Vice President for Advancement + President of the GSU Foundation

Georgia State University has appointed Marla A. Vickers as its next Vice President for University Advancement and president of the Georgia State University Foundation, effective October 1, 2026.

Vickers brings more than two decades of experience in higher education advancement and nonprofit leadership, with a track record of building high-performing teams, cultivating strong donor relationships and leading major fundraising initiatives at some of the nation’s leading universities. She was most recently at Florida State University, where she served as Vice President for University Advancement and President of the FSU Foundation. Under Vickers’ leadership, Florida State recorded its largest fundraising year in university history in 2026, raising $235.4 million. She also served as the primary architect of FSU’s new $2 billion comprehensive campaign.

Vickers has deep ties to Atlanta. Before joining Florida State, she served as Associate Vice President of Advancement at Emory University, where she provided strategic leadership to nine school- and unit-based fundraising teams and helped shape Emory’s $4 billion comprehensive campaign.

Her career also includes advancement leadership positions at Yale University, the University of Chicago, George Washington University, Duke University and Georgetown University. At Georgia State, Vickers will lead the university’s advancement and alumni enterprise and work with university leaders, colleges and schools, alumni, donors, faculty, staff, students and community partners to strengthen philanthropic support and advance the university’s strategic priorities.

Vickers holds a Doctor of Education from Vanderbilt University, an MBA from George Washington University, a master’s degree from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. She is a Certified Fund-Raising Executive.

Jack Gorman led this search with Grace Zakim, Christina Garrison, and Ryan Cheung.

Read the full press release here.