Gamer will oversee fundraisers and alumni relations
UCSD announced this week that it has officially appointed Steve Gamer as the new vice chancellor-advancement. Gamer, a long-time development director at UCLA, will be responsible for overseeing campus fundraisers and maintaining relations with UCSD alumni starting Jan. 13.
“We are pleased to welcome Steve Gamer as the newest member of our campus leadership team. Steve will bring experience and insight into the importance of private support for public universities,” Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said in a Jan. 6 UCSD News Center press release. “Faced with continued state and federal budget cuts, UC San Diego and our sister campuses are becoming increasingly reliant on philanthropy to achieve our mission.”
Gamer comes to UCSD after working in the UCLA development department since 2002. He served as the director of development and external affairs for the International Institute until 2006. He later became the executive director for campuswide initiatives and individual giving. Gamer was also appointed as executive director of The UCLA Foundation in 2009, spearheading multiple development projects.
Gamer oversaw philanthropic efforts on the UCLA campus itself and on various establishments like the Broad Stem Cell Institute and California NanoSystems Institute. The news release noted that Gamer gave “special focus on donor relations and stewardship, scholarship fundraising, online giving and championing the conversion of a database gift accounting system to a constituent relationship management system.”
Under his leadership, UCLA received over $400 million from donors in the 2011 to 2012 fiscal year, as stated in UCLA Today. Gamer also worked in the highly successful Campaign UCLA, which raised over $3 billion 1995
Along with his position as associate chancellor-advancement, Gamer will also serve as president of the UCSD Foundation.
“I am excited to join UC San Diego to partner with the academic leadership, alumni, friends and staff as we work together to enhance philanthropy at this amazing campus,” Gamer said in the UCSD news release. “I look forward to helping UC San Diego — one of the top 15 research universities in the world — secure the funding needed to continue its excellence in all areas, from the sciences to engineering, international relations to the humanities.”
UCSD was able to raise $150 million from private donors in fiscal year 2012-2013. Gamer says he will strive to increase this economic support in 2014 and beyond.
