Posted 4:06 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014
UW-L Alum presents “Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace: Preparing for a Successful Career” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Cameron Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall.
Alum returns with advice to stand out Oct. 16
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Dan Saftig, chief development officer at Arizona State University Foundation.[/caption]
UW-L Alum Dan Saftig, ’81, has spent his career working in senior-level positions at four of the country’s largest public universities. Despite working for large institutions, he knows how to stand out.
Saftig plans to share “Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace: Preparing for a Successful Career” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Cameron Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall. The lecture is part of the College of Business Administration Distinguished Lecture Series. Admission is free.
As chief development officer at Arizona State University Foundation, Saftig heads a $150 million-a-year fundraising program at a university with more than 80,000 students. Surrounded by college students, managing young professionals and working with successful alumni has given him insight on how to be successful.
Saftig credits his student experience at UW-L as the launching pad into his career. A double major in communications and political science, Saftig was also the university’s sports information director his senior year. He says that work experience, as well as studying abroad helped him develop as a person and ultimately land his first job as special events coordinator for the American Heart Association in Milwaukee. That experience led to careers in public relations and, later, fundraising.
Saftig held executive leadership positions at Penn State, the Minnesota Medical Foundation at the University of Minnesota and Iowa State University Foundation. In Iowa, he served nine years as president and CEO, leading a fundraising team that secured more than $1 billion in new gifts and commitments and doubled the university’s endowment between 2003 and 2012. He has also served as a consultant to more than a dozen major universities and is a nationally recognized speaker on fundraising and nonprofit leadership.
Saftig says he’s found success in meaningful work — helping others find ways to give back.
“You’re not selling widgets, but really helping to create a better society,” he says. “There are great rewards when donors thank me for giving them the opportunity to make a difference with their hard-earned dollars.”
The event is co-sponsored by CBA Board of Advisors and CBA Student Advisory Council.