Bryant Group Helps Fill Positions for the University of Washington
April 30, 2024 – Following nationwide searches, Dallas-based executive search and talent development firm Bryant Group has helped to recruit Brad Joutras as assistant vice president, health sciences, and Suzanne Rinker as assistant vice president, schools and colleges for the University of Washington (UW). Sarah Hempen, vice president, led the assignment. “Reimagining the UW legacy structure will help ensure our teams receive the tools, resources and guidance they need to foster and grow philanthropic support, allowing the UW to make a positive impact in Washington and the world,” said Tamara Josserand, vice president for development, the University of Washington. “Brad and Suzanne have the expertise and passion to provide strategic support for our wonderful fundraising teams to do their best work and thrive. I am thrilled they are joining our UW community.”
In their new positions, Mr. Joutras and Ms. Rinker will each oversee a cohort of units, providing the strategic support and guidance necessary for the fundraising teams to be successful and raise resources. These roles were developed as part of a two-year long organizational strategy designed to position the advancement enterprise to better serve the modern philanthropic landscape, which requires greater collaboration across a comprehensive university environment.
Over his 20 years of experience in fundraising and non-profit management, Mr. Joutras has had deep experience partnering with deans and faculty to build multi-faceted cases for support and grew grateful patient pipelines that have led to tens of millions of dollars in philanthropy. Most recently, he was the managing director, individual giving at the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences Development.
“I look forward to partnering with Tamara Josserand and the dedicated faculty and staff at UW to help raise critical support for the health sciences,” said Mr. Joutras.
Over the course of 19 years of higher education and philanthropic experience, Ms. Rinker has executed strategic and inclusive fundraising initiatives that led to growth and impactful change. “As the first college graduate in her family, she has seen education as a powerful catalyst for societal change and has committed her career to advocating for higher education,” Bryant Group said. Ms. Rinker was most recently the vice president of enterprise development at Arizona State University Foundation.
“I am thrilled to be joining the development team at the University of Washington and am eager to innovate, collaborate and lead multiple colleges and schools towards transformative growth,” said Ms. Rinker. “There is tremendous talent within the development team and I look forward to driving forward strategic initiatives, building partnerships and discovering new opportunities to support the great work that is done at UW.”
Related: Bryant Group Recruits CEO for Kansas Health Foundation
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington, located in Seattle, is one of the oldest state-supported institutions of higher education on the West Coast and is one of the preeminent research universities in the world. The university is ranked No. 7 among all global universities by U.S. News & World Report and first among all public universities in the nation in federal research dollars received. In addition to its Seattle campus, the university has campuses in Tacoma and Bothell and a robust professional and continuing education program.
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Bryant Group specializes in advancement, fundraising, and leadership for universities, hospitals, and other non-profits. Its services include recruiting, talent development, and leadership coaching. The organization’s higher education clients include Stanford University, Harvard University, Michigan State University, Baylor University, the University of New Mexico, and others. Its healthcare clients include UCLA Center for the Health Sciences, the Mayo Clinic in both Minnesota and Arizona, Henry Ford Health Systems, Betty Ford Center, to name just a few. Its other non-profit clients include the American Heart Association, March of Dimes in both California and New York, the J. Paul Getty Trust, and more.
Bryant Group Recruits President and CEO for Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement
Bryant Group has assisted in the recruitment of Telly McGaha as president and CEO at Wichita State University Foundation and Alumni Engagement (WSUFAE). In May 2023, Elizabeth King announced her plans to retire as the WSUFAE president and CEO after 33 years of leading these efforts. The search committee was led by Lynn Nichols, chair of the WSUFAE board of directors, and Jay Smith, chair-elect, with guidance from the Bryant Group as well as additional advisory members. “Over the course of this search, we met with many candidates from across the country to find the best fit for this position, and we truly believe that Telly is the right person,” said Ms. Nichols. “Not only does he have an extensive history of fundraising experience, he also has the gift of collaborative leadership, which is exactly how the university and WSUFAE have created their longstanding success.”
Bryant Group is led by CEO Sally Bryant. She joined the search firm in 2007 and brings 30 years of experience in advancement management, consulting and recruiting, as well as achievements from the corporate sales arena and success in other entrepreneurial activities.
Christopher P. Bryant, co-founder and advisor of Bryant Group, is a leader in the recruitment of advancement, development, and fundraising professionals. In 1988, he helped start what the firm describes as the country’s first executive search firm to specialize exclusively in philanthropy recruitment. Bryant Group is the successor firm, established in 2002. Now under the leadership of Ms. Bryant, the woman-owned firm focuses on advancing great leadership through executive search, leadership coaching and interim leadership services. Bryant Group has impacted more than 10,000 leaders and served more than 270 organizations.
Related: Bryant Group Recruits CEO for Montana State University Alumni Foundation
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
