Announcement Regarding Vice Chancellor of Advancement
Dear Friends,
We are writing to share the news that Armin Afsahi has resigned as University of Denver’s Vice Chancellor for Advancement and will join Harvard University as Associate Vice President and Dean of Development in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. While we are sad to see Armin leave after four very successful years at DU, we know you will join us in wishing him all the very best in this exciting new opportunity. Armin’s last day at DU will be July 31, 2019.
Armin joined the University of Denver in July 2015 to build and lead a world-class advancement team and to work closely with the chancellor, senior leadership, and members of the board of trustees, to launch a bold campaign in support of our equally bold DU IMPACT 2025 vision. Under his leadership we have seen our advancement enterprise grow to foster a globally connected community and a deepening culture of philanthropy that the University of Denver both needs and deserves. Over the past four years, our global community has increased annual philanthropic support by more than 80% and engagement of our constituents by more than 30%. We have shaped bold concepts that have attracted transformational philanthropy at historical rates. We have launched an innovative career and professional development program that seeks to engage our students not only during their academic tenure, but throughout their lives. We have created new annual traditions including One Day for DU, Founders Celebration and Alumni Weekend that strengthen the bond between DU and our global community. Armin’s team has also greatly improved our information infrastructure in advancement, and we now have a greater depth of intelligence and knowledge of our global DU community. Perhaps most importantly, Armin has cultivated a devoted team of talented, determined and passionate advancement professionals who help our community advance OneDU together.
As we prepare for this transition, we can do so knowing that Armin’s leadership has shaped an enduring culture of engagement and philanthropy, and he has built an organization that is strong and leaning into the future. We have the opportunity to be thoughtful about both the interim and long-term plans for advancement leadership, particularly in the context of our other leadership transitions. We invite your thoughts and ideas as we consider next steps, and encourage you to reach out to Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Haefner or Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Nancy Nicely, who will be leading our efforts with the transition. We will also work closely with the Advancement leadership team as we consider next steps.
Thank you all for your unwavering support of the important work we have done – and must continue to do – in building and galvanizing our global DU network over the past several years. We will have opportunities in the next months to celebrate Armin’s contributions and wish him well in this next chapter. In the meantime, we hope you will join us in congratulating him on this exciting opportunity, and in thanking Armin for his extraordinary service to the University of Denver.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Chopp
Chancellor
Jeremy Haefner
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor