Senior Vice President for Advancement Brian Lee will leave Tufts at the end of next month to assume his new position as vice president for development and institute relations at the California Institute of Technology.
Since 2002, Lee has been responsible for fundraising, alumni relations, and advancement communications and services for the entire university.
University President Anthony Monaco announced last month that he has appointed Executive Director of Development Eric Johnson as acting vice president for university Advancement beginning in March.
Lee's position at Caltech is effective April 1.
"The invitation to lead and shape the advancement operation of an institution such as Caltech represents a truly extraordinary professional opportunity," Lee told his Tufts colleagues in an email.
Among Lee's contributions to the university was his leadership of Beyond Boundaries: The Campaign for Tufts, a university fundraising campaign that concluded last June after reaching its goal of $1.2 billion. Despite a challenging economic period, the campaign was the largest fundraising effort in university history.
Lee was also responsible for leading the Tufts Tomorrow campaign, which concluded in 2002 and raised $609 million for the university.
Director of Public Relations Kim Thurler said that Lee was an essential part of Tufts' financial advancement as a university.
"He built a really strong advancement organization and operation over the years," she said. "I think Tufts really expanded its capabilities over the last 15-20 years — much more professional, capable organizations than in the past."
Lee joined the university in 1986 as associate director of development at the School of Veterinary Medicine and in 1987 became the school's director of development.
He also became assistant dean for resources in 1992. In 1995, he was appointed director of development for the entire university, and in 1999 he was named vice president for development
He has held his title as senior vice president for university advancement since 2002.
According to Thurler, Lee gained valuable experience in advancement activities during his nine years at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.
"He was very instrumental in reaching goals at the [Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine], which is the only vet school in New England, so that's a real accomplishment," Thurler said.
In an email to his colleagues, Lee reflected on his twenty-five years at Tufts.
"In 1986, I first arrived at Tufts' Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to begin work as a development officer, seeking philanthropic support for the School's extraordinary programs and students, alongside the dean and faculty," he said in the email.
"Nine years passed with the blink of the eye, and I found myself in Medford/Somerville, promoting the excellence of all of Tufts' schools to our alumni, parents and friends. I had the pleasure to lead two successful campaigns, and in doing so, another sixteen years passed quickly."
He added that the move will bring him and his wife closer to family members in Pasadena, Calif., where Caltech is located.
Monaco commended Lee on his various fundraising accomplishments during his tenure on the Hill.
"For 25 years, Brian has been a tremendous asset to Tufts," Monaco wrote in an email to the Daily. "His vision was critical to the success of two capital campaigns, including the recent $1.2 billion Beyond Boundaries campaign.
"Brian and his team secured resources to support the student experience in countless ways, from financial aid to recruitment of world-class educators and researchers to new facilities on all of our campuses," he added.
Thurler said Lee's university advancement team will continue to thrive after his departure, thanks to his success in recruiting colleagues.
"[Lee's] professional and personal qualities have been a great combination," Thurler said.
"As he was building the Tufts advancement team, we were very lucky that he attracted someone like Eric Johnson, who will be acting vice president after Brian leaves. We're very fortunate we have someone like that to step into the role of acting vice president and just a deep bench of advancement talent we can call on in the future," Thurler said.
Caltech is looking forward to Lee's presence on its campus, according to a press release.
"Brian is a sought-after leader in his industry for his visionary approach, innovative thinking, thoughtful advice and masterful team-building skills; all characteristics that matched very well with our own impressions of him," Bill Davidow, chair of the Caltech Board of Trustees' development committee, said in a press release last month.
Lee said he is honored and ready to take on his new position at Caltech, but will remember Tufts as a solid foundation for his career.
"Although I am excited and energized about my new role, I will leave Tufts with a heavy heart," he told his colleagues in an email.
