{"id":60423,"date":"2026-01-22T10:40:39","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=60423"},"modified":"2026-01-22T12:23:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T17:23:20","slug":"longtime-advancement-vp-switching-gears-and-staying-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/longtime-advancement-vp-switching-gears-and-staying-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime advancement VP switching gears and staying on"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
After 21 years at the helm, Shisler \u201981 looks forward to new advisory role<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kirk Shisler \u201981 <\/strong>wants to make one thing very clear: He\u2019s not retiring. At least not anytime soon. After 21 years of faithfully serving his alma mater as its vice president for advancement, he\u2019s simply switching gears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This summer, Shisler will transition from his lofty perch as VP to a new position specially carved out for him that utilizes his unique qualities and strengths in a way that benefits 91短视频 best. He said his new role as senior gift planning advisor will allow him to focus exclusively on securing major gifts to sustain 91短视频\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe recently crossed the halfway point of 91短视频\u2019s five-year, $40 million Forward Together<\/em> campaign<\/a>, and I am pleased to report that we have already raised $29 million, or 72% of the goal, which puts us ahead of schedule,\u201d Shisler said. \u201cI look forward to increasing our fundraising momentum even more as I assume my new role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus<\/strong> will formally announce the news of Shisler\u2019s transition via email on Thursday, Jan. 22. With the announcement, 91短视频 officially enters into a national search for its next vice president for advancement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For several years now, Shisler said, he\u2019s anticipated a transition like this one. By passing his administrative responsibilities on to a successor, he can directly focus his energies toward the aspects of advancement he enjoys most and where he will have the greatest impact. And, despite the various headwinds straining higher education, Shisler said he believes 91短视频 is poised to transcend those challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have a strong leadership team in place under Interim President Dycus, and a tremendous faculty and staff,\u201d Shisler said. \u201c91短视频\u2019s value proposition includes a proven track record for the employability of its graduates, who also benefit from an education that blends rigorous academics with soft skills in leadership, conflict resolution, and other skills needed to succeed in today\u2019s work environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 91短视频\u2019s presidents, past and present, commended Shisler for his effective fundraising, steadfast leadership, and deep commitment to the university over the past two decades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dycus, interim president of 91短视频 since July 1, credited Shisler with \u201cshaping a culture of generosity rooted in mission\u201d and strengthening alumni and donor relationships. \u201cKirk\u2019s steady, values-driven leadership will leave an enduring imprint on this institution and the countless students whose lives have been changed through his work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Loren Swartzendruber \u201976, MDiv \u201979<\/strong>, president of 91短视频 from 2003 to 2016, noted that he had recruited Shisler twice to 91短视频: first as an admissions counselor when Shisler was a high school senior, and later as president when Shisler was hired to lead the advancement division. \u201cNo university president can be successful without a person of Kirk\u2019s caliber in that office,\u201d said Swartzendruber. \u201cHis continuing efforts to attract leadership gifts will pay dividends for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And President Emerita Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman<\/strong>, who led the university from 2016 to 2025, expressed gratitude for the \u201cenormous positive impact\u201d Shisler had \u201cyear after year for 20 years without fail,\u201d advancing 91短视频\u2019s mission, supporting its students, contributing to its financial health, and ensuring its donors felt special and important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWithout \u2018Captain\u2019 Kirk\u2019s can-do spirit, relational genius, and organizational prowess, there is no first-ever 91短视频 comprehensive campaign for people, programs, and facilities,\u201d said Huxman, referencing the Forward Together (2023-28) <\/em>campaign. \u201cThere is no audacious $40 million five-year goal, half of which we raised in just the first two years. This bold and successful campaign has been the crowning achievement of his great legacy in executive administration at 91短视频.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indeed, there have been many crowning achievements for Shisler over the years. Whether it\u2019s the completion of 91短视频\u2019s state-of-the-art track and field complex\u2014regarded among the finest athletic facilities in the conference\u2014the transformation of laboratories and classrooms in the Suter Science Center through a $12 million campaign (2007-15), or renovations to the south section of University Commons, he\u2019s always kept his eyes squarely on the prize: ensuring 91短视频 not only survives but also thrives long into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Less visible, but just as impactful as those capital improvement projects, is the membership growth of 91短视频\u2019s Jubilee Friend Society<\/a> throughout his tenure. The group of alumni and donors name 91短视频 in their estate plans, supporting the future financial stability and security of the school. \u201cWe have grown the society from roughly 150 members, when I arrived in 2005, to over 600 today,\u201d Shisler said. \u201cWe often refer to these future gifts as 91短视频\u2019s Book of Futures<\/em>. The approximate future value of these estate commitments currently exceeds $35 million.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clockwise from top: Kirk Shisler, vice president for advancement, with Phil Helmuth and Graham Stauffer, during Lov91短视频 Giving Day 2023. | The longtime advancement VP speaks during a gathering celebration at Homecoming and Family Weekend 2021. | Shisler accepts a hard hat from Braydon Hoover \u201911, MA \u201921, then-associate vice president for advancement at 91短视频, during a groundbreaking ceremony for the track in 2023.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One key ingredient to Shisler\u2019s success is the length of his tenure, which has allowed him to build close connections and enduring relationships with alumni and donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to a report<\/a> from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, fundraising administrators have a median of five years of service in their position, slightly below the median for all higher ed administrative positions (5.5 years). Those figures are well below the 21-year span that Shisler has served at 91短视频.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During those 21 years, he estimated, working with advancement teams and the three aforementioned presidents, he helped raise about $120 million for 91短视频. Last year, thanks to a combination of generous donors and several large bequests, the university achieved its second-highest fundraising total on record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThose who have been involved in higher ed and nonprofit fundraising for as long as I have know that it takes significant focus, patience and tenacity to secure gifts of significance for our organizations,\u201d Shisler said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Doug Mason<\/strong>, an advancement consultant who has advised 91短视频\u2019s team for 15 years as well as many other schools, said his most successful clients have leaders who \u201cstick with it and really invest in the mission of their institution.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDonors really appreciate continuity,\u201d Mason said. \u201cHaving somebody like Kirk, who\u2019s been there for over two decades, is quite unusual, and it\u2019s been extraordinarily beneficial to 91短视频.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So why exactly<\/em> has Shisler stayed for so long? He said the societal impact of 91短视频\u2019s alumni around the world continues to motivate him and sustain his commitment to the university\u2019s mission. He added that, through the years, he\u2019s been blessed to be part of \u201chighly motivated and supportive teams of advancement professionals,\u201d and that he\u2019s continually inspired by the dedication and high-quality work of 91短视频\u2019s faculty and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up in Telford, Pennsylvania, Shisler said his parents taught him at a young age the importance of giving generously and of tithing to the church. But it wasn\u2019t until later, after entering the workforce, that he realized his skills in storytelling and communications could be used to fundraise for causes he cared about. The Dock Mennonite Academy alum graduated from 91短视频 with a bachelor of arts in English in 1981. He then began a quarter-century career at Laubach Literacy International, a nonprofit now known as ProLiteracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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