CU chooses Johns Hopkins development expert Charles D. Phlegar as VP for alumni affairs and development

Charles Phlegar
Phlegar

Charles D. Phlegar, Johns Hopkins University's interim vice president for development and alumni relations, has been named vice president for alumni affairs and development at Cornell, subject to the approval this week of the Executive Committee of the Cornell Board of Trustees.

"We are delighted Charlie Phlegar will be coming to Cornell," said Cornell President-elect David Skorton. "His savvy and broad experience will be a great benefit for the university at this important time. His ongoing successes and leadership in development coordination and campaign fund raising, along with his notable record of fostering collaboration between academic and alumni development units gives him a strong base for success here at Cornell, as the university looks forward to a new capital campaign. We all owe a great deal to Laura Toy, who has served with distinction as interim vice president for alumni affairs and development and will continue to play a major leadership role at Cornell."

Toy has served as interim vice president for the past year. Phlegar will assume his duties as vice president on July 1, the same day Skorton takes the helm as Cornell's 12th president.

"I am enthusiastic about coming to Cornell," Phlegar said. "As well as being excited about its rich history and academic accomplishments, Cornell's commitment to fulfilling its founder's purpose of establishing 'an institution where any person can find instruction in any study' is exactly why I'm in this business. To a person, it was easy to see the passion and dedication to this mission. I cannot wait to be a part of this team that dedicates itself to those ideals."

Said interim Cornell President Hunter Rawlings: "Charlie Phlegar has demonstrated a keen ability to bring together internal and external constituents as full partners in fund raising. I am confident he will lead Cornell's development team, already one of the strongest in the nation, to new heights while invigorating Cornell's highly motivated and loyal alumni base."

Cornell Provost Biddy Martin said she is looking forward to working with Phlegar. "His broad organizational and campaign experience will serve us well as we move into the next phase of our capital campaign," Martin said. "Cornell alumni, faculty and friends will find that he is a strong and inspirational team leader."

Phlegar, a native of Virginia, has served as interim vice president at Johns Hopkins since early 2006. In 2005, he was promoted to senior associate vice president for development and alumni relations from associate vice president overseeing all non-medical fund raising and medical central operations in recognition of his contributions to the leadership of the division and to the new $2 billion capital campaign, which began in July 2000 and has now yielded $2.2 billion.

Previously Phlegar had served as vice president for development at the University of South Carolina, where he established a high-performing development operation and laid the groundwork for that university's first capital campaign. South Carolina surpassed its original campaign goal of $200 million, raising $440 million by the time Phlegar left in 2000. Phlegar also served as associate vice chancellor and campaign director at East Carolina University from 1993 to 1995. Phlegar began his work in development/alumni relations as assistant director of the Virginia Tech alumni association in 1984, which included a role in the university's first capital campaign. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in business management in 1978 and his master's degree, in 1987, in education administration, from Virginia Tech.

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Joe Schwartz