Lynn resident Cheryl Crounse prepares for her most advanced role yet with the Salem State University Foundation, Inc.
Crounse began her career with the university in 2011, as campaign manager for 10,000 Reasons, the school’s first comprehensive campaign, which raised more than $26 million. Shortly after she was promoted to assistant vice president and now she’s been appointed to vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the university’s foundation.
“I am humbled and excited by this opportunity and I hope I can bring to this role what the students bring here every day, which is passion, hard work, and grit,” Crounse said. “I said yes for the students.”
Beginning April 2019, Crounse will succeed current vice president Cynthia McGurren. She will be responsible for developing and advancing the university’s fundraising strategy through alumni relations, annual giving, development, advancement services and communications, along with any events hosted by the institution, according to a press release from the university.
“There are some big shoes to fill, following behind Cynthia,” said Crounse. “But there are so many great things to build upon and so much work to do to ensure our students have what they need. I hate hearing those stories about students who are having to decide whether to eat or to buy books. Education is a right that everyone deserves and affordability and philanthropy play into that.”
Crounse also accepted the position of executive director of the foundation, which invests, manages, and distributes charitable gifts in support of the university. In this role, she will serve as a member of the President’s Executive Council and oversee the administration, programs, and strategic plans of the foundation’s 19-member board of directors.
Her fundraising experience spans more than 22 years and began while she was a student at Oswego State University, near her hometown in New York. As a first-generation college student, Crounse learned the fundamentals of the job as a student employee, calling alumni for the institution’s advancement office. She also worked at Emerson College for five years before joining SSU.
Although Crounse grew up in New York, she adopted Lynn as her hometown after moving here 13 years ago with her husband, Mike.
“The largest group of students we enroll each year comes from Lynn,” she said. “It really gives me great honor to live in the community where our students are coming from. Anything I can do as a Lynn community member and a Salem State leader to continue to strengthen that relationship, that is a personal interest for me.”
In the near future, Crounse said she and her team are working on the next campaign, but are unsure of what it will be. Her short-term goal, once in the position, is to bring the boards, the community, and the students up to speed. She said she plans on being a “matchmaker,” ensuring the priorities and the strategic direction of the institution align with the hopes and dreams of the school’s donors.
“When you can put your own personal passion into something, it turns from a job into your life’s work,” she said. “That is what I found here at Salem State.”
