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Director of Development, Lyle School of Engineering

Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX

https://www.smu.edu/

Send Nominations or Cover Letter and Resume to: Wendy Lazar Senior Consultant 857-366-5419 wlazar@LindauerGlobal.com or Christian Myers Consultant 857-305-8390 cmyers@LindauerGlobal.com

The Opportunity:

SMU is poised at a time of great opportunity. In the

past month they have brought in two ground breaking

gifts including $50M for the Cox Business School and a

$100M gift to establish a new Graduate School for the

University. In addition, the University is preparing for an

upcoming historic campaign. Major Gifts is of critical

importance to the University as it prepares to launch a

new campaign and work to meet ambitious goals.

The University is seeking a strong Director of

Development to serve as the chief development officer

for Lyle School of Engineering. This is the ideal opportunity for a skilled and ambitious Development

Professional who excels in building long term relationships with individuals. Along with exemplary

fundraising experience, individuals who are smart, focused, sophisticated, collaborative and flexible, and

who want to be instrumental in building a best-in-class operation, will succeed in this role.

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Development Overview

SMU has had great success in its fundraising activities over the past 22 years. The University launched The

Campaign for SMU: A Time to Lead, a $300 million campaign, in 1997. The five-year campaign quickly

grew in scope to include $542 million in gifts from more than 40,000 alumni, parents, corporations,

foundations, and friends. A Time to Lead supported efforts outlined in the University’s Centennial Master

Plan, including the construction or renovation of 21 campus facilities and extensive landscaping and

refurbishment across campus.

The University’s subsequent campaign, SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign, reached its $1

billion goal about three months ahead of schedule in September 2015. The campaign raised unprecedented

funding for scholarships, faculty positions, and other enhancements to campus life, including the creation of

the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development and the establishment of five

new residence halls and a dining center.

SMU is currently involved in an important initiative, Pony

Power: Strengthening the Stampede, which seeks to

provide an average of $50 million dollars in flexible

support on an annual basis for current, pressing needs.

Funds from this drive, which total $110 million since its

launch in 2017, impact all areas of the University,

including financial aid, campus improvements, academic

excellence, and research and athletics.

The University endowment is currently valued at $1.62

billion, and its fiscal year 2019 operating budget is $690

million. In the last fiscal year, SMU’s alumni contributed more than $25 million in current-use gifts alone.

Donors who have supported SMU for at least two years, made planned gifts, or pledged more than $1,000

for the University receive membership in three giving societies in recognition of their generosity, and society

members have contributed $30 million in fiscal year 2019. Nearly 6,000 donors have supported SMU for 20

consecutive years or more.

The Role

Job Summary: The Director of Development serves as the chief development strategist to the Dean of a school or unit, and

serves as the strategist for the leaders of that school, unit, or Dean. H/she is responsible for the

development and overall fundraising program of the school, including annual capital and endowment giving.

H/she will lead fundraising efforts at the 100K level and above, and create and implement fundraising

strategies for key funding priorities while serving as the primary liaison with prospect research, national major

giving, annual and planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, stewardship and events, marketing,

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public relations and related external affairs functions. The Director of Development works closely with the

Assistant Vice President for School and Project Development, the Dean's office and senior staff to set the

development agenda for the executive board and related groups. This position is a direct report to the

Assistant Vice President for School and Project Development.

Essential Functions:

Cultivation and Solicitation:

Manage and assure growth in annual fund and planned giving while working with DEA and school/unit

leadership and staff to strategize, develop, cultivate, and successfully solicit 12-16 major gifts annually.

Oversee all fundraising-related activities including events, correspondence and tracking. Generate regular

activity reports and actively communicate with the Dean and senior leadership. The Director of Development

will be responsible for making calls and closing gifts $100K and above. The Director of Development's

portfolio will be 100-120 active prospects with responsibility of making a minimum 100 visits annually. The

Director of Development will collaborate with Annual Giving and Alumni Relations department on leadership

gifts less than $100K. The Director of Development will benchmark fundraising results with established

goals, and advise DEA leadership towards ongoing progress.

Leadership and Strategy:

Set objectives for major gift and annual fundraising while collaborating with DEA and the Dean to establish

development priorities for the school/unit. Integrate school's stewardship and external activities with DEA,

including volunteer engagement, alumni programming/events, stewardship programs/events, marketing,

public relations and other external functions. As we prepare for SMU's campaign, the Director of

Development will be responsible for staffing the Dean and managing a volunteer committee.

