With nearly 30 years in development at Williams College, at Amherst College (as director of alumni relations, development and public affairs) and at the University of New Hampshire (as director of corporate and foundation relations), Steve Birrell is a vital member of Marts & Lundy's Higher Education Practice Group, and the Schools Practice Group.
Steve retired as vice president for alumni relations and development at Williams in 2009. His tenure at Williams reflects some of Steve's drive for measureable results: alumni volunteers increased by over 300%, annual gifts increased from $12.9 million to $53.7 million, and the alumni/development staff increased from 22 to 72, and he led The Williams Campaign, a multi-year comprehensive effort that raised $500 million, exceeding its $400 million goal by 25%.
While at Williams, Steve and Cathy McGrath, senior consultant/analyst with Marts & Lundy's Analytical Solutions team, began collaborating on an on-going study, involving several private liberal arts colleges, to determine return on investment in their respective advancement programs.