Date: 01/18/2011

After 21 years of superb leadership, Vice President for University Advancement Fred Najjar has announced his retirement. Previous to heading the university's fundraising, alumni relations and public affairs teams, Najjar served in leadership roles in our housing and student affairs offices.

"Fred has had tremendous success with University Advancement and the Tower Foundation in making the case for SJSU and inspiring so many alumni and friends to invest in our mission," said Interim President Don W. Kassing. "The preparation and launch of our first comprehensive fundraising campaign, Acceleration, have positioned the university to shape a truly exciting future. Among many record-breaking highlights, Fred and his team tripled fundraising over the last four years and secured two multi-million college-naming gifts in a single year."

In March, Najjar will join the executive team of Catholic Healthcare West as the vice president of philanthropy. Headquartered in San Francisco, Catholic Healthcare West delivers health services to diverse communities across Arizona, California and Nevada. Interim President Kassing has appointed Associate Vice President for Advancement Operations and Tower Foundation Chief Operating Officer Nancy Bussani to serve as interim vice president for university advancement.

"I am confident Nancy will continue the wonderful work underway with the Advancement Division, the Tower Foundation and our Alumni Association," Kassing said.

Learn more about Acceleration, our comprehensive fundraising campaign.
http://campaign.sjsu.edu/