Management:

Provide strong leadership for fundraising professionals, staff, and volunteers working on behalf of the school.

In close collaboration with the Dean and senior staff, the Director of Development will establish and

implement a strategic development agenda for volunteers, the executive board, and related groups. Other

duties as assigned.

Education Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred.

Work Experience required:

Seven (7) years.

Type of work experience:

Proven major gift ($100,000+) fundraising results required, with demonstrated success creating strategy,

cultivating and soliciting prospects, closing asks and stewarding donors. Experience working closely with

organization leadership and effectively managing and engaging volunteers required. Candidate must have

experience successfully developing, articulating and executing long- and short-term funding and project

strategies required. Professional work experience in an academic/higher education setting preferred.

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Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must be a motivated, self-starter who takes initiative, anticipates challenges, and follows through;

a consensus builder with success working in complex organizations; a proven administrator who is highly

organized, detail-oriented, and produces high-quality work; and a seasoned professional with excellent work

ethic, diplomacy and maturity required. Familiar with Dallas and major Texas cities is preferred. Prior

campaign experience is preferred.

Overview

Southern Methodist University began as a bold vision shared

by the Methodist Church and civic leaders in Dallas. With a

rapidly growing population, Dallas community leaders had

high aspirations for success and recognized the need for a

great university in their dynamic city. At the same time,

Methodist officials, seeking to expand the Church's mission

of education, sought to establish a new university in the

Southwest. The groups joined resources, and SMU’s charter

was signed on April 17, 1911. Four years later, in fall 1915,

SMU opened as Dallas' University, with 456 students and 37

faculty members. The curriculum focused on liberal arts, theology, and music, and the campus consisted of

two permanent buildings, including Dallas Hall, named in honor of the city.

Now in its second century, the University is on the rise thanks to strong, stable leaders with long tenures at

SMU. It aims to create, expand, and impart knowledge through teaching, research, and service, shaping

world-changing leaders who contribute to their communities and excel in their professions in a global

society. SMU serves as an internationally recognized, intellectual resource for Dallas and the world. While it

has deep roots in the Methodist tradition, the University is nonsectarian in its teaching and is committed to

open inquiry and academic freedom.

President R. Gerald Turner has served as SMU’s

President since 1995. Under his leadership, the

University has made unprecedented progress

academically and financially.

The University aspires to be one of the premier

private higher learning institutions in the United

States. To this end, the Launching SMU’s Second

Century strategic plan lays out six ambitious goals

through 2025: to enhance the academic quality and

stature of the University; to improve teaching and

learning; to strengthen scholarly research and

creative achievement and opportunities for innovation; to sustain student development and a supportive

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campus experience; to broaden global perspectives; and to increase revenue generation and promote

responsible stewardship of resources.

SMU is home to more than 6,000 undergraduates and more

than 5,000 graduate students, who make up a diverse and

international student body. Students of color make up about

29% of the student population. Forty-nine percent of

undergraduates and 49% of graduate students are female.

Nearly 80% of first-year students are awarded grants

and/or scholarships, and 72% of undergraduates graduate

without debt. Among students reporting a religious

preference, 26% are Catholic, 13% are Methodist, 39% are

from other Protestant denominations, and 13% represent

other religions, including Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. For students living on campus, SMU’s 11

Residential Commons provide an instant community with leadership opportunities and faculty mentors, and

all students and faculty benefit from proximity to the Dallas metropolitan area as an extension of the

classroom through Engaged Learning projects and community partnerships.

SMU’s University Park/Highland Park campus is situated on 234

acres and considered one of the most beautiful in the nation.

The University is located just five minutes north of downtown

Dallas, in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, offering

unique learning, research, social, and career opportunities to

students, faculty, and staff. Students also take credit courses at

SMU-in-Taos, the University’s scenic campus in the mountains

of New Mexico.

Classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “higher research activity”

institution, SMU is a scholarly environment in which students work side-by-side with more than 760 faculty

to advance the arts, humanities, and sciences. Scholarship and teaching are equally valued at SMU. The

University offers a highly flexible curriculum that

allows for the pursuit of multiple interests within

more than 100 undergraduate majors, 85 minors,

and more than 120 graduate and professional

degrees, including more than 20 doctorates, in its

seven schools: Dedman College of Humanities and

Sciences, Algur H. Meadows School of the Arts,

Edwin L. Cox School of Business, Bobby B. Lyle

School of Engineering, Dedman School of Law,

Perkins School of Theology, and Annette Caldwell

Simmons School of Education and Human

Development.

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The strength and rigor of an SMU education are reflected in the University’s national reputation. The Wall

Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2020 counts SMU among the top 15% of colleges

nationwide, and U.S. News & World Report lists SMU at No. 64 in its ranking of national universities. SMU

is among the top 0.2% for employment worldwide for alumni, according to the Center for World University

Rankings 2019 – 2020. Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, and Forbes have ranked Cox Business

School among the top schools nationally and globally, and College Factual counts SMU alumni among the

top 1% of highest-paid music, education, and psychology graduates.

In addition to its academic schools, SMU has several centers and institutes focused on diverse and

interdisciplinary subjects, including the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies, the William P. Clements

Center for Southwest Studies, the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility, the Caruth

Institute for Entrepreneurship, and the Institute for Reading Research. The University is also home to the

George W. Bush Presidential Center, which includes the presidential archives of the Bush Administration, a

museum with permanent and traveling exhibits, and an independent public policy institute.

Lyle School of Engineering:

As the need for engineering and technical talent grows,

the Lyle School of Engineering remains committed to

developing future leaders equipped with the

engineering and innovation skills necessary to impact

the world. The Lyle School is home to five engineering

departments, as well as various centers and institutes

focused on leadership, engineering education, cyber

security and the application of innovative engineering to

underserved communities. Through meaningful

collaborations with our partners across the Hilltop, the

Lyle School is working to prepare its next generation of

innovative and creative engineers to change the world.

Leadership

R. Gerald Turner

President

R. Gerald Turner has served as President of SMU since 1995. His tenure has

included two historic major gift campaigns that raised a combined total of more

than $1.6 billion for student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, academic

programs, and capital projects. These investments have increased admission

test scores, enrollment, minority enrollment, and the University’s endowment.

President Turner also led the effort to attract the George W. Bush Presidential

Center, which opened in 2013.

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President Turner has served on the Boards of the American Council on Education and the National

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. He also co-chaired the Knight Commission on

Intercollegiate Athletics for nearly 10 years. President Turner currently serves on the Boards of the

Methodist Health System Foundation, the Salvation Army of Dallas, and the AT&T Performing Arts Center.

Prior to his tenure at SMU, President Turner was the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi and served

in administrative positions at the University of Oklahoma and Pepperdine University. He holds an A.A.

degree from Lubbock Christian University, a B.S. in psychology from Abilene Christian University, and a

Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Brad E. Cheves

Vice President for Development and External Affairs

Brad E. Cheves is responsible for fundraising and public relations for the

University, including oversight of its recent Second Century Campaign and

Second Century Celebration. Since his appointment in 2004, Cheves has initiated

the aggressive and innovative use of new technologies in SMU’s outreach to

alumni, potential students, and national media, resulting in increased attention for

SMU. The number of new donors has also increased dramatically, allowing for

significant growth in the number of endowed scholarships and faculty positions.

From 1998 to 2001, Cheves was SMU’s Associate Vice President for Development and the Associate

Director of The Campaign for SMU. He then served as Vice President for Advancement and Public Affairs

and an Assistant Professor of public policy at Pepperdine University, where he reorganized the school’s

advancement operation and began a branding project that resulted in the establishment of its Office of

Marketing.

Cheves holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Abilene Christian University

and a J.D. degree from Pepperdine. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and has worked with the

Texas State Legislature. Cheves is also a Board member of the Dallas Assembly, Dallas Summer Musicals,

and YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.

Background Checks:

Prior to submitting your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Lindauer does verify

academic credentials for its candidates, and our clients frequently conduct background checks prior to

finalizing an offer.

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To learn more, call Wendy Lazar, Senior Consultant at 857-366-5419 or

Christian Myers, Consultant at 857-305-8390 or send nominations or cover letter and resume to

wlazar@LindauerGlobal.com or cmyers@LindauerGlobal.com.

All inquiries will be held in confidence.

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