Holgate steps up to senior post, Schiller steps in as new VP for Development, Alumni Relations

President Randel announced Friday, Sept. 2 the appointment of Ronald Schiller as Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. Schiller will serve as a member of the Executive Staff and succeed Randy Holgate, who has served as Vice President since 1994 and who will assume the responsibilities of Senior Vice President for University Resources.

Schiller is currently associate vice president of university advancement, director of university development, and campaign director at Carnegie Mellon University.

“Ron and I worked together closely during my time as dean of the arts and sciences at Cornell,” Randel said. “He is a person whose energy and imagination know few bounds. I look forward to our second professional collaboration, and I know that he will quickly and enthusiastically engage the University of Chicago’s many alumni and friends in our important work.”

During his four years at Carnegie Mellon, Schiller and his colleagues more than doubled the yearly fund-raising results, which this summer earned the school a Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Circle of Excellence Award for overall improvement in fund raising over a three-year period.

Andrew Alper, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Chicago Initiative fund-raising campaign, said he both welcomed Schiller’s arrival and felt deep appreciation for Holgate’s commitment over the years.

“Ron has an outstanding record of creative and successful fund raising, and I believe the University is fortunate to have hired him,” said Alper. “I am eager to work with him as we build on the development program’s many accomplishments.

“Randy has done an excellent job of building and managing the University’s development and alumni relations program,” he said. “I am grateful she will now be able to devote her energies fully to our largest gifts.”

University trustee Dennis Keller said he also is looking forward to working with Schiller. “Ron is a disciplined, enthusiastic and highly successful fund-raiser. I couldn’t be happier that we’ve added him to our team, and I expect great things to come of this.”

Before his successes at Carnegie Mellon, Schiller was vice president for development at Northeastern University, vice president of advancement at the New England Conservatory of Music, director of institutional advancement at the Eastman School of Music, and served in a series of progressively more responsible development positions at Cornell University. At Carnegie Mellon University, he currently leads a staff of 126 and manages a budget of more than $11 million.

Schiller received his B.A. in linguistics from Cornell University in 1986, also earning Phi Beta Kappa honors. He has been actively involved in numerous choral music activities and has taught at both Cornell University and the Eastman School of Music.

He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and as a member of the Cornell University trustees’ glee club advisory council. He was honored in 2004 by the Pittsburgh Business Times as one of 50 “Fast-Tracker” leaders under 45.