Dear Members of the University Community,
I write to share a leadership transition that will take place this summer.
Vice President Valoree Vargo has announced her decision to retire from university service on July 3, 2026. She joined Kent State in 2010 and has provided outstanding leadership as vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement and chief executive officer of the Kent State University Foundation since August 2021.
I am appointing Leigh Greenfelder, senior associate vice president and chief operating officer for philanthropy and alumni engagement, to serve as interim vice president effective July 5, 2026. She will lead the university’s fundraising and alumni relations efforts, manage the division’s 80-plus staff members and serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet. We will launch a national search for the position in the fall semester.
Through an exceptional team effort of university leadership, the division, faculty and staff, the foundation board and an energized donor base, we are raising philanthropy to new heights. Since 2021, the university has achieved such milestones as completing its largest comprehensive campaign ever; securing the largest gift in Kent State history from Ambassador Edward F. Crawford and the Crawford family in support of the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the construction of Crawford Hall; endowing key athletics and arts programs to ensure their sustainability; increasing the number and retention of donors; and weathering post-pandemic and other headwinds affecting philanthropy nationwide. Bringing in more external dollars is an ever-increasing imperative for us as our traditional revenues remain severely constrained now and into the future.
I thank Vice President Vargo for her significant contributions to the advancement of Kent State and look forward to working with all of you on this critical endeavor in Fiscal Year 2027 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Todd Diacon
President