Penn State on Thursday named a new fundraising and alumni relations executive, and announced the creation of a new Division of External Affairs to be overseen by President Neeli Bendapudi’s longtime chief of staff.
Jay E. Davenport, vice president of development and alumni relations at Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health, will step into the same role at Penn State on March 1. He’ll report directly to Bendapudi with a “dotted line” to Michael Wade Smith, the senior vice president and chief of staff who will become senior vice president for external affairs, the new division division encompassing multiple departments focused on public engagement.
Davenport will guide advancement, fundraising and alumni relations while overseeing a $67 million budget nearly 600 full-time staff members in the Penn State Alumni Association and the Office of University Development. He comes into the role as the university prepares to launch the public phase of its current major capital campaign.
“Jay is a committed team builder and experienced development and alumni relations leader who is joining Penn State at a critical time as we prepare for the public launch of our current comprehensive fundraising campaign,” Bendapudi said in a statement. “Jay’s passion and enthusiasm, along with his strong strategic vision, make him the ideal person to lead a team that oversees the world’s largest dues-paying alumni association and, thanks to our committed donors, has achieved record-breaking fundraising success. I am thrilled that he is joining our leadership team.”
At VCU and VCU Health, Davenport oversaw all fundraising and alumni relations activities, leading efforts that raised $1.5 billion since his first year in the position in 2017-18, according to Penn State. Total giving increased 275%, and during his tenure VCU received a $134 million gift, the largest in its history.
“As a native of Pennsylvania, I have always admired and appreciated the combination of academic, research and athletic excellence at Penn State,” Davenport said in a statement. “Several family members are proud Penn State graduates, so I have witnessed firsthand the impact of a Penn State education and its lasting benefits for its alumni. Penn State is a world-class university, and I am excited to join the development and alumni relations team to help publicly launch our current fundraising campaign in support of its mission, deepen relationships with our alumni and donors, and advance President Bendapudi’s vision to improve the lives of our students, alumni and all Pennsylvanians.”
Davenport previously held development and administrative positions, at Rice University, the University of Memphis, Catholic Memorial High School, Wright State University and Wittenberg University.
At Penn State, he will succeed Alyssa Wilcox, who departed the position unceremoniously in November after less than a year on the job with no public announcement from the university.
“Alyssa Wilcox concluded her tenure as vice president for development and alumni relations on Nov. 7,” a Penn State spokesperson wrote in an email to StateCollege.com at the time. “The University is grateful for her service to Penn State and for helping advance early work in our next campaign planning phase.”
Since Wilcox’s departure, development and alumni relations staff have reported to Smith, who will now lead the new Division of External Affairs.
The division “will bring together the offices of Strategic Communications, Government and Community Relations, Outreach and the Corporate Engagement Center under a unified framework,” according to a university news release, with development and alumni relations having “a dotted line into this new organization to allow for even greater synergy among these critical functions.”
Bringing those units together under one umbrella aims to create a single, coordinated organization “for engagement that connects Penn State’s work to the needs of students, alumni, industry, and the commonwealth,” according to the university.
The vice presidents for each of the units under external affairs will continue in their roles.
Smith, who at least for now will continue as chief of staff as well, held a similar position as vice president of external affairs and chief of staff under Bendapudi at the University of Louisville prior to their move to Penn State in 2022.
In another organizational change announced Thursday, the Office of Enrollment Management will now report to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, a move that “more closely aligns academic and student success priorities across all campuses to allow every student to have a seamless, supportive and transformative experience during their time at Penn State,” according to the university.
“By integrating these areas across the University we can expand upon established success to further elevate our voice nationally, deepen relationships with stakeholders, and showcase the value and impact of Penn State’s mission,” Bendapudi said. “These leaders and teams are extremely talented and contribute so much to Penn State. I look forward to this additional level of collaboration with our exceptional leaders to align key priorities for the institution with a shared purpose.”
