New VP of Institutional Advancement Hired

COMMERCE, Texas — Texas A&M University-Commerce recently announced that Randy Van Deven will join the university this summer as the new vice president of institutional advancement.

“All of us at A&M-Commerce are thrilled that Randy Van Deven will be joining us,” said Dr. Dan Jones, A&M-Commerce president. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in institutional advancement to our president, and shares our passion for transforming lives through education. We welcome him to our university and our community.”

As vice president of institutional advancement, Van Deven will oversee alumni relations, university advancement, and marketing communications. First on Van Deven’s work agenda, however, will be immersing himself within the Commerce community and building relationships with the faculty, staff, students, and alumni that make up the university’s rich heritage.

“Building personal relationships will be the key to our success,” he said. “It is my hope that the campus will embrace our development efforts, and that we can instill a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to continually improve the quality of life in Commerce and the surrounding areas.”

A professional engineer, Van Deven comes to A&M-Commerce with nine years of fundraising experience at Tennessee Technological University where he recently secured a $1 million gift for the university as the director of major gifts.

“It is a great honor to be selected for this integral role at A&M-Commerce,” Van Deven said. “I join Dr. Jones in his effort to make A&M-Commerce the ‘college of choice,’ while providing the best educational experience for our students, and I look forward to doing so alongside the high-caliber faculty, staff, and students of A&M-Commerce.”