George Washington University President Steven Knapp announced Feb. 17 the selection of Michael J. Morsberger as the university’s vice president for development and alumni relations. He will lead GW’s fundraising and alumni relations teams and will set goals and priorities for fundraising. Mr. Morsberger most recently served as vice president for Duke Medicine development and alumni affairs and has more than 23 years of leadership experience in the industry.
“Mike Morsberger brings to this position a breadth of experience from top-tier institutions,” says Dr. Knapp. “I look forward to working with him to raise the resources George Washington needs to achieve our aspirations.”
While at Duke Medicine, Mr. Morsberger led fundraising and alumni relations activities for Duke University Health System and the academic and research efforts associated with the medical and nursing schools. Previously, he served as associate vice president of development and executive director at the University of Virginia, where he was instrumental in planning the health system’s $500 million campaign and served as a senior member of the university’s development team in launching the largest fundraising endeavor ($3 billion) at a public university in the United States.
Prior to his work at the University of Virginia, he spent nine years at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, where he oversaw advancement for the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Mr. Morsberger was involved in the largest single gift in Johns Hopkins’ history, when philanthropist Sidney Kimmel committed $150 million to name the center in 2001.
“I am honored to be joining George Washington University at this very pivotal time,” says Mr. Morsberger. “I look forward to joining Dr. Knapp, the Board of Trustees, the university’s senior leadership team and deans and working with the development and alumni relations team. Meaningful alumni engagement and true philanthropic partnership will be hallmarks of the program we are building here at GW.”
Mr. Morsberger holds a bachelor’s in journalism from Radford University and a master’s in philanthropy and development from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. In addition to his work at the University of Virginia and Johns Hopkins, he has worked in development at Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital Foundation, Calvert Hall College Preparatory School and the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
In his free time, Mr. Morsberger enjoys playing golf, taking long walks with his dogs and attending his two daughters’ lacrosse games.