College Appoints Director of Advancement

In 2020, Clarkson College created a new role within the institution to lead efforts in establishing and implementing its fundraising goals. The goal was to install a Director of College Advancement to focus on program development and fundraising for general annual giving, endowments for scholarships and program funds, capital campaigns, and special projects. In May 2020, Chris Shives, B.S., accepted the role and began to lead the College in these efforts.

Shives earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Adams State University. Before joining the College community, he spent 10 years at the American Heart Association where he served in several roles including most recently, the Regional Vice President of Youth Market. His years of experience working in fundraising positions prepared him to take on his new role within the College.

“I am focused on creating a plan for the College Advancement department to build relationships with key individuals in the community, raise critical funds for future capital campaigns, and increase the size of our scholarship fund,” he says.

Utilizing the institution’s Mission and the community’s commitment to its Values will be a key factor in achieving these goals, according to Shives. "I believe to be a successful fundraiser and relationship builder, you must believe in the mission,” he says. “I am looking forward to talking with outside constituents about all the amazing work the faculty, staff and students are doing at Clarkson College.”

Long-term, Shives aims to increase the College endowment amount to support annual expenses and is eager to share the stories of Clarkson College and its community members to help make that happen. “One of my favorite quotes is from Teddy Roosevelt, ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,’” he says. “I can’t wait to bring excitement and passion to the community as I share our storied history and vision for a bright future.”