Oakland, CA–July 29, 2009. Mills College proudly announces the appointment of Cynthia Brandt Stover to the position of vice president for institutional advancement, commencing October 1, 2009.

Brandt Stover will oversee the staff of the Office of Institutional Advancement. Her focus will be on the College's strategic objectives related to fundraising. Her goals include to strengthen philanthropic partnerships with alumnae/i and friends of the College; to develop and implement strategies to reach and exceed fundraising goals; to research, build, and maintain a portfolio of major prospects; and to develop solicitation and stewardship strategies for the College.

"Cynthia's deep commitment to women's education, the liberal arts, and social justice will serve her well in her new responsibilities at Mills," said Janet L. Holmgren, Mills College President. "Her extensive experience in strategic planning, individual and foundation fundraising, volunteer management, and working with faculty leaders will bring fundraising into alignment with academic planning, team building, and research."

Most recently as the associate dean for external relations at Stanford University's School of Humanities and Sciences, Brandt Stover led her team to raise $68 million in 2008, surpassing the five-year fundraising average by 50 percent. Her work has resulted in several seven- and eight-figure solicitations for the arts, international studies, science, and undergraduate programs at Stanford.

"My interest in philanthropy was shaped in part by my own experience," said Brandt Stover. "As a student I always had at least one job, but I also received generous scholarships at both Vanderbilt and Stanford. I am grateful to the donors who supported my education, and I am very motivated to provide educational opportunities for current and future generations of Mills students."

Prior to her position at Stanford, Brandt Stover was a planned and major gifts officer for the National Wildlife Federation for three years. She managed institutional and individual relationships with assets of more than $100 million.

Brandt Stover has a BA from Vanderbilt University and an MA and PhD in Sociology from Stanford University. Her dissertation was entitled: Recruitment, Retention and the Effects of Civic Participation: The Case of Teach for America.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 950 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College is named one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, one of the Best 371 Colleges by the Princeton Review, and ranks 75th among America's best colleges by Forbes.com. Visit us at www.mills.edu.

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