Tom Jennings

Managing Director and Senior Consultant

Email: [email protected]

Tom Jennings, Managing Director and Senior Consultant, has over thirty years of experience in advancement, university management, fundraising campaigns, volunteer board management, and talent recruitment and management. Prior to his work with Aspen Leadership Group/zrg Jennings rejoined Washington and Lee University from 2020-2024 as VP for University Advancement, where he led the early phases of W&L’s $650 million fundraising campaign, and managed Alumni and Career Services, University Development, Advancement Operations, Law Advancement, Special Events, Guest Housing, and Travel/Lifelong Learning Programs. Jennings previously served in fundraising leadership roles at W&L from 1992-2002.

Jennings rejoined the University of Virginia in 2002 as the chief development officer for the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Jennings subsequently served as AVP for development on UVA's senior central development staff from 2006-10, overseeing fundraising teams in the schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Education, as well as initiatives with the Arts Council, Museums, Historic Preservation, and Science & Technology.

From 2010-2020, Jennings served as the VP for University Advancement at Florida State University and President of the FSU Foundation, where he led the Advancement Division’s nearly 200 staff members in academic and athletic fundraising, alumni relations, advancement services, investment management, and real estate development efforts, and he successfully led FSU’s first $1 billion campaign. Jennings also served on the boards and executive committees of five of FSU's institutionally related foundations (IRFs).

Before beginning his advancement career, Jennings was the Director of Residence Life at Davidson College (NC) and a Residence Coordinator at UNC-Charlotte. He holds a B.S. and M.A. in psychology from James Madison University (VA) and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Virginia. He is based in Lexington, Virginia.