UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- John Dietz, who has served as director of development for Penn State’s College of Engineering since 2005, has been appointed as an associate vice president for development at the University. Beginning Sept. 19, Dietz will oversee central development programs, including annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, development communications, donor relations, gift planning, leadership gifts, and research and prospect development.
"Penn State is exceptionally fortunate to have a professional with John’s experience and knowledge of higher education fundraising," said Rodney P. Kirsch, senior vice president for development and alumni relations. "Throughout his service to the University, John has worked successfully with colleagues across the institution, mentored many young professionals, and built strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and academic leadership. He brings to this position an ethos of service, integrity and respect, and I look forward to welcoming John to my management team."
Dietz, who earned a master’s degree in higher education from Penn State, has pursued a career in development since 1978, and he joined the University’s fundraising team in 1989. His posts at Penn State have included associate director of corporate and foundation relations and director of development for the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. In that role, which he held from 1995 to 2004, he helped the college to secure a total of $95 million in private support.
In recent years, Dietz has led the College of Engineering toward a $200 million goal in the University’s current fundraising effort, For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students, and served on the college’s Coordination Council, Executive Committee, and Academic Council. He will continue to support its fundraising efforts during his transition to leadership at the University-wide level and the search for a new director of development.
"It has been an honor to assist one of the nation’s most highly regarded engineering colleges in building new strength for its future and deepening its relationships with alumni and friends," said Dietz. "I look forward to bringing what I have learned to my new role as associate vice president, and I hope to contribute in meaningful ways to the success of the University as a whole."