Community News
Middle Georgia State names new VP of University Advancement.
By Dave Whitaker
Sep 7, 2021, 11:44

Middle Georgia State University announced today the hire of Mary McDonald as Vice President of University Advancement. In that role, she’ll also serve as executive director of the Middle Georgia State University Foundation.

McDonald will lead the philanthropic efforts of the Middle Georgia State Foundation to raise funds necessary to significantly advance the University’s mission. She’ll also serve as the primary lead for all alumni functions and sit on the president’s cabinet.

McDonald was last employed at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama where she served as special assistant to the president. There, she supervised the institution’s grant process, raising funds from state, federal, and private sources. In fiscal 2020, under her supervision, the institution raised more than $5 million.

Though her last job was in Alabama, McDonald has experience working in higher education in Georgia. At the University of Georgia, she worked as campaign operations director and assistant to the president. At the Medical College of Georgia, McDonald was assistant development director for the School of Medicine. She also has served as donor relations director at Georgia State University and manager of stewardship at Agnes Scott College.

McDonald was excited to be back in Georgia saying in a release, “I am excited to return to my home state and join Middle Georgia State University to help make higher education accessible to everyone who wants to attend. I look forward to connecting to MGA alumni from across the state and beyond and helping create opportunities for them to continue engaging with their alma mater.”

MGA President Dr. Christopher Blake believes McDonald will help advance the university’s mission saying, “Mary McDonald comes to MGA at a critical time in higher education, when raising financial resources is more vital than ever. Her proven track record in fundraising, alumni relations, and other areas made her an excellent match for Middle Georgia State. I am confident she will help the University significantly build on the momentum of our current major fundraising campaign and will have both an immediate and long-term impact on strategies to advance MGA’s goals and vision.”


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