April 21, 2003

Maryland Administrator Named To Head Foundation

John K. Martin, vice chancellor for advancement at the University System of Maryland, has been chosen as the next president and chief executive officer of The University of Connecticut Foundation Inc. He was appointed after a nationwide search.

The Foundation, the University's primary fund-raising vehicle, solicits and administers private gifts and grants on behalf of the University.

Martin will assume his new duties in mid-July. He replaces Edward T. Allenby, who resigned last summer as president of the Foundation to assume the chief fund-raising duties at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

"John Martin brings more than 30 years of extensive experience in managing complex university operations, including fund raising, government relations, communications, marketing, and volunteer programs," said University President Philip E. Austin. "His talents will be a tremendous asset, as the UConn Foundation builds on an extraordinary record of accomplishment over the past decade. I look forward to working with him as we continue the momentum of our fund-raising program and successfully complete the $300 million Campaign UConn in June of 2004."

Martin, a Connecticut native, earned his bachelor of science degree in business administration and his MBA from the University of Bridgeport, where he also began his fund-raising career as associate director of development in 1967. Over the next 20 years, Martin rose through the ranks, ultimately achieving the position of vice president for university relations.

He joined the University System of Maryland Foundation Inc. in 1987, as campaign executive director and executive vice president. In both capacities, he was responsible for designing and managing the first-ever comprehensive capital campaign - a $200 million effort - for the University of Maryland System.

Since 1990, Martin has served as vice chancellor for advancement and president and chief executive officer of the University of Maryland Foundation. Most recently he organized and managed the $700 million Campaign for Maryland, which raised $903 million and exceeded its goal of doubling the university's endowment.

"I couldn't be more pleased and excited about joining the UConn Foundation team and returning home to Connecticut," said Martin. "The Foundation has done an incredible job in recent years, and I look forward to working with my new friends and colleagues to build on that tradition of success."

Denis McCarthy, chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors, who chaired the search committee, said, "The Foundation's - and UConn's - growing reputation attracted a field of incredibly strong candidates for this position. John's breadth and depth of experience, coupled with his leadership and interpersonal skills, made him an outstanding choice. He is the right person, at the right time, to take the Foundation to the next level."

Martin serves on the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) - the professional organization for development officers and others working in university advancement - as a member of its Board of Trustees. He chairs the finance committee, and is a member of the investment, leadership, and marketing committees. In 2002, he received the CASE/Common Fund Award for Foundation Leadership for foundations with assets greater than $100 million.

He also is active in many university-related and civic organizations.