McDonald selected as new vice president for development

	Brian McDonald '83

Princeton NJ -- Brian McDonald, a member of the class of 1983 and the current volunteer chair of Princeton's National Annual Giving Committee, has been named the University's next vice president for development, effective Feb. 1, 2002.

He succeeds Van Zandt Williams Jr., of the class of 1965, who is retiring after holding the position for the last 22 years. The vice president for development is the University's chief fund-raising officer and is responsible for leadership and direction of all of its private sector fund raising.

McDonald's appointment was recommended by President Tilghman and approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees at its Dec. 14 meeting. "Throughout his professional career and as one of Princeton's most extraordinary and effective volunteers, Brian has demonstrated an exceptional ability to plan, to organize, to motivate, to communicate and to carry out complex and challenging tasks," Tilghman said. "There is no one of his generation who has made a greater or more wide-ranging commitment to Princeton, and we are delighted that he has agreed to become our new vice president for development. Brian inherits from Van Williams a talented staff and a dedicated corps of alumni volunteers; I look forward to working with Brian as he builds on these strengths and prepares to meet new needs and challenges in the years ahead."

McDonald, who originally entered Princeton with the class of 1982, majored in history as an undergraduate, served as class president and as a member of the Honor Committee, and was a varsity swimmer and treasurer of Ivy Club. Upon graduation he joined Kidder Peabody & Co. as an analyst in its public finance department. Two years later he moved to The First Boston Corp. as an associate. He wrote a strategic plan that was viewed as a definitive analysis of the municipal securities industry; directed most administrative and operational activities in the firm's 135-member public finance department; coordinated its 26-member analyst program; and conducted financial, political and legislative analysis for the firm's public sector clients.

In 1987 McDonald left the field of finance to become co-founder, co-owner, chairman and treasurer of the New York City restaurant "Trixies." In 1989 he made another career change, becoming founder, president and owner of The McDonald Group, which managed and produced several New York City-based songwriters, musicians and bands and provided management and consulting services to visual artists. Five years later he relocated to Princeton to become a full-time sculptor and co-founded Red Wheelbarrow, a company that designs and fabricates sculptural objects and functional art.

"I have had the unusual opportunity in my life to experience first-hand a variety of professional fields," McDonald said, "but there has been one consistent theme in everything I have done, and that is volunteering for Princeton. I am very pleased and honored to have this opportunity to convert my lifelong avocation into my full-time job, and to devote all of my time and energies to ensuring that Princeton continues to attract the resources it will need to preserve its distinctive characteristics and strengthen its position of leadership in teaching, research and service to others."

McDonald's volunteer service to Princeton is legendary. He has served his class as president and as special gifts chair for its 10th and 15th reunions. As a fund-raising volunteer, he chaired the Challenge 2000 Committee that encouraged participation in the 250th Anniversary Campaign by members of the youngest alumni classes. He also has served as a member of the Development Leadership Council and the Princeton Region Leadership Gifts Committee, and he served on the National Annual Giving Committee for six years before becoming its chair a year and a half ago.

McDonald also has been a member of the Alumni Council Executive Committee and the advisory council for the University's Center for Human Values. He has been vice president of the Friends of Princeton Swimming and Diving, president of the 1879 Foundation at Ivy Club and a trustee of the Princeton Prospect Foundation.

For his exemplary volunteer work, he was selected in 1998 as the first recipient of the Class of 1983 Service Award and was presented with the Alumni Council Award for Service to Princeton in 1999.

McDonald lives in Princeton with his wife, Leah, and two children.

As vice president for development, McDonald will oversee the offices of annual giving, leadership gifts, principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations, development relations, development communications, development information systems and the recording secretary. He also will serve as secretary of the Trustee Committee on University Resources, as an officer of the University and as a member of the president's cabinet.