Beth Bolyn Thompson named new vice president for development
Boston College has named Beth Bolyn Thompson, the assistant dean of development in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) at Harvard University, as vice president for development, effective February 3, 2025.
Beth Bolyn Thompson
A skilled and accomplished fundraising professional with more than 30 years of experience in higher education, Thompson currently leads a team of 65 front-line professionals in FAS in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of alumni and parent donors for principal, major, and planned gifts.
In this capacity, she helped the FAS to reach $400 million in annual giving and played a key role in the planning and execution of a $3.3 billion Campaign for Arts and Sciences, as part of Harvard鈥檚 most recent $9.6 billion capital campaign.
Throughout her career at Harvard, she has advanced in leadership positions with an expanding portfolio of responsibilities ranging from academic and development planning and engagement to building and nurturing highly effective fundraising teams.
Most recently, she conceptualized and led the introduction of a new regional leadership model focused on building strategies, activities, and structures to engage alumni and donors, and the creation of a new team focused on annual and major gift fundraising for the Department of Athletics. She has also assisted in fundraising programs for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences within FAS and spent eight years earlier in her career at Harvard Business School, working in major and principal gifts and donor stewardship and supporting its $500 million campaign. 聽聽
In announcing the appointment, Senior Vice President for Advancement Andrew Davidson praised Thompson as a person whose expertise and values align perfectly with Boston College and the role of the vice president for development.
鈥淔or decades, Beth has demonstrated an impressive ability to succeed in a large, complex organization that operates at a high level and a fast pace鈥攅xactly what Boston College needs,鈥� said Davidson. 鈥淪he brings skills that will have an immediate impact on our work in Advancement,聽particularly聽through her extensive experience collaborating with academic聽leadership and partnering on fundraising strategy. More importantly, Beth leads with exceptional character and will add to the community and culture of 香蕉秀.鈥�
“Andrew Davidson, with whom I had worked at Harvard for seven years, encouraged me to learn about 香蕉秀鈥檚 Jesuit, Catholic mission and culture, and the University鈥檚 commitment to the liberal arts, formation, reflection, and service. When I did, I realized that this is a moment in society in which 香蕉秀鈥檚 enduring values have never been needed more.”
Thompson said she is excited to join Boston College and to work in support of the University鈥檚 mission and its $3 billion Soaring Higher campaign.
鈥淚n my experience, every graduate of Boston College I meet tells me how much they love 香蕉秀,鈥� said Thompson.聽 鈥淭hey talk about the close-knit community and transformative education they received here. 聽Andrew Davidson, with whom I had worked at Harvard for seven years, encouraged me to learn about 香蕉秀鈥檚 Jesuit, Catholic mission and culture, and the University鈥檚 commitment to the liberal arts, formation, reflection, and service. When I did, I realized that this is a moment in society in which 香蕉秀鈥檚 enduring values have never been needed more.聽 I am delighted to come to Boston College, and to work in advancing its institutional ideals and public impact.鈥�
A graduate of Smith College, Thompson received a master of arts degree in political science from Ball State University, and an M.B.A. from Simmons University.
The mother of five, she lives in Belmont with her husband Dan, a faculty member at the Berklee College of Music. She has served on the board of EV Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing academic tutoring and mentoring services and summer camp experiences for at-risk youth in the Boston area and is active in volunteer work to promote adoptions from the foster care system.
鈥淚 look forward to joining the outstanding Advancement team at Boston College in fulfilling the goals of the Soaring Higher campaign,鈥� said Thompson. 鈥淐ampaigns provide an opportunity to bring together a university community around a common vision. Our work is about connecting the enthusiasm of alumni and donors to the university鈥檚 greatest aspirations. I am excited to do that at Boston College.鈥