Charles Phlegar

Charles D. Phlegar, vice president for alumni affairs and development, has announced he will be leaving Cornell on June 30 to become vice president for advancement at Virginia Tech.

Phlegar has served in his current role at Cornell since 2006. In nine years at the helm of the Division of Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD), he has helped to transform Cornell’s fundraising and alumni engagement operations related to the Ithaca campus and Cornell Tech into one of the most robust and successful in the nation.

“Charlie’s impact on our great university cannot be overstated,” said President David J. Skorton. “Charlie was the first person I hired when I came to Cornell, and I have valued his counsel and partnership every day since. While Cornell will miss him, I am happy that he is heading home to Virginia Tech, an exceptional institution where he has such deep, personal roots.”

Phlegar’s ties to Virginia Tech and to the region are extensive. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia, he earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and his master’s degree in education administration from Virginia Tech. He also began his career in development and alumni relations in 1984 as assistant director of the Virginia Tech alumni association.

“For many years, I have dreamed of returning to Virginia Tech – where I was a student, where I met my wife, Karen, an engineering graduate of Virginia Tech, where I started my career, and where many members of my family still reside,” said Phlegar. “As Virginia’s land-grant institution, Virginia Tech shares many of the wonderful qualities that has made working at Cornell such a joy. While I will miss Cornell tremendously and am proud of all that my team has been able to accomplish over these nine years, I am excited to be returning home.”

Since Phlegar’s arrival, Cornell has more than doubled its fundraising on the way to completing the nation’s third largest university capital campaign and is consistently ranked as one of the top programs worldwide for its innovations and donor-centric hybrid model for advancement. Notable achievements during Phlegar’s tenure include Cornell Tech, Klarman Hall, Gates Hall, Gannett, the Sesquicentennial Grove, the athletic match initiative, greatly increased need-based financial aid and the successful faculty renewal program.

Phlegar served on the presidential search committee that selected President-elect Elizabeth Garrett, who will assume the Cornell presidency July 1. He served on the board of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), as the founding chair of the CASE 50 (the leading 50 universities of higher education fundraising) and chair of the 2014 CASE national conference.

Prior to coming to Cornell, Phlegar served in senior development and alumni relations positions at Johns Hopkins University, the University of South Carolina and East Carolina University.

“Charlie has been an exceptional steward of one of Cornell’s most precious resources – our alumni,” said Robert S. Harrison, chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. “His leadership in expanding and inspiring our global network of alumni to support Cornell in a multitude of ways will leave a lasting legacy.”

“Cornell has long been a leader in attracting transformative philanthropy at all levels of giving, due to its unique and historic commitment to education, research and public engagement,” said Garrett. “AAD has built a solid foundation upon which we will take our alumni engagement and development efforts to still greater heights. I look forward to working with our great AAD team around the country to engage supporters and increase the visibility of Cornell globally.”

Skorton and Garrett announced the appointment of Jeff McCarthy, currently AAD associate vice president, as interim vice president. McCarthy will serve in that capacity until a new vice president is appointed.

“I so appreciate Jeff’s stepping forward to lead AAD and sustain the momentum that has driven the success of our current fundraising campaign,” added Garrett. “I look forward to personally leading a national search for our next vice president and am confident that we will attract one of the most dynamic leaders in this field.”