By Jim Keogh, M.S.P.C. ’15
Advancing Clark
“I loved every minute of it,” Gillooly recalls. “You not only directly effect change for an institution by helping raise the funds to support it, but you also are able to connect individuals to their dreams, their legacies and their passions so they truly know they are making a difference.” Roger Williams experienced remarkable growth during Gillooly’s time there, expanding programming at its law school, building a school of architecture and investing in its aquaculture program, which has helped to successfully reintroduce oysters to Rhode Island’s Mount Hope Bay. “We connected the local fishermen with an academic endeavor they never thought they’d be a part of. It was a great experience,” he says. The Gillooly family — Jeff, Joanne, son Jack, 18, daughter Reagan, 14, and son Danny, 12 — have relocated from the Rochester area to Shrewsbury, Mass., where Jeff continues to root for the Red Sox. Yes, continues. Gillooly is quick to note that the Red Sox Triple A team was located in his hometown of Louisville before it was moved to Pawtucket, R.I., and he grew up a fan of the Sox, even when it was unfashionable to be one (particularly in 1975, when his family and neighbors were cheering on the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series). Gillooly has been meeting with Clark faculty, trustees, alumni and administrators to learn and understand the Clark culture and listen to their thoughts about the University. He says he’s deeply impressed with the level of professionalism and shared vision for Clark — “where it is today and where it can be in the future.” “There’s a fervent dedication to Clark University that’s very heartening for an advancement professional. That passion is what you’re looking for,” he says. “People are willing to speak up with their opinions about the institution. I like the fact that you don’t have to guess what people are thinking — it helps me as we strengthen the advancement organization, because we know where to focus for the future.” Expanding the resource base will require collaboration among all the University’s stakeholders, inspired by that Clark fervency. “It’s going to take everyone — faculty, alumni, parents, friends — to build the type of advancement organization that Clark deserves,” he says. “Having those partnerships is incredibly important for our ultimate success.”
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eff Gillooly is new to Clark University, but not to a challenge. Which makes him the perfect fit. Gillooly arrived on campus in June as the vice president for university advancement, eager to lead fundraising efforts that support Clark’s academic and capital initiatives, deepen and broaden areas of engagement for alumni, families and friends, and further the culture of philanthropy across the University. “I consider it an unbelievable opportunity to come into an outstanding university and help to build a strong, sustainable and consistent advancement organization that Clark needs, not only for today, but for its long-term future,” Gillooly says. Gillooly comes to Clark from the University of Rochester, where since 2006 he served as assistant vice president for presidential advancement and university volunteer management. In this position he helped build the architecture of the university’s $1.2 billion campaign, called the Meliora Challenge, while simultaneously assisting with restructuring the entire advancement organization to support the endeavor. He also coordinated advancement volunteer engagement across all schools and units, including the university’s hospitals, medical center, and School of Medicine and Dentistry. Gillooly is no stranger to Worcester — far from it. His wife Joanne’s parents were born and raised in the city, and much of her extended family still lives here. “Our entire life together has involved at least some time each year visiting Worcester,” he says. “We’re very familiar with the area and had always hoped to eventually get back to New England.” A native of Louisville, Ky., Gillooly earned an English degree at Dartmouth College and a master’s in higher education administration at Vanderbilt University. He worked as a paralegal in Boston for several years before moving into higher ed as director of student activities at Middlebury College and then as associate dean of students at Newbury College in Boston. The latter position was particularly challenging because Newbury was transitioning from a two-year community college to a four-year baccalaureate, which meant Gillooly had to develop a full-fledged student affairs program from scratch. He moved on to become chief of staff for the president of Roger Williams University, where he found his calling as a fundraiser during two stints as interim vice president for advancement.
fall 2015
Building Clark resources is ‘going to take everyone’