Steve Shepherd

Director of Development, College of Science & Mathematics @University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, GA, US

As the Director of Development with the College of Science & Mathematics, my role and responsibilities are exquisitely multi-faceted. I have taken all my career experiences to-date and rolled them into a daily activity of marketing, advertising, branding public relations, graphic design, photography, printing/publishing, and ultimately fundraising.As the sole development officer for the College of Science & Mathematics at the University of North Georgia, I have the unique opportunity to put my stamp on rebranding the college and our fundraising efforts to generate $10M in capital for a new,$100M, two-phase STEM facility on the UNG Dahlonega Campus.I spearhead the fundraising efforts and have created a major gift pipeline through leveraging quality discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship conversations. Over this past year, I conceptualized and implemented effective marketing projects and campaigns to fund four distinct departments and one center: Department of Biology, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Department of Mathematics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, and the Environmental Leadership Center. Key contributions:» Established the ‘STEM IS IN’ brand and subsequent marketing/promotional materials to promote the public phase of the STEM Building Campaign in April 2022; the 2nd year phase of the brand: ‘STEM IS LIFE’ and, the 3rd year phase of the brand:\'STEM IS KNOWLEDGE.\'» Created opportunities through bios and imagery for our alumni, students, and faculty to showcase their success stories on multiple social media platforms – specifically LinkedIn.» Introduced multiple first-time major endowed scholarships within first year of hire for First-Generation STEM majors.» Facilitated $3M in annual campaign funds by crafting influential proposals and distinctive presentations; applied tailored solicitation approaches across a portfolio of major prospects and donors located throughout the country.

University of Florida

BA

University of Florida

Graduate Certificate in Fundraising Management - expected 2025