2 promoted to associate vice president for advancement

Cheryl Altinkemer

Cheryl Altinkemer and Robin Prokop will manage and advise more than 50 directors of advancement and development in colleges, schools and units. They also have been assigned additional duties for planning the university's next steps after the seven-year, $1.5 billion Campaign for Purdue concludes in July 2007.

Since 2002 they have been responsible for central coordination and support for academic units in the university's fund-raising efforts, and they will continue in that role.

Robin Prokop

"Both Cheryl and Robin have proven themselves to be energetic, motivational leaders, and their dedication to their jobs is largely responsible for the continued success of the Campaign for Purdue," said Murray Blackwelder, senior vice president for advancement. "As the campaign goes into its closing year, I will be looking forward to working with them as we meet the final goals of this effort and set the agenda for future years."

So far, $1.33 billion has been raised in the campaign.

In their new positions, Altinkemer and Prokop will be responsible for the following:

• Leading the process for evaluating and prioritizing post-campaign needs.

• Providing resources, training and motivation for each academic unit.

• Increasing alumni giving participation.

• Maintaining a steady increase in the number of donors of all types and expanding collaboration with academic deans, vice presidents and unit directors.

• Designing and overseeing a training and retention plan for development officers.

In addition, they will be responsible for creating a development advisory committee to involve volunteers and donors in post-campaign fund-raising strategies.

Altinkemer also will continue to provide leadership support for a variety of special-focus campaigns, including the campus retiree campaign and the Women's Philanthropy Initiative. She also will work with the national steering committee, staff and campus committees and offices to obtain feedback on the Campaign for Purdue, manage the strategic plan for the Office of Advancement and evaluate accomplishments.

Prokop will continue her leadership for the Parents Campaign and Campaign Chicago. She also will conduct competitive benchmark studies to identify the characteristics of the fund-raising programs of the nation's other top land-grant universities; appropriate funding levels for endowed chairs, professorships, fellowships and scholarships; and lay groundwork for a regional development organization. In addition, in coordination with the Purdue Alumni Association, she will implement an awards program to recognize outstanding volunteer efforts and generosity.

Altinkemer has been a senior director of development at Purdue since 2002. From 1988 to 2002, she was director of development and alumni relations for the College of Consumer and Family Sciences.

She currently serves on the board of Historic Prophetstown, the advisory board of the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, Women and Philanthropy Institute, and serves as an adjunct faculty member for the institute. She earned a bachelor's degree in textiles and clothing from Indiana State University in 1975 and a master's degree in public relations from Purdue in 1981.

Prokop has been a senior director of development at Purdue since 2002. She previously served as director of annual giving and donor clubs and as director of development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

She is a board member and chair of the development committee for Leadership Lafayette and is a consultant and volunteer for the Cary Home for Children and the Hanna Center. She has recently been appointed to the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette's foundation board and serves as an adviser to their development committee.

She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Mount Mary College in Wisconsin in 1997 and an executive master's in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2002.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Murray Blackwelder, (765) 496-2144, mblackwelder@purdue.edu

Cheryl Altinkemer, (765) 494-8218, caltinkemer@purdue.edu

Robin Prokop, (765) 494-0519, rprokop@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page