New advancement VP named
April 14, 2010

William “Will” Jones has been named vice president for advancement at LaGrange College by President Dan McAlexander.

Jones most recently was vice president for institutional advancement at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va., following three years as a vice president for institutional advancement at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind. He will begin his new job at LaGrange on April 19.

“Will brings a great deal of enthusiasm and experience to this position,” Dr. McAlexander said. “He has a proven record of elevating the visibility and expanding the mission of an institution through his innovative fundraising and advancement skills.

“We are pleased to have him join us to complete our leadership team.”

At Goshen College, Jones oversaw development, marketing and communications, alumni, the music center and church and parent relations. His team increased the annual fund by 25 percent over three years; set record alumni, faculty and staff, student and board of directors’ participation in giving; and solicited many major gifts while raising nearly $27 million.

Prior to his Goshen post, he headed up the Berea Fund at Berea (Ky.) College. During his tenure, the development team exceeded the overall dollar goal for the fund, set records for alumni giving, increased alumni participation, set records for young alumni participation and redesigned the college’s donor acquisition communications pieces.

“I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to participate in the work of LaGrange College,” Jones said. “It’s exciting to be a part of this incredible institution as it begins a new era with Dr. McAlexander.”

Jones also has experience in branding and marketing, communications and media relations. At Goshen College, he chaired the integrated marketing committee, bringing together the enrollment, development and public relations departments’ marketing efforts.

While serving as the managing director and national coordinator of Call to Renewal – a national faith-based movement to overcome poverty and racism – Jones coordinated 24,000 individual members, 2,000 local partner organizations and more than a dozen national partners (denominations and organizations). As managing director, he led efforts that reorganized and refocused CTR’s work.

In 1996, Jones was selected as a Southern Community Partner by the Lyndhurst Foundation and honored as one of seven individuals from nine Southern states to receive this fellowship. In 2000 he was named as one of "40 Leaders for the New Century" by the Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader. But according to Jones, one of his greatest honors came when Berea College, his alma mater, named him as the Outstanding Young Alum in 2003.

He has a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Berea College and will complete a master’s degree in philanthropy and development this year from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Jones is married to Amy Jones and they have six children.

The college’s top advancement post was previously held by Dr. David Rowe, who left the institution in 2009 to assume the presidency of Centenary College in Shreveport, La.