Feb. 23, 2009

(San Francisco) - USF Athletic Director, Debra Gore-Mann, announced today that Eric Dumbleton has accepted the position of Associate Athletic Director, External Relations. An experienced administrator with outstanding credentials in the private, university and non-profit sectors, Dumbleton comes to USF Athletics from St. Anthony Foundation, where he was the Capital Campaign Director since 2007.

"Eric's prior experience in the University Advancement area, in addition, to his life experience as a NCAA Division I soccer student-athlete were strong attributes to bringing Eric on board," Gore-Mann said. "We have been deliberate and methodical in our search and are confident we found the right person for our External Relations leadership role. Eric's enthusiasm and people-skills is evident and I look forward to having him join our team."

Dumbleton will oversee the department's Development, Marketing, Sponsorship, Tickets and Promotions efforts. In addition Dumbleton will work closely with senior staff on behalf of the coaches and student-athletes of the department's 14 varsity sports. Dumbleton will also work closely with the USF Advancement Staff and its constituents who support the Green and Gold Scholarship fund and all team funds.

"I am thrilled to be returning to the Hilltop and, in particular, to be joining Debi and the athletics department," Dumbleton said. "I am eager to start my work with the coaches and student-athletes to help build an outstanding athletic program and to promote USF's mission of educating hearts and minds to change the world."

While at St. Anthony Foundation, Dumbleton was responsible for overall capital campaign management including strategy, marketing, events, relationship management, donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Dumbleton was a member of the St. Anthony Foundation Executive Management Team and in his one year of employment there spearheaded efforts that raised more than $1.9 million.

Gore-Mann welcomes Dumbleton for his second stint at the University of San Francisco. Before joining the St. Anthony Foundation, Dumbleton served as a development staff member for USF Advancement. Dumbleton's responsibilities in his role as a USF Director of Development for Schools and Regions included managing a four-member development team, with fund raising responsibility/relationship management for three Bay Area regions and the College of Arts & Sciences. In addition to serving as the primary liaison between the development team, the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, trustees, and other high level donors, Dumbleton also managed and provided staff leadership to volunteer councils in the Bay Area.

Prior to his first stint at USF, Dumbleton worked at Santa Clara University as an Assistant Director for Annual and Special Gifts. While in that role, Dumbleton cultivated and solicited gifts at the $50,000 level from alumni and was charged with transitioning donors from SCU Annual Fund to major gifts. He organized fundraising efforts for reunion years by appointing and overseeing class reunion committees and worked effectively with a donor database to research donors and catalog contacts.

Before being promoted to Assistant Director for Annual and Special Gifts, Dumbleton was the Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admission. Dumbleton organized and executed University-wide events for 1,000+ students and families and recruited students through off-site presentations and cultivated relationships with key high school counselors. He also managed student-athlete admissions and relationship with NCAA-Division I athletic department.

Dumbleton received his Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from the College of William & Mary where he was a Division I soccer student-athlete. He then earned his MBA from Oglethorpe University in 2001. He is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education where he has served as a presenter and was recognized as a District VII Faculty Star in December 2006.