McGowan named assistant vice president for strategic donor engagement at Princeton

By Erika Knudson, Office of Development Communications on Jan. 25, 2016, 1 p.m.
Tim McGowan

Tim McGowan

Photo by Kevin Birch

Tim McGowan, who comes to Princeton University from Columbia University with more than 25 years of experience on Madison Avenue, has been named assistant vice president for strategic donor engagement in Princeton's Office of Development. His appointment was effective Jan. 18. 

McGowan will serve on the senior leadership team as chief strategic communications and donor engagement officer, overseeing development marketing and communications, development events, and donor relations.

"I am thrilled that Tim will lead our strategic donor engagement program, and am confident that his leadership will significantly advance our fundraising and stewardship mission," said Kevin Heaney, deputy vice president for development. "Tim brings an ideal combination of experience in marketing and higher education to grow Princeton's long tradition of deeply engaged alumni and donors."

For the past four years, McGowan has served as deputy vice president for alumni and development marketing and communications at Columbia, where he created and led a strategic agency model to support the university's alumni relations and development marketing and communications. He also served as publisher of "Columbia Magazine," the university's quarterly print, digital and mobile alumni publication. 

"Princeton University is at the pinnacle of higher-education brands, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with its distinguished development staff and committed volunteers and donors," McGowan said. 

Prior to Columbia, McGowan worked for more than 31 years in top marketing and advertising agencies — 26 of those on Madison Avenue for the Young & Rubicam Group of agencies: Burson-Marsteller, BrandBuzz, The Lord Group, and Y&R Advertising. His clients included some of the world's leading brands, such as AT&T, Du Pont, Kodak, IBM, LG, Major League Baseball and Xerox. In addition, he was a founding partner of Y&R.Edu, aimed at the higher-education market.

McGowan has a bachelor's degree in journalism and public relations from Utica College.

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