NASHVILLE – Online, nonprofit, accredited Western Governors University (WGU) has appointed Brandon Zollner of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as a regional director for Advancement for the Southeast, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
“WGU is dedicated to helping students pursue their professional dreams by breaking down barriers of cost, which is why recruiting and maintaining relationships with donors is so important,” said Kim Estep, Ph.D., regional vice president for the Southeast. “Brandon’s background and experience will help drive these efforts as we continue to work toward expanding access to high-quality, affordable higher education for working adults across the Southeast.”
In the role, Zollner will develop and manage donor relationships, helping individuals and organizational donors fulfill their interests and support of WGU students through investments such as scholarship support and financial aid.
Zollner comes to WGU with over 15 years of experience in corporate, alumni, and foundation relations for universities. Most recently, he spent eight years working with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as the executive director of alumni relations. In this position, Zollner led a team in creating, coordinating, and guiding the university’s relationship-building efforts with its highest-level donors and prospective donors with the objective of increasing their engagement and support of the university in the near and long terms.
Zollner holds a B.S. degree in meteorology and an MBA from Saint Louis University. He is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, serving on the corporate and foundation relations committee and presenting at four annual national conferences. In the past, he has also been a member of and served as a committee chair for several committees in the Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officers.
