UC names next UC Foundation president and VP of advancement
UC President Neville Pinto and UC Foundation Chair Leigh Fox announce O. Richard Bundy, III
The University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees and UC Foundation Executive Committee voted today to appoint O. Richard Bundy, III as the next president of the University of Cincinnati Foundation and vice president of advancement at UC.
Bundy, who served as vice president for development and alumni relations at Pennsylvania State University for six years, emerged as the top candidate following a nationwide search. UC Foundation Board Chair Leigh Fox led the search that landed the leader and said it was Bundy’s knowledge of the industry and thoughtful demeanor that set him apart.
O. Richard Bundy, III appointed as next President of UC Foundation and UC Vice President of Advancement
“He has led large organizations from startup phase to working through major university issues,” said Fox, who is president and CEO of altafiber. “He also understands the important role that an urban university will play in shaping the lives of the future leaders of this country.”
UC President Neville Pinto said Bundy’s commitment to the core values of American public higher education align with UC’s “Next Lives Here” strategic direction, which has a vision to be leading urban public universities into a new era of innovation and impact.
“Rich’s exceptional experience, his unmatched leadership qualities and his passion for relationship building are truly impressive,” said President Pinto. “He is a careful listener who believes deeply in the power of education to transform lives.”
Rich’s exceptional experience, his unmatched leadership qualities and his passion for relationship building are truly impressive. He is a careful listener who believes deeply in the power of education to transform lives.”
UC President Neville G. Pinto
Bundy oversaw the successful completion of Penn State’s largest-ever comprehensive campaign in 2022, raising $2.2 billion. He also directed an advancement team of nearly 600 employees located on 24 campuses, fundraising for 13 academic colleges along with Penn State Health, intercollegiate athletics and the Penn State Alumni Association.
“The University of Cincinnati is clearly an institution on the rise,” said Bundy. “I heard a very clear message in all my conversations with UC and UC Health leaders that there is a deep and sincere commitment to the role philanthropy and alumni engagement can play in continuing the current trajectory of success and impact.
“This is a great time to be joining the UC community for a multitude of reasons that, collectively, make this an exceptionally exciting opportunity. I look forward to how the UC Foundation can contribute to continuing the very important work around access, affordability and student success through alumni engagement and philanthropy.”
President Pinto said growing the endowment is vital to UC’s success and will allow the university to continue on a path that has seen years of escalating student success and enrollment growth paired with significant advances in both research and innovation.
UC President Neville G. Pinto
Fox echoed President Pinto’s excitement for the future.
"We are positioned to take philanthropy to the next level,” said Fox. “Just as the ‘Next Lives Here’ strategy has propelled the university on multiple fronts, now philanthropy is poised to match those strides."
Bundy said he sees “Next Lives Here” as a terrific expression of the forward thinking that has driven UC's recent success.
“The core elements of the strategic direction — academic excellence, urban impact and innovation agenda — are precisely what modern urban public universities should be focused on,” said Bundy. “And they underscore UC's commitment to changing the lives of its students, its community and the world we live in.”
We are positioned to take philanthropy to the next level. Just as the ‘Next Lives Here’ strategy has propelled the university on multiple fronts, now philanthropy is poised to match those strides.
UC Foundation Chairman Leigh Fox
During his 30-year career in higher-ed philanthropy, Bundy has also served as president of the University of Vermont Foundation and vice president for development at the Iowa State University Foundation — roles that followed staff positions at Michigan State and his alma mater Penn State, where he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history. Bundy completed his MBA while at Michigan State and later the management development program at Harvard’s Institute for Higher Education.
In June, UC will officially close its own comprehensive campaign — Next Now: The Campaign for Cincinnati — which surpassed its $2 billion milestone in September.
UC Foundation Chairman Leigh Fox
Pinto and Fox both acknowledged and thanked Peter Landgren for his leadership of the UC Foundation since 2017 and particularly since the launch of the public phase of the Next Now campaign at the end of UC’s bicentennial year in 2019.
"Peter did a wonderful job stabilizing the UC Foundation and starting the process of growth around philanthropy for UC and UC Health,” said Fox.” It’s that leadership that has given us the opportunity to transition to this next exciting phase.”
Bundy, who will begin April 10, said he intends to use the early weeks of his tenure to deepen his knowledge of UC, UC Health and the UC Foundation.
“My goal will be to ensure we take every step necessary to maintain the impressive growth trajectory of our fundraising during the campaign while simultaneously seeking out new opportunities to engage even more alumni, friends and volunteers in the life of the institution,” he said.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
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