PRESS RELEASES

Bryant Group Places Associate Vice President of Outreach and Innovation at Western Michigan University

May 19, 2023

Dallas-based executive search and leadership consulting firm Bryant Group conducted a nationwide search resulting in Michael Carlton securing the role as Associate Vice President of Outreach and Innovation at Western Michigan University (WMU).

“I am thrilled to be joining the team at Western Michigan University. Under the expert leadership of Kristen DeVries, Vice President for University Advancement, I look forward to reimagining how a university can best engage its alumni and donors,” said Mr. Carlton. “I am especially thankful to Sarah Hempen and the rest of the team at Bryant Group, without whom I would not have found such a perfect match for the next stage of my professional journey. It was a joy to work with them and I look forward to continued partnership once I assume my new role.”

For more than 15 years, Mr. Carlton oversaw annual giving, alumni relations, special events and donor relations for public universities and private non-profits. He most recently served as the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Engagement for the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University. Prior to there, Mr. Carlton was the Senior Director of Individual Giving and Stewardship at the Catholic Extension. He has an immense passion for the ever-evolving integrated marketing and engagement spaces, giving him a diverse perspective on the fields of annual giving, alumni engagement and communications. Mr. Carlton will assume the role of Associate Vice President of Outreach and Innovation at WMU effective June 5, 2023.

Western Michigan University is a learner-centered, research university, building intellectual inquiry and discovery into undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in a way that fosters knowledge and innovation, and transforms wisdom into action. As a public university, WMU provides leadership in teaching, research, learning and service, and is committed to enhancing the future of our global citizenry.

The WMU Foundation promotes and supports WMU so that it can effectively carry out its mission of teaching, research and service. The Foundation accomplishes its mission by maintaining and enlarging an endowment fund, the income from which provides supplemental financial assistance for current demands.

Advancing Great Leadership

Bryant Group, based in Irving, Texas, and with associates located across the United States, specializes in executive search and leadership consulting for higher education, healthcare and nonprofits with an emphasis on advancement leaders and other executives. In 1988, Bryant Group founder, Chris Bryant, started one of the country’s first search firms, specializing in philanthropy recruitment. Now under the leadership of CEO Sally Bryant, the woman-owned firm has a 34-year history of recruiting, developing and coaching great leaders. Bryant Group has impacted more than 10,000 leaders and served more than 270 organizations.