Tag Archives: development

Brian Plum named assistant director of development for leadership gifts

Brian Plum

Brian Plum

Brian Plum has joined the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as assistant director of development for leadership gifts.

Plum’s responsibilities include fundraising for the college’s leadership gifts program through identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors to the college and Virginia Cooperative Extension. He will travel throughout the region in order to build and strengthen relationships with new and existing donors, and will collaborate with other fundraisers on major gift asks.

“The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is fortunate to have Brian on board,” said Vernon Meacham, the college’s director of development. “Securing annual current-use support for our college’s highest priorities is a critical need, and Brian brings the skills and enthusiasm to be successful in that area.”

Plum brings more than 10 years in related experience to Virginia Tech. He was a community organizer with Together Colorado, where he created a regional recruitment effort that drew in 15,000 new members. Prior to that, he raised a budget of over $140,000 as lead organizer of the Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together, commonly known as IMPACT, in Charlottesville.

Plum also has extensive knowledge of agriculture and life sciences. During a recent two-year sabbatical, he visited 28 countries, expanding his understanding of the importance of environmental stewardship. Over the course of that sabbatical, Plum worked as an English as a Second Language teacher in China, Guatemala, and Laos, and was the volunteer coordinator for a medical mission in Guatemala.

Share
Posted in Past Issues | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Announcements from the CALS Office of Advancement

In an effort to work more collaboratively, Alumni Relations and Development are now housed in the same office. The new suite is called the Office of Advancement, which is located in 216 Hutcheson Hall (mail code 0402). Please feel free to stop by.

Ashleigh Waddle joined the development team as assistant director of development.  Ashleigh grew up on a dairy farm in Saltville, Va. before attending Virginia Tech, where she completed undergraduate degrees in both animal and poultry sciences and dairy science. She also obtained a master’s degree in agricultural and applied economics. While an undergraduate, Ashleigh worked in the CALS development office and discovered her future career path. Ashleigh has served in many roles as an active Hokie volunteer, including CALS Ambassador, National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador, Orientation Leader, and CALS Alumni Organization board member. For the past three years, she has been an account executive for IMG Sports Marketing, representing Virginia Tech properties.

Contacts in the CALS Office of Advancement:

Jamie Lucero, Director of Alumni Relations, 231-9666, jlucero@vt.edu
Vernon Meacham, Director of Development, 231-3071, vmeacham@vt.edu
Ben Grove, Associate Director of Development, 231-7640, begrove@vt.edu
Ashleigh Waddle, Assistant Director of Development, 231-0391, waddle@vt.edu
R.J. McDaniel, 231-5546, rjmac@vt.edu
Barbara Martin, 231-1987, bmartin@vt.edu

Share
Posted in Past Issues | Tagged , | Leave a comment