After four months of searching, Ohio University has named a new vice president for University Advancement.
Bryan Benchoff, formerly the president and CEO of the University of South Dakota Foundation, will begin work as OU’s top fundraiser July 15.
“We are very pleased to welcome Bryan Benchoff to the (OU) family,” said OU President Roderick McDavis in a news release. “His expertise and the depth of knowledge he brings will be of great benefit as we move the university forward and continue our progress toward our campaign goal.”
McDavis has served as interim vice president for University Advancement since Howard Lipman left OU at the end of Fall Quarter to accept a similar position at Florida International University. Benchoff will earn $230,000 yearly, which is $2,000 less than Lipman’s salary.
Kent Smith, who headed OU’s search committee, said he is “very excited” about the appointment.
“The committee loved his temperament and his breadth of experience,” Smith said. “The committee thought he fit in well with (OU).”
Once Benchoff begins work July 15, he will lead OU’s Promise Lives campaign, which aims to raise $450 million by June 30, 2015. With the Osteopathic Heritage Foundations’ recently announced gift of $105 million to OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, the campaign has now raised a total of $338.4 million.
“My plan (for my first year) would be to come in and to work with the Advancement team and across the university to move the Promise Lives campaign forward as rapidly and aggressively as we possibly can," Benchoff said. "... Early on in the process I would like very much to get to know and garner the support universitywide for a campaign of this proportion."
Benchoff was selected over one other finalist, Lori Lewis, for the position. Lewis is the vice president of Advancement at Marietta College and a graduate of OU.
She also previously worked for the fundraising department of OU’s Russ College of Engineering and Technology and the former College of Health and Human Services.
Each candidate visited OU in April for on-campus interviews and open forums.
The national search firm Witt/Kieffer helped OU’s internal search committee in identifying candidates. OU will pay Witt/Kieffer about $76,667 — one-third of Benchoff’s first-year salary.
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