Eric Persons Appointed as Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Will lead Cazenovia College’s Fundraising and Alumni and Parents Relations Offices

Cazenovia College is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Persons to vice president for institutional advancement. In this position, Persons will oversee the college’s fundraising efforts with outreach to constituencies including corporations, foundations, government, parents, and alumni. He will also supervise the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and participate in key college administrative events associated with external affairs.

“Eric Persons will serve in a leadership role to address institutional needs concerning capital projects, research, and academic programs by developing strategies to secure external resources and partnerships to advance these areas,” shares Ron Chesbrough, president of Cazenovia College. He adds, “His impressive experience in fundraising, government relations, and community engagement is a perfect fit for the institutional advancement mission of the college.”

Persons has worked at Syracuse University since 2005. He began his career with the university as the director of community engagement and economic development followed by director of administration and engagement. Most recently he served as associate vice president of government and community relations.

"It's an exciting time to join Cazenovia College. Higher education is going through a period of transformation, and the College is positioned to take on new opportunities and be an innovative leader as a private institution with a public mission,” says Persons. “The area’s high quality of life, dedication to community progress, and access to emerging partnership opportunities will allow the College to continue to grow as an important higher education institution in Central New York," he adds.

In addition to his professional career, Persons has participated on a number of community boards. He was a founding member of the Syracuse Parks Conservancy and a board member of the Greater Syracuse Business Development Corporation. Persons also served on a task force on government modernization for the transition team of Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney in 2007.

Persons received a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in international relations from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications/broadcast journalism from Buffalo State College.

Release Date:

Friday, June 30, 2017

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