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POSITION: Vice President for Advancement

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

LOCATION: Main Campus, Harrisonburg | CC 340

PHONE: (540) 432-4518

Nathan Leopard, began serving EMU as Vice President for Advancement on June 1st, 2026. He began his professional career in service to the non-profit and higher education in 2004. As a fundraiser and advancement professional, Nathan has nearly 20 years of leadership experience covering alumni relations, annual giving, event-based fundraising, and interdisciplinary major gift fundraising.

A resident of the Shenandoah Valley since 2021, Leopard previously served Virginia Tech as the director of development for the Pamplin College of Business, leading the fundraising and stewardship operation for the college. As an individual contributor, Leopard has secured over $18M in support for Virginia Tech from 2022-2026, and directed the development operation to generate nearly $50M in support of Pamplin. While managing a six-person fundraising and stewardship team, Leopard was also co-lead for Pamplin’s overall Giving Day strategy, which experienced growth from 2,891 donors to over 6,000 since FY24.

Leopard served Penn State’s Smeal College of Business as one of the first and only remotely based fundraising professionals starting in August 2021 when his family relocated to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Prior to his relocation, he was one of three university-wide professionals promoted to a new role of senior director of major gifts. As senior director of major gifts, he served on the unit’s management team, recruited, trained and led a team of four major gift fundraisers, supported an eight-member frontline fundraising team, provided leadership critical to the 20-plus member team’s performance, and was integral to creating a positive, fun, thoughtful, collaborative and highly successful culture. Leopard played a key role in the college’s success during the A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence campaign (2016-2022). Smeal generated over $116M in gifts and commitments over the six-year campaign, which exceeded the college’s campaign goal by over 22%.

Prior to joining Smeal, Leopard served as an associate director of development for the Schreyer Honors College, one of public higher education’s most prestigious honors initiatives. He led the development and launch of the Schreyer Parents Council in 2014, which continues to play a key volunteer and philanthropic role for the college, and increased parent giving significantly. The success of that initiative reinvigorated Penn State’s university-wide efforts to engage parents in philanthropy. Leopard helped Schreyer successfully close out For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students by exceeding its $54M campaign goal. University-wide, Leopard twice chaired the division’s awards committee. Under his leadership, the committee created two new awards – one recognizing an outstanding new professional and one recognizing a team member who demonstrates exceptional honor and integrity, named for long-time vice president Rodney Kirsch. Nominations nearly tripled under his leadership. He also served on the division’s United Way, Gift Officer Retreat, Addressing-Preventing Sexual Harassment in Advancement and 2020-2025 Strategic Planning committees while also mentoring and supporting numerous colleagues. He and the Smeal development team were also recognized with Penn State’s Teamwork and Collaboration Award (2021).

Leopard’s experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors also distinguishes his leadership background. Serving as the American Cancer Society’s first distinguished giving director, Leopard led the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative regionally; launched a new State College-area gala event, and provided strategic direction for both corporate and major gifts across the region. Prior to that time, he served in several key roles for Affinity Connection, a fundraising and alumni relations services provider for small non-profits. 

Leopard believes his initial fundraising experience which resulted in being “the worst Boy Scout popcorn salesperson in the country” led him, in part, to his successful and fulfilling career in university and non-profit fundraising.

Leopard’s passion for philanthropy is only exceeded by the love and commitment he has to his family, particularly his wife, Dr. Jennifer Grossman Leopard, and children – Caroline and Jack. He also credits his passion for education back to being raised as the son of two K-12 public school teachers.  Leopard has a Bachelor of Science in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University and a Master of Science degree in college student personnel from Miami University. 

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