Chancellor's Communiqué

Announcing CU Denver's New VC of Advancement, 5-23-2018

Dear colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that I announce that following a national search, Melisa Baldwin has been selected as CU Denver's new vice chancellor of advancement. Her beginning date will be August 1, 2018.

Melisa brings more than 17 years of experience as a development professional at several major universities and successfully increased fundraising results at every position she has held. She currently serves as associate vice president for advancement, development and alumni affairs at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. There, she set the strategic direction and managed the operational execution of all fundraising campaigns, more than tripling annual giving in three years. Prior to her time at Kennesaw State, she worked in development at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, University of Florida and University of North Florida.

What shone through the interview process were the breadth and depth of Melisa's fundraising experience, including campaigns, major gifts, annual giving and donor and alumni relations -- all areas that are poised for growth here at CU Denver. She is a strong leader and team builder, and perhaps most importantly, her personal values and priorities align with the mission of CU Denver and our diverse student body.

Melisa joins us at an exciting inflection point for our Advancement Office, which was reconstituted in 2014 as a stand-alone office dedicated solely to CU Denver. Under the direction of Andrea Wagner, who retired this past Friday, the office has exceeded its fundraising goals, enhanced donor and alumni relations, brought CU Denver's largest gifts to fruition (including CU Denver's first named building) and led the launch earlier this year of the LYNX UP scholarship campaign.

In speaking with Melisa, I know she is excited to lead an already successful team in achieving even higher levels of support that will create enhanced opportunities for our students and faculty to succeed. I am confident she is the right person to take our advancement efforts to the next level.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the search committee and its chairs -- Scott Arthur, vice chancellor for advancement at CU Anschutz, and Luella Chavez-D'Angelo, vice chancellor for enterprise development -- for leading a process that yielded such qualified and well-suited candidates. And a final word of thanks to Andrea Wagner for creating such a strong foundation for future success.

Dorothy Horrell
Chancellor