invited to lead an accomplished team and to work alongside a dedicated board and volunteers as we endeavor to elevate the foundation’s impact even further.”

Lieb also joins Centre Foundation as it embarks on several initiatives. Among them Press Forward, “a collaborative local journalism effort made possible through a $1 million investment from the Knight Foundation to strengthen community news and civic engagement across Central Pennsylvania,” according to a news release.

The organization additionally is “deepening its commitment” to the Fund for Centre County, which was established to address emerging community needs and which has supported initiatives such as Centre Inspires, a 40th Anniversary Matching Program and Centre Gives.