Development for Deans and Academic Leaders
The audience for the global online conference consists of academic leaders looking for a comprehensive introduction to development. Designed to engage learners, the program provides opportunities for sharing of best practices, reflection and networking and has been found most effective when academic and development colleagues attend together. As a result, attendees are strongly encouraged to register as a pair or team.
Benefits of Attending
- Get practical information for use in fulfilling your fundraising role as an academic leader.
- Collaborate with colleagues and faculty on techniques to implement at your institution.
- Gain a fresh approach for understanding successful development.
- Work in partnership with your development colleagues to discuss fundraising initiatives and best practice for implementation within your institution and/or unit.
- Build a professional network through interactive online discussions with colleagues at peer institutions.
Who Should Attend
- Academic deans
- Development officers
- Central development officers
- Administrators who work with academic deans
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Department heads
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Institute directors
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Provosts and presidents
Meet Your Chair
Lorna Somers
Lorna Somers is recognized internationally as the foremost teacher/trainer in the field of institutional advancement in higher education and is herself an experienced and accomplished practitioner in her 34th year of practice at McMaster University in Canada.
Somers has been working in University Advancement at McMaster University since 1988. During that time, she has been involved in the establishment and growth of the Annual Fund, Gift Planning, Major and Principal Giving, and the Recognition & Stewardship programs. She has been Campaign Director for two university-wide comprehensive campaigns, (Changing Tomorrow Today 2001 and The Campaign for McMaster 2010), in addition to directing a series of targeted campaigns for Athletics, the Museum of Art, 2 campaigns for Scholarships & Bursaries, the McMaster University Student Centre and for the Faculty of Health Sciences’ Centre for Learning & Discovery. Somers currently focuses her attention on working closely with senior academic leaders and volunteers to secure principal level gifts, (most notable among them, the largest cash gift to a Canadian university), and to leading McMaster’s new Brighter World Research Initiative.
Along with co-author Dr. Frank Minton, Somers wrote the definitive volume entitled Planned Giving for Canadians and regularly speaks at conferences and on campuses throughout the world with a particular focus on Australia, Africa and Europe.
