Virginia Tech names Vernon Meacham chief advancement officer in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Vernon Meacham has been named the chief advancement officer in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

In his new position, Meacham will lead the Advancement Team, which is comprised of development, alumni relations, and communications and marketing professionals. The team works to increase engagement and philanthropic support for the college and Virginia Cooperative Extension. 

Meacham has been with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since 2005, initially serving as the associate director of corporate relations. His responsibilities included enhancing the strength of strategic corporate partnerships to support the college’s land-grant missions of teaching, research, and extension. He was then named director of development in 2008, providing leadership for the college’s fundraising and donor-relations efforts. In this role, he worked closely with individual donors, corporations, and foundations to build philanthropic relationships with the college.

Before coming to Virginia Tech, Meacham worked in agribusiness, first as an animal nutritionist and then as an executive in the fertilizer industry, working with organic-based fertilizer technology and manufacturing operations.

A native of Blacksburg, Meacham received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in animal nutrition from Virginia Tech. He currently serves on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization Board, the VALOR Advisory Board, and has served on the Alpha Gama Rho fraternity’s Alumni Board.