Jeffrey Newton, who has served since 2007 as MIT’s vice president for resource development, has announced his intention to retire.
In an email today sharing the news with the MIT community, President L. Rafael Reif said that Newton has agreed to continue on as vice president in an advisory role through January. Reif described Newton as “a gifted steward of MIT’s key philanthropic relationships” and his tenure at the Institute as capping “a career of accomplishment in service to some of the nation’s most distinguished academic institutions.”
Newton “remade MIT’s Resource Development organization, physically uniting many separate offices and attracting a team equipped to help MIT thrive in a future of constrained federal funding,” Reif added. “He has been a passionate ambassador for the Institute, and I am grateful for his enthusiastic efforts to advance MIT’s mission.”
Over the past seven years, Newton has collaborated with MIT’s academic and administrative leaders to secure billions of dollars in support of MIT’s mission, including crucial funding for the construction of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; the MIT Media Lab’s Building E14; the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Building E62; and the David H. Koch Childcare Center, which will open later this month. Funds raised during Newton’s tenure also supported the renovations of Building 2 and Building E52.
Newton spearheaded the Campaign for Students, which raised $578 million in the midst of the global financial downturn to support student life and learning at MIT. The campaign’s central achievement was the creation of Maseeh Hall, allowing an increase in the number of undergraduates who can receive an MIT education.
Finally, as MIT expanded its global engagements, Newton launched the Office of Global Initiatives to extend the Institute’s fundraising reach around the world.
“Few people are given the opportunity to participate in the growth of such a great institution as MIT,” Newton said. “I feel fortunate to have had this privilege, and I will continue to follow the Institute’s accomplishments with exceptional interest and pride.”
In his email, Reif said that while the Institute conducts a search for a new vice president for resource development, he has asked Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation Kirk Kolenbrander to oversee the day-to-day management and strategic direction of MIT’s fundraising operations.
Newton holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in European history from Brown University. He began his career in resource development at Johns Hopkins University, where he was associate director for foundation and corporate relations from 1989 to 1993. During a subsequent decade working at the University of Miami, he served as executive director of corporation and foundation relations; assistant vice president for development and alumni relations; and assistant vice president for medical development and alumni affairs.
Immediately prior to joining MIT in 2007, Newton was dean for resource development and alumni relations at Harvard Medical School. In that role, he achieved record levels of funding for basic science research by attracting support from well beyond the school’s alumni base.
Working with MIT’s senior academic and administrative leaders to establish fundraising priorities, the vice president for resource development leads efforts to garner private support for the Institute from individuals, corporations and foundations. The position manages the planning, development and implementation of MIT’s fundraising, including communications to donors and prospects; prospect research; solicitation of foundation, corporate and individual donors; gift planning; donor stewardship; and fundraising accounting.
“I welcome your input on this important search,” Reif wrote in his email to the MIT community. “If you have insights or suggestions that will help identify the best candidates, I hope you will let me know by email (rdvpsearch@mit.edu) or letter (Room 3-208).” All correspondence received will be treated as confidential.
In an email today sharing the news with the MIT community, President L. Rafael Reif said that Newton has agreed to continue on as vice president in an advisory role through January. Reif described Newton as “a gifted steward of MIT’s key philanthropic relationships” and his tenure at the Institute as capping “a career of accomplishment in service to some of the nation’s most distinguished academic institutions.”
Newton “remade MIT’s Resource Development organization, physically uniting many separate offices and attracting a team equipped to help MIT thrive in a future of constrained federal funding,” Reif added. “He has been a passionate ambassador for the Institute, and I am grateful for his enthusiastic efforts to advance MIT’s mission.”
Over the past seven years, Newton has collaborated with MIT’s academic and administrative leaders to secure billions of dollars in support of MIT’s mission, including crucial funding for the construction of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research; the MIT Media Lab’s Building E14; the MIT Sloan School of Management’s Building E62; and the David H. Koch Childcare Center, which will open later this month. Funds raised during Newton’s tenure also supported the renovations of Building 2 and Building E52.
Newton spearheaded the Campaign for Students, which raised $578 million in the midst of the global financial downturn to support student life and learning at MIT. The campaign’s central achievement was the creation of Maseeh Hall, allowing an increase in the number of undergraduates who can receive an MIT education.
Finally, as MIT expanded its global engagements, Newton launched the Office of Global Initiatives to extend the Institute’s fundraising reach around the world.
“Few people are given the opportunity to participate in the growth of such a great institution as MIT,” Newton said. “I feel fortunate to have had this privilege, and I will continue to follow the Institute’s accomplishments with exceptional interest and pride.”
In his email, Reif said that while the Institute conducts a search for a new vice president for resource development, he has asked Vice President and Secretary of the Corporation Kirk Kolenbrander to oversee the day-to-day management and strategic direction of MIT’s fundraising operations.
Newton holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Kenyon College and a master’s degree in European history from Brown University. He began his career in resource development at Johns Hopkins University, where he was associate director for foundation and corporate relations from 1989 to 1993. During a subsequent decade working at the University of Miami, he served as executive director of corporation and foundation relations; assistant vice president for development and alumni relations; and assistant vice president for medical development and alumni affairs.
Immediately prior to joining MIT in 2007, Newton was dean for resource development and alumni relations at Harvard Medical School. In that role, he achieved record levels of funding for basic science research by attracting support from well beyond the school’s alumni base.
Working with MIT’s senior academic and administrative leaders to establish fundraising priorities, the vice president for resource development leads efforts to garner private support for the Institute from individuals, corporations and foundations. The position manages the planning, development and implementation of MIT’s fundraising, including communications to donors and prospects; prospect research; solicitation of foundation, corporate and individual donors; gift planning; donor stewardship; and fundraising accounting.
“I welcome your input on this important search,” Reif wrote in his email to the MIT community. “If you have insights or suggestions that will help identify the best candidates, I hope you will let me know by email (rdvpsearch@mit.edu) or letter (Room 3-208).” All correspondence received will be treated as confidential.
