Vice President for University Advancement Named

Thomas MacKinnon has been named vice president for university advancement.
Thomas MacKinnon has been named vice president for university advancement at The University of Scranton.
Thomas MacKinnon has been named vice president for university advancement at The University of Scranton.
The University of Scranton has named Thomas MacKinnon as vice president for university advancement, effective March 19. MacKinnon currently serves as vice president for university advancement at Wilkes University, overseeing their development, alumni and marketing communications efforts. Previously, he served as chief of staff to the president and as executive director of the capital campaign at Scranton.

 “Tom brings a keen understanding and deep commitment to the University’s Catholic and Jesuit mission to this important leadership position at Scranton. Through his education, work and volunteer service, he has more than 20 years of experience with Jesuit institutions, as well as decades of leadership experience in fundraising. We are grateful to have him back on board at Scranton,” said Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J., interim president at the University, in an announcement to the campus community.

During his service as one of four vice presidents at Wilkes, MacKinnon initiated the largest fundraising campaign effort in the school’s history, reorganized and developed a new fundraising team, and raised more than $40 million in gifts and commitments during the past two years. He also initiated their new branding effort.

While at Scranton, MacKinnon played a leadership role in the success of the largest capital campaign in the University’s history, which raised more than $129 million to support the University’s mission, endowment and development. The campaign helped to make possible such transformational improvement projects as the DeNaples Center, Loyola Science Center, Condron Hall, Montrone Hall, Pilarz Hall and the Dionne Campus Green. In addition to his work in development, he led multiple international service trips for students to El Salvador and Ecuador, and led the University’s senior leadership team on an immersion trip to El Salvador.  

MacKinnon left Scranton in 2011 to serve at Marquette University as chief of staff to the president and as interim vice president for university advancement, managing a staff of more than 150 professionals. At Marquette, he was intricately involved in the development and implementation of a new seven-year strategic plan that was universally endorsed by the Marquette community and assisted in the effort to re-imagine procedures for managing their $400 million annual operational budget, among other duties. Also during his tenure, Marquette initiated the planning phase for its capital campaign.

From 2000 to 2008, MacKinnon was vice president for CCS, a strategic fundraising consulting firm. Prior to that, he served as director of alumni and public relations at his alma mater Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York. He also volunteered a year of service at the Jesuit-sponsored Working Boys Center in Ecuador, a project he continues to support today.

MacKinnon earned his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Fordham University and is pursuing a master of fine arts degree in creative writing at Wilkes University.
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