Brian Plum named College of Agriculture and Life Sciences assistant director of development for leadership gifts

Brian Plum has joined the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as assistant director of development for leadership gifts.

Plum’s responsibilities include fundraising for the college’s leadership gifts program through identifying, cultivating, and soliciting individual donors to the college and Virginia Cooperative Extension. He will travel throughout the region in order to build and strengthen relationships with new and existing donors, and will collaborate with other fundraisers on major gift asks.

“The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is fortunate to have Brian on board,” said Vernon Meacham, the college’s director of development. “Securing annual current-use support for our college’s highest priorities is a critical need, and Brian brings the skills and enthusiasm to be successful in that area.”

Plum brings more than 10 years in related experience to Virginia Tech. He was a community organizer with Together Colorado, where he created a regional recruitment effort that drew in 15,000 new members. Prior to that, he raised a budget of over $140,000 as lead organizer of the Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by Congregations Together, commonly known as IMPACT, in Charlottesville.

Plum also has extensive knowledge of agriculture and life sciences. During a recent two-year sabbatical, he visited 28 countries, expanding his understanding of the importance of environmental stewardship. Over the course of that sabbatical, Plum worked as an English as a Second Language teacher in China, Guatemala, and Laos, and was the volunteer coordinator for a medical mission in Guatemala.

Plum is a recent graduate of Georgetown University’s TEFL certificate program. Originally from King George, Virginia, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Longwood University in 1998 and a master’s degree from George Mason University in 2004.

 “I look forward to being part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Virginia Cooperative Extension,” Plum said. “Their dedication to improving the quality of life for their stakeholders align closely with what I have done throughout my career. I am excited about the opportunity to help expand their important work across the region and the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Written by Rich Polikoff