The KSU Foundation is pleased to announce the promotion of Eric Holderness to vice president of development, where he will oversee the organization’s fundraising strategies, programs and staff.
Holderness joined the foundation in 2013 after five years of advancing the Ahearn Fund with K-State Athletics. As a development officer for the College of Arts and Sciences, he helped the team achieve three straight years of record fundraising success before rising to director of development for the college.
Holderness also served the foundation by leading a team of fundraisers for the College of Veterinary Medicine, whose work with Hill’s Pet Nutrition culminated in the largest corporate gift in the college’s history and construction of the Hill’s Pet Health and Nutrition Center. Most recently, he represented the organization as senior associate vice president of development.
“Throughout his 12-plus years serving the KSU Foundation, Eric has displayed an exceptional work ethic, skill set, and capacity for strategy and innovation in addition to his leadership qualities,” said Greg Willems, KSUF president and CEO. “The ability to conceptualize evolution at a sophisticated university fundraising enterprise and execute its implementation is imperative to serve in this new capacity, and Eric has demonstrated this capability repeatedly.”
Holderness received a bachelor’s degree in advertising in 2009 and a master’s in college student personnel in 2011, both from Kansas State University. He achieved the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) certification in 2015.
To date, he has completed more than 900 personal donor visits and raised more than $40 million for Kansas State University. Along with his wife Megan and their beloved dog, Rona, Eric welcomed daughter Zoey in March.
“Serving in this role at this incredible organization, which advances the mission of my beloved alma mater, is an honor,” Holderness said. “This is a dream realized, and I am fully committed to supporting the entire KSU Foundation team in ways that celebrate their past success and their continued dedication to boldly advancing K-State.”
As Kansas State University’s strategic partner for philanthropy, the KSU Foundation inspires and guides philanthropy toward university priorities to boldly advance K-State.
