Henry W. Taylor Joins Golden Gate University as Vice President for University Advancement
He will lead development, alumni relations, and marketing.
Golden Gate University is pleased to announce that Henry W. Taylor has joined the institution as Vice President for University Advancement (VPUA). He started full-time on Monday, October 25th.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Henry to GGU,” said President David J. Fike. “From the very beginning, Henry impressed us with his energy, creative thinking, and strong professional background in higher education advancement and fundraising, specifically—all traits that are critical to the vitality of the university.”
Development, alumni relations, and marketing are foundational to GGU successfully serving students, and the VPUA has an expansive role. Reporting to the president, the VPUA oversees the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing, and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.
The primary responsibilities of university advancement include creating an entrepreneurial and sustainable culture of philanthropy; offering guidance and support on all matters related to fundraising, alumni engagement, and marketing; and strategically advising and supporting the president and the Board of Trustees on efforts to advance GGU’s reputation, position, and resources.
“We have extraordinarily impressive alumni, to whom we offer robust opportunities for philanthropic support and other vital types of engagement. In addition, we are in the midst of an important rebranding initiative, aimed at enhancing and broadening awareness of the GGU story,” Fike said. “I am confident that Henry is the ideal person to help lead those important efforts.”
“I am honored to be joining GGU and to lead the efforts to advance the university,” Taylor said. “GGU is an innovative leader in higher education with an impressive 120-year track record of preparing adults for meaningful careers across key professional fields.”
He added: “My focus will be to leverage our institutional strengths to increase the interest, involvement, and investment in our mission and impact. That focus has been my passion built on more than 25 years of experience in advancement, and I am excited to get going.”
Mr. Taylor most recently served as Senior Director of Development at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA. He managed the office of development, which includes annual giving, corporate & foundation relations, donor relations, leadership and legacy giving, as well as research and prospect management.
Under his leadership at Agnes Scott, more than $34.2M was raised during FY20 and FY21, despite the COVID pandemic. The college saw a 62-percent increase in money raised from FY19 to FY20, totaling a record-breaking $21.1 million. For FY21, the $13.1M fundraising total included its highest annual giving total in college history for The Fund for Agnes Scott of $2.96M. Prior to Agnes Scott, Mr. Taylor served as vice president for institutional advancement at Clark Atlanta University, where he was tasked with rebuilding the advancement function.
In total, his advancement career spans more than 25 years and includes work at Agnes Scott, Georgia State University, Princeton, Stanford, Clark Atlanta, as well as the KIPP Foundation and Level Playing Field Institute. Mr. Taylor has successfully solicited more than $40 million personally and has led advancement teams responsible for securing over $120 million throughout his career. He received a bachelor’s degree in government and religion from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s degree in leadership at St. Mary’s College in Moraga.
Mr. Taylor grew up in Berkeley and has personal and professional experience in the greater Bay Area, living and working here for many years.
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Golden Gate University, a private nonprofit university, has been helping adults achieve their professional goals by providing undergraduate and graduate education in accounting, law, taxation, business and related areas since 1901. Programs offer maximum flexibility with evening, weekend and online options. GGU is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
