Telecom alum appointed development officer
Mike Harding (Photo by Lidia Dinkova. Click image to enlarge.)
Update (Nov. 17, 2010): Mike Harding has accepted the position of Senior Development Officer for the College.
When the College needed someone to step in while Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Laforis Knowles, PR 2002, is on leave, it turned to Mike Harding, TEL 1977.
Harding, who had been consulting the College on restructuring its broadcast stations, is moving from his role as chief restructuring officer to help coordinate the College’s fundraising efforts. He’s focusing on helping the College achieve its Florida Tomorrow capital campaign goal of raising $27 million by 2012.
The University of Florida aims to raise $1.5 billion. The College is just past the halfway point in fulfilling its goal.
“It’s an important task for the future of the College,” Harding said. “Now, more than ever, we have to rely on the funding of individuals to sustain the college experience and degree programs for our students.”
Donations and endowed funds increasingly play a critical role in sustaining and advancing the College’s educational and research missions, Harding noted.
“Private funding is essential as we strive to become the best journalism and communications program in the nation,” Knowles said. “This is how we retain the best faculty and offer our students the best opportunities in a rapidly changing media environment.”
Harding has spent the past 25 years specializing in media management for television and radio stations. Having served on the College’s Telecommunication Advisory Council and Campaign Council, from which he’s taken a leave, he’s cultivating existing relationships and fostering new ones.
“I look forward to building more relationships with alumni and friends of the College,” said Harding, who received his master’s in broadcast administration from Boston University.
Harding is traveling with Dean John Wright across the state and the country to hold receptions and meet with alumni.
“We’re moving forward quickly with Mike,” Wright said. “Recently, the Herald-Tribune hosted a reception for us in Sarasota and we plan to visit alumni in South Florida, Orlando, North Florida, New York and Chicago this summer.”
Harding is helping Wright fulfill his vision for the College, including making UF a global leader in digital communication education and research. As part of that, the College will open its Center for Media Innovation + Research, an advanced, cutting-edge facility, in the fall.
“Dean Wright is a visionary, creative, forward-looking leader,” Harding said. “He is passionate about positioning the College and our students as leaders in this new 21st century media landscape. He’s taking a bold step to keep the College relevant and at the forefront of media excellence.”
Posted: November 17, 2010
Category: College News
