After two years at Virginia Tech as assistant dean of advancement for the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Dan Cleveland is taking on a new role within the advancement division.

He has been named assistant vice president for advancement - colleges and units. In this new position, Cleveland will oversee the chief advancement officers of 12 colleges and programs. 

He will report to Monecia Taylor, who last month was named senior associate vice president for advancement, a new position on the senior leadership team of Charlie Phlegar, vice president of advancement at Virginia Tech.

“We are thrilled that Dan is joining our team,” Taylor said. “He is a proven leader who brings tremendous experience and success that will benefit the division and the university as a whole as we move forward.”

While Cleveland has been at the helm of CLAHS advancement, the college increased its annual unrestricted fund by 49 percent in fiscal 2019, and it nearly doubled its Beyond Boundaries revenue goal. Also, new gifts and commitments for the college increased to $6.8 million for fiscal 2020, from approximately $2 million in 2018.

Cleveland has 17 years of experience working in higher education. Before Virginia Tech, he held several development leadership positions at Bradley University in Illinois, including executive director of major and planned gifts. At Pacific University in Oregon, where he worked prior to Bradley, he was both director of advancement and associate director of development for the College of Arts and Science and Athletics, among several other positions. Cleveland holds bachelor’s degrees in literature and theatre from Pacific University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Bradley University.

Cleveland said he is looking forward to expanding his role at Virginia Tech.

“I’m excited about making a bigger impact and to have this new opportunity to work with a wide range of university and academic leaders,” Cleveland said. “They have a bold vision and to have opportunities to understand that vision and identify ways for our alumni and friends to engage, it’s a dream come true.”

Virginia Tech’s Advancement Division raised a record $185.4 million in new gifts and commitments during the past fiscal year. The division 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. In two months, Virginia Tech’s annual Giving Day is scheduled to begin at noon on Feb. 24 and conclude at noon on Feb. 25. 

“Clearly Dan is a seasoned advancement professional who already has made an impact in his short time at Virginia Tech,” Phlegar said. “We are excited about the ways that he will use his skills to serve the university in this new role.”

Written by Jenny Kincaid Boone