Virginia Tech names senior associate vice president for advancement
Virginia Tech’s Advancement Division has named Monecia Taylor as senior associate vice president for advancement, a new role on the Senior Leadership Team of Vice President for Advancement Charlie Phlegar.
Taylor previously served as the university’s associate vice president for principal gifts, a position she held since joining Virginia Tech in 2016. Prior to that, Taylor served as associate director for external affairs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.
As senior associate vice president for advancement, Taylor will continue to oversee the university’s Principal Gifts and Special Events teams while also helping to manage advancement teams within all university colleges and many key strategic programs. The change comes as Mike Moyer, the university’s former associate vice president for advancement — colleges and units, leaves to take on a leading fundraising positon at Cornell University.
“We wish Mike the very best and appreciate the great impact he has made,” Phlegar said. “Looking ahead, we have a solid plan and an extremely talented team ready for this transition. Monecia is an extraordinary leader with more than 25 years’ experience in fundraising. She has served with distinction since arriving, and has played a major role in our great success at marshalling support for Virginia Tech these past few years.”
The Advancement Division raised a record $185.4 million in new gifts and commitments during the past fiscal year and is in the middle of Boundless Impact: The Campaign for Virginia Tech, which has a goal to raise $1.5 billion and engage 100,000 Hokies by 2027. Fiscal 2019-20 also saw the total number of donors increase by more than 14 percent and the university’s alumni giving percentage rise from 13 percent to 15 percent.
Leaders of the fundraising teams for the College of Engineering, Pamplin College of Business, and the university’s Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke will report directly to Taylor. Taylor will also manage a new assistant vice president of advancement who will oversee the chief advancement officers for other colleges and programs. Advancement has launched a search to fill the assistant vice president of advancement position.
“This is a tremendously exciting time to work in advancement at Virginia Tech,” Taylor said. “We are heading into the very important final weeks of the calendar year and have the university’s Giving Day coming up in February. We are making great progress in our campaign, and our university is adding students and faculty in Blacksburg; in Roanoke; and in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area. A growing number of our alumni and friends are giving to Virginia Tech because this university has a truly bold vision for tomorrow’s higher education. I’m proud to be part of the Advancement Division team and welcome the chance to take on these new responsibilities.”