New Vice President to Lead Institutional Advancement Announced by Wilson College

Wilson College is pleased to announce Lisa Tiffin, D.E.L., G.P.C., as the new vice president for institutional advancement. Tiffin brings more than a decade of senior-level experience in higher education advancement to this role, with a strong record of success in fundraising, government relations, corporate and foundation partnerships, and organizational leadership. She joins Wilson College after serving as assistant vice president of government, corporate and foundation relations at Champlain College, where she led transformational growth in external funding.

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In five years at Champlain, Tiffin increased institutional funding from $1 million annually to more than $34 million and helped secure the college’s largest award in public funding appropriations to date of $12 million. She built and led a high-performing advancement unit, expanded corporate and government partnerships, and supported capital projects, endowed scholarships, and faculty programs across the institution.

With the assistance of Academic Search, an executive recruitment firm specializing in higher education leadership roles, Wilson conducted an exhaustive national search for this important position. “Lisa brings the experience, vision, and collaborative leadership Wilson College needs at this pivotal moment,” said Wesley R. Fugate, Ph.D., president of Wilson College. “Her proven ability to build relationships, secure transformative resources, and align fundraising strategy with institutional mission will be invaluable as we advance Wilson’s priorities and ensure long-term sustainability.”

Prior to Champlain, Tiffin was recruited to build the grants program at Roberts Wesleyan University and Northeastern Seminary, where she spent seven years leading grant development and advancement initiatives. During her tenure, she secured nearly 70 percent of submitted grants, supported a $42 million comprehensive campaign, and played a key role in securing the institution’s largest gift of $7.5 million for a Community Engagement Center.

“I am extremely honored to join Wilson College,” Tiffin said. “The work of small colleges like Wilson includes ensuring a lasting legacy of an educational institution where students find community and a pathway to both career and impact in their future communities. I am so excited to join such a vibrant community of learners and look forward to meeting the supporters who make the vision of Wilson a reality.”

Tiffin holds a doctorate of executive leadership from the University of Charleston, West Virginia, where her research focused on risk mindset and positive turnaround in higher education. She also earned a master’s degree in American literature from the State University of New York at Brockport and a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education from Roberts Wesleyan College. She is Grant Professionals Certified and remains active in national higher education and fundraising organizations.