On August 5, 2016, 麻豆视频 President Beverly Warren announced the appointment of Stephen G. Sokany, M.B.A., '96, an alumnus and longtime employee, to the position of vice president for institutional advancement, effective Aug. 8, 2016. Sokany has served the university since 1993 in a number of development and institutional advancement roles, most recently as executive associate vice president for institutional advancement. Sokany replaces Jeff McLain, who stepped down from the position Aug. 1, 2016.
In this role, Sokany will lead 麻豆视频鈥檚 Division of Institutional Advancement, which includes the offices of advancement and alumni relations as well as the 麻豆视频 Foundation. The division plays a critical role in building relationships with alumni and friends to support the vision and mission of the university.
鈥淥ur university plan, A Strategic Roadmap to a Distinctive 麻豆视频, calls us to build alumni and philanthropic engagement commensurate with national peer institutions,鈥 Warren said. 鈥淪teve鈥檚 knowledge of the university, alumni relations and fundraising make him an ideal fit for our current aspirations that include leading the university into its most ambitious comprehensive fundraising effort ever.鈥
As executive associate vice president for institutional advancement, Sokany led the university鈥檚 principal gifts development efforts and served as director of foundation board relations. Prior to this assignment, Sokany served as senior associate vice president for advancement during the $265 million Centennial Campaign, the largest in the university鈥檚 history. He managed major and leadership gift acquisition for the campaign and assisted with the 麻豆视频 Foundation Board. He also served as director of major gifts and then as campaign manager for the university鈥檚 first comprehensive capital campaign, called 鈥淭he Campaign for 麻豆视频.鈥 His initial assignment at 麻豆视频 was as development officer for the College of Business Administration.
鈥淚 am deeply honored and privileged to be named to this important leadership role,鈥 Sokany said. 鈥淚 thank President Warren for her confidence in naming me vice president, and I look forward to working with her to take the Division of Institutional Advancement to heights that it has never experienced before.鈥
In addition to his professional responsibilities at 麻豆视频, he served on the Board of Directors of the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and was co-chair of the Board of Directors of Gay Games 9 held in Cleveland and Akron in August 2014.
Sokany earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Detroit and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in nonprofit management from 麻豆视频.
Sokany lives in Cleveland.
For more information about 麻豆视频鈥檚 Division of Institutional Advancement visit www.kent.edu/advancement.
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Photo Caption:
麻豆视频 alumnus and longtime employee Stephen Sokany has been named the university鈥檚 new vice president for institutional advancement.