I write today to announce that Vice-President (Advancement) Heather McCaw will be leaving the University of Alberta on October 31, 2018 to join the senior leadership team at the University of British Columbia as their next Vice-President, Development and Alumni Engagement.
Since her arrival in September 2015, Heather’s leadership has been distinguished by her deep appreciation for the academic mission of the U of A. She has restructured the Advancement portfolio, placing increased emphasis on faculty-based fundraising units and priorities with impressive results in effectiveness and productivity. In 2016 and 2017, the U of A raised $174.5 million and $143.5 million respectively, the two most successful years of fundraising in our history. Under her leadership, alumni engagement has also reached record levels, with 68,000 alumni engaged through programming in last year alone.
In addition to leading the team to these successes, Heather has been laying the groundwork for the U of A’s next major fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, and she leaves in place a strong team to carry that momentum forward. She has also built strong relationships across the university and throughout the U of A’s philanthropic and alumni community.
“It has been a pleasure to work with such an amazing team, and I am also very grateful to the broader community for their openness, generosity and support of the university over the past three years,” Heather said, when she told me of her decision to accept UBC’s offer and move back closer to her family.
Over her tenure, Heather’s insight, integrity, and experience have been invaluable to the university. I want to thank her for her outstanding leadership and service. She is the best development colleague that I have worked with over my career and we will miss her. On behalf of all of us, I want to congratulate Heather on her new role and wish her all the best in the future.
Upon Heather’s departure, Kelly Spencer, Associate Vice-President, University Development and Advancement Services will become interim vice-president. Kelly has been a member of the Office of Advancement’s team since 2011, taking on roles of increasing leadership and responsibility. She brings more than 14 years of advancement and communications experience to this position and I look forward to working with her as we continue to expand the U of A’s engagement with donors and alumni.
David H. Turpin
President and Vice-Chancellor