Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the Foundation

The first standalone public honors college in the nation, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM or St. Mary’s) seeks an innovative, mission-driven, and action-oriented fundraising and alumni engagement professional as the next vice president for advancement and executive director of the SMCM Foundation (VP/ED). Providing bold new leadership, the VP/ED will join the institution at a pivotal moment. This spring, St. Mary’s will celebrate the inauguration of new president Dr. Rhonda Phillips, followed by the unveiling of a new campus-wide strategic plan on July 1, 2026. St. Mary’s is positioned for significant growth under President Phillips and the next VP/ED, who will serve as the architect of an ambitious future fundraising campaign. As a member of an evolving presidential leadership team, the VP/ED will lead efforts to elevate visibility, deepen engagement, and expand fundraising for a distinctive public liberal arts college with a compelling and rare legacy of excellence and access.

Established in 1840, St. Mary’s is designated by state statute as Maryland’s public honors college. St. Mary’s adopted the brand identity of the National Public Honors College to clearly and confidently communicate what has always made the college distinctive: its rigorous liberal arts and sciences education; vibrant waterfront campus; and commitment to excellence, integrity, and social responsibility. With a diverse and engaged community, St. Mary’s offers transformative, experiential learning that prepares students to lead with purpose and thrive in an increasingly complex world.

The current environment demands that St. Mary’s expand its external reach, strengthen its approach, and articulate its outcomes in new and compelling ways. To that end, President Phillips and college and foundation board leadership seek an accomplished and high-performing leader to transform St. Mary’s advancement function into a modern, best-practices-informed philanthropic and alumni engagement enterprise. Guiding a 12-person team, the VP/ED is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive, integrated advancement strategy and the necessary infrastructure to best position the college to respond to the evolving nature of philanthropy, and to more deeply engage the college’s broad, multi-generational constituent population. The VP/ED will report directly to President Phillips, and work in concert with her, leveraging her experience with and commitment to advancement-related activities.

The VP/ED will also work closely with college and foundation board leaders to ensure the effective use of their time and maximize their success, serving as the principal advisor on advancement at St. Mary’s, and partnering with the president and senior leadership in the cultivation of highest-level donors. As a member of the president’s executive team, the VP/ED will be expected to provide meaningful input on the full range of issues facing the institution, and thus a person with a contemporary and comprehensive knowledge of higher education, including public education and the liberal arts, is much desired. The VP/ED will be an active partner to the president and senior leaders in setting vision for the college’s strategic priorities, effectively operationalizing the most promising into fundraising strategies and plans.

A minimum of 10 years of leadership experience in advancement, constituency engagement, and staff management is required, as is a knowledge of strategies employed in all major fundraising and alumni engagement functions. The VP/ED must be able to create a metrics-driven, financially prudent, and results- and best-practices-oriented work environment that promotes collaboration and achievement. Experience leading all aspects of a complex team, including managing, mentoring, motivating, retaining, and evaluating staff is essential. A bachelor’s degree is required.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland has retained Jack Gorman of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this recruitment. Please direct all applications, nominations, and inquiries to Isaacson, Miller, as indicated at the end of this document.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is committed to practicing salary transparency. The salary range for this position is $200,000 to $240,000. The final offer is determined by a candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and our commitment to internal equity.

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is fully committed to equal employment and educational opportunities for its employees and students. The College does not discriminate or condone discrimination or harassment in the workplace or academic setting, on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and parental status), national origin, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.