Virginia Tech Advancement Division enhances principal gifts team

Robert Jackson, who played on the defensive line for Virginia Tech football team in the early-to-mid-1980s before launching an administrative and fundraising career in higher education and medicine, will return to Blacksburg to lead the Advancement Division’s growing principal gifts team.

The team, which focuses on securing transformative, multimillion dollar gifts from alumni and friends of the university, will also add Lori Brookins, who previously served as a senior principal gifts officer at the University of Virginia and a senior major gifts officer at Harvard Business School.

Jackson starts Feb. 1 as Virginia Tech’s associate vice president for principal gifts. He most recently served as assistant vice president of development for principal gifts at Penn State, where he managed the principal gifts, strategic initiatives, and foundation relations teams. With him in that role, those teams raised over $100 million for a variety of Penn State programs including engineering; athletics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the art gallery and library.

Brookins starts Feb. 8 as a senior principal gifts officer. As a senior principal gifts officer at the University of Virginia, she closed approximately $20 million in gifts since 2018 in support of that institution’s presidential strategic plan. Previously, in her role as a senior major gifts officer for the Harvard Business School, Brookins closed over $60 million in gifts toward the school’s top priorities.

Jackson and Brookins arrive as the university is engaged in Boundless Impact, a $1.872 billion fundraising campaign that runs through 2027. Advancement also has a goal to raise $500 million over the next 10 years in support of Virginia Tech Advantage, a commitment to offer a broad educational experience to undergraduate students from Virginia who have financial need.

Fundraising, particularly for research, teaching, and engagement, is also a crucial component of Virginia Tech Global Distinction, a broad push to elevate the university’s worldwide impact and standing.

“Rob has an impressive record of leading teams and closing transformative gifts for major institutions in higher-education and medicine, and we’re very happy to welcome him back to Virginia Tech,” said Charlie Phlegar, the university’s senior vice president for advancement. “The Principal Gifts team, which Rob will manage, is a critical driver of our work to increase the level of support that our alumni, partners, and friends provide for scholarships, discoveries, outreach, and engagement all across the university. We rely on this team to engage alumni and friends to transform our university for the better. Rob and Lori joining our Principal Gifts team is great news for Virginia Tech.”

Jackson’s 17-year fundraising career also includes serving as a director of principal gifts for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and as senior associate director of major gifts at Yale. Jackson helped direct admissions, first at Wake Forest then at Yale, for over a decade before transitioning to fundraising in 2007. Before working in admissions, Jackson attended graduate school at Wake Forest and studied presidential debates while serving as a graduate assistant coach of tight ends and wide receivers. At Yale, he served as associate dean of undergraduate admissions and director of multicultural recruitment, before shifting to become a fundraiser.

Jackson said he was excited to return to Virginia Tech for many reasons, personal and professional.

“As a student at Virginia Tech I benefitted from the generosity of alumni and friends to athletics, which helped make it possible for me to receive an education and have a fulfilling career,” Jackson said. “I enjoy fundraising because I like connecting with people and I am intellectually curious, so helping interdisciplinary organizations like Virginia Tech is very exciting. Virginia Tech has impressive leadership in President Tim Sands, has passionate alumni, and like Penn State and Yale has extraordinary breadth and depth academically. It’s also in a state that is pro-business and recognizes the importance of the university’s growth. I see this as an ideal situation and look forward to getting started.”

Richard Foster is a highly engaged Yale alumnus and a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Board of Directors who has known Jackson for decades.

“He has the highest human qualities,” Foster said of Jackson. “He’s smart, he’s kind, he’s empathetic, and he’s great at listening. He knows how to explore ideas, and he’s curious. Ultimately, he’s everything you like to have in talking to someone, both interested in what you are doing and interesting himself.”

Brookins, who is an alumna of Clemson and the University of Iowa, said she was excited to join Virginia Tech after meeting Advancement Division leaders and learning more about the university’s overall position within higher education.

“I feel like this position offers significant positive opportunities,” Brookins said. “A good portion of the alumni base is coming into the life stage where they have achieved financially and are in a position to give back. Not only that, but Virginia Tech is focused on educating students in some of the most important industries that will be having the greatest impact on the world in years to come. Virginia Tech alums will be the leaders of the future. I am confident we are well positioned for success.”

In his new role, Jackson will serve on the Advancement Division senior leadership team and report to Senior Associate Vice President for Advancement Monecia Taylor. Brookins will report to Jackson.

“Rob and Lori have extensive experience working with principal donors and a tremendous enthusiasm for what they do,” Taylor said. “I was immediately struck by what inspiring people they are to be around. I’m confident that our colleagues and donors will enjoy working with them to help Virginia Tech reach new heights.”