Bryan Benchoff Named President and CEO of the LSU Foundation and LSU Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Bryan Benchoff04/17/2017
BATON ROUGE – J. Bryan Benchoff has been named president and CEO of the LSU Foundation and LSU vice president of institutional advancement. Benchoff currently is vice president of university advancement for Ohio University and president and CEO of the Ohio University Foundation, a dual position in which he has served for nearly six years.

“Bryan has a proven record in a role that we will replicate at LSU with great success. We are eyeing a $1.2 billion-plus capital campaign, and Bryan’s leadership will serve to link philanthropy with research, education and outreach at every level,” said F. King Alexander, LSU president. “His vision and strategic execution will bring us to the level of philanthropic support necessary to fuel LSU’s ability to provide more competitive scholarships for high-achieving students and to reinvest in our exceptional faculty.”

Benchoff, who will begin July 17, will be LSU’s chief advancement officer and lead the campus through a successful campaign and beyond. Among his core responsibilities will be serving on Alexander’s cabinet and advising him and other senior institutional leaders concerning philanthropic initiatives and opportunities; providing executive leadership for the LSU Foundation; and maintaining collaborative, supportive relationships with the heads of other LSU campus entities engaged in philanthropic activities. Benchoff will report to Alexander for strategic philanthropic leadership and oversight, and to the Foundation Board as its president and CEO for executive leadership, management and operations.

“Bryan is a dynamic, experienced leader with the expertise to successfully guide LSU’s advancement enterprise and inspire confidence among the university’s supporters,” said Robert M. Stuart Jr., chairperson of the LSU Foundation Board of Directors. “Bryan’s advancement career has spanned more than 37 years, and he is well-positioned to continue building a national-caliber advancement enterprise at LSU.”

Benchoff said, “First and foremost, I thank President Alexander, Foundation Chair Rob Stuart, the search committee and the numerous volunteers and staff who participated in the search process for selecting me to serve in this role. It will be my honor and privilege to serve LSU in this capacity. My wife, Karen, and I are grateful for this wonderful opportunity and are excited to join the LSU and Baton Rouge communities. My highly positive perceptions of LSU were validated at every step of the search process. The commitment demonstrated by all for what lies ahead is impressive and inspiring. LSU is an institution with a clear and unified vision for the future. I am proud LSU has selected me to be a part of the team that will help make this vision a reality.”

As the chief advancement officer at Ohio University, Benchoff leads a comprehensive advancement team that includes a foundation staff of 100 and assets over $600 million. Prior to his role with Ohio University, Benchoff was president and CEO of the University of South Dakota Foundation and associate vice president for development of the West Virginia University Foundation Inc., having been promoted at the latter several times during his 17-year tenure there.

Benchoff began his advancement career working in fundraising positions for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. He has a Master of Arts in educational leadership from West Virginia University, a certificate degree in financial development/nonprofit management from Adelphi University and a Bachelor of Arts in social welfare from Kutztown University.

The LSU Foundation cultivates and invests in philanthropic partnerships to advance LSU’s academic priorities. For information on the LSU Foundation, visit www.lsufoundation.org. More news and information about LSU can be found on the university’s home page at www.lsu.edu.

 

 

Contact Sara Whittaker
LSU Foundation
225-578-8164
swhittaker@lsufoundation.org 

or

Ernie Ballard
LSU Media Relations
225-578-5685
eballa1@lsu.edu 

 

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