My Fellow Revs,
I am delighted to announce that David L. Unruh will join GW on August 1 as our Vice President for University Advancement. Currently, David serves as the Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Drexel University where he has spent the last 11 years building a high-performing advancement program and leading two ambitious campaigns that surpassed their goals.
In addition to his leadership at Drexel, David has held notable advancement leadership roles at Temple University and the University of Chicago, and he has served in senior fundraising positions at the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University. His success across a range of institutions — particularly urban private research universities with missions similar to GW’s — has prepared him well for this role.
David will join GW at an exciting time. We are progressing in developing a new strategic framework that will guide GW over the next decade. We have recently launched efforts to refresh GW’s brand and to create our next campus master plan. Together, these initiatives will set GW’s course throughout its third century.
When I announced the search for this vice president, I also shared that I would be changing the name of the associated unit from Development and Alumni Relations to the Division of University Advancement. This change reflects the breadth and importance of the division in advancing GW, especially in terms of securing the critical philanthropic support necessary to fulfill the aspirations of the strategic framework.
During the search, the committee was looking for someone with the vision and experience to elevate the division’s impact, and David distinguished himself throughout the interview process with his clear and ambitious ideas for strengthening the division’s capacity to deliver the alumni engagement and philanthropic support essential to the university’s success. This work is fundamental to ensuring that GW not only meets its goals but thrives in an increasingly competitive higher education landscape.
I want to once again thank Donna Arbide, who has led GW’s philanthropy and engagement efforts for more than seven years. During Donna’s tenure, GW has seen significant increases in its annual fundraising, particularly for scholarships. I know I speak for the entire GW community when I say that Donna will always be a valued member of the GW family.
I also want to express my gratitude to the university leaders, academic deans, trustees, alumni leaders, faculty members, and advancement staff who participated in interviewing our finalists. I would like to commend Ron Schiller, managing director and founding partner of the Aspen Leadership Group, for recruiting an exceptional pool of candidates for our consideration. Finally, I extend my heartfelt thanks to our outstanding search committee, led by Law School Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew and Chief of Staff Scott Mory, for their collaboration in selecting the newest member of our leadership team.
Please join me in welcoming David and his family to Foggy Bottom and GW later this summer.
Raise High!
Ellen M. Granberg
President