Dean Eli Jones coaches fellow deans on fund-raising at national conference

Mays Dean Eli Jones stepped up to teach his fellow deans from around the United States and Canada on advanced fund-raising techniques. He was one of two deans invited to lead sessions for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Advanced Development for Deans and Academic Leaders conference, held Jan. 10-12 in Philadelphia. More than 100 academic leaders from the U.S. and Canada attended.

Jones drew from his experience as a three-time dean – at Texas A&M University, University of Arkansas, and Louisiana State University – to teach skills such as how to develop targeted strategies for programs and how to enhance relationships with donors.

“Among other subjects, I talked about our Strategic Plan and the grassroots process we used to gain buy-in; the strong support of our incredible donors and how we approach our donor base; and the impact the financial support is having on engaging our faculty, such as the creation of the Mays Innovation Research Center,” he said.

In the two years since Jones began leading Mays, the school has

• Received the school’s largest gift in history – $25 million from the Mays Family Foundation
• Received $5.6 million to establish the Mays Innovation Research Center
• Received a $2 million endowment toward the Reynolds & Reynolds Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans