Michael Kingan has been named Southern’s new vice president for institutional advancement, effective July 9, 2018. He will oversee Development, Integrated Communications & Marketing, and Alumni Relations and will also serve as executive director of the SCSU Foundation.
“Michael has exhibited a passion for developing and growing advancement programs,” said President Joe Bertolino. “This has resulted in expanded educational opportunity for tens of thousands of students and several generations of tomorrow’s global citizens and leaders.”
Kingan has served for more than 25 years in a number of diverse institutions, including the Universities of Michigan, Washington, Iowa and New Mexico. He was the first Chief Advancement Officer at the Singapore American School, one of the world’s premier international schools, with an enrollment exceeding 4,000 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
“As it approaches its 125th anniversary this fall, Southern is a diverse, vibrant institution with wonderful traditions and great potential,” Kingan said. “During my on-campus interviews, I was particularly impressed by the pride exhibited by students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as President Bertolino’s institution-wide commitment to social justice and to being a good neighbor to the community at large.”
Most recently, Kingan was the vice president for development and alumni relations at the University of Texas at Arlington, a Carnegie Research-1 institution that ranks among the top five most diverse student populations of all comprehensive public universities in the nation.
He has prepared and successfully launched comprehensive fundraising campaigns throughout his career and has expertise in identifying fundraising priorities, collaborating with university leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, and volunteers and facilitating gift engagements that result in substantial growth in institutional support.
“Private funding sources are essential to advance Southern’s mission of academic excellence, access and service for the public good,” Kingan said. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues to identify new areas of support for the institution and to spread the word about the vital role that Southern plays in Connecticut’s economy.”
Kingan earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Austin College in Sherman and his Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as an instructor in the Overseas Service Corps of the YMCA in Keelung, Taiwan, before embarking on his career in philanthropy and advancement. He is married to Mary Laing Kingan and they have two grown children, Will and Madeleine.
