September 29, 2017

Dear Members of the Connecticut College Community,

I am very pleased to write with the news that Kimberly M. Verstandig, currently the interim Collyer Vice President for Advancement at Skidmore College, has been appointed the new vice president for College Advancement at Connecticut College. Kim will be on campus for the Board of Trustees meetings in late October and will begin full-time in her new role on November 6.

Kim holds a bachelor of science in business administration and a master of science in education from Bucknell University and brings with her more than 20 years of fundraising experience, both in higher education and in the nonprofit sector. She spent seven years at Bucknell overseeing alumni, parent, and volunteer programs and serving as a major gift officer during their early $150 million campaign. She went on to serve as a senior development officer for the Albany Medical Center and as the director of advancement at the Albany Academies before joining the advancement division of Skidmore College in 2012. For the last five years, Kim has enjoyed increasing responsibilities in fundraising, serving as the associate vice president for advancement, campaign director, and, since March 2017, interim vice president.

As interim vice president at Skidmore, Kim has overseen all areas of fundraising and alumni engagement, including alumni relations and college events, donor relations, foundation and corporate relations, gift planning, and advancement services. Most importantly, she has helped lead Skidmore’s current campaign, which has already realized 70 percent of its $200 million goal, in anticipation of its public launch in November. In short, she has extensive experience in nearly every aspect of college fundraising.

At Connecticut College, Kim will be responsible for overall leadership and strategic direction of our Office of College Advancement. This includes supervising the work of major gifts; gift planning; corporate, foundation, and government relations; alumni engagement and annual giving; strategic initiatives; donor relations; and advancement services. We are fortunate to have recruited to this critical role someone with Kim’s level of talent, passion, and commitment. She has tremendous energy and drive and will be an ideal partner as we seek to design our next ambitious campaign for Connecticut College. With her fundraising expertise, her collaborative nature, and her deep belief in the mission of the liberal arts, she brings exactly the right skills to the College at this dynamic moment in our history.

I would like to thank Vice President for Finance and Administration Rich Madonna, who chaired the search committee, and the committee members who helped bring about this appointment: Board of Trustees Chair Pamela Zilly '75, Trustee Jonathan Cohen '87, Trustee T. Wilson Eglin '86, Professor of Biology Martha Grossel, Professor of Theater David Jaffe, Dean of Institutional Equity and Inclusion John McKnight, and Bonnie Wells, Secretary of the College. Finally, I would like to take a moment and express my deep gratitude to Martha Merrill '84 for her outstanding leadership as interim Vice President for College Advancement over the past five months.

I should mention that Kim has three sons, two of whom are currently attending liberal arts colleges. An avid runner in college, she continues to be a recreational athlete and is eager to explore the Arboretum trails. I know she and her husband both look forward to being a part of this community.

Please join me in welcoming Kim Verstandig to Connecticut College.

Yours,
 
Katherine Bergeron
President