May 12, 2000

Joe Mansfield announces retirement, leaves division in great shape

by Angela R. Anthony, assistant director of public affairs

There is a lot for which he is to be proud. Everything from money raised to volunteer participation to equipment upgrades improved under his tenure. As Joe Mansfield prepares to end his six years of service as vice president for the Division of Institutional Advancement at the end of July, he can reflect on his list of achievements with complete satisfaction.

When he arrived in December of 1993, the university had raised $2.3 million dollars in private funds during the previous academic year. As of July last year, the number had swelled to an astonishing $8.4 million, a 260-percent increase. Under his leadership, Loyola successfully completed its first comprehensive capital campaign in the university's history, raising $51.3 million in gifts and pledges. Additionally, more than $8 million was given to the annual fund during this same period. Volunteers in all areas, from the alumni board to the parent program, have increased. The publications, public affairs, and alumni organizations are more efficient and effective due to his direction. And he has been an integral factor in repositioning Loyola to become a national university.

While each of these components would be a fitting legacy for the native New Yorker, Mansfield says he is most proud of the staff he leaves behind. These 43 men and women are "the most competent and knowledgeable team of people I have assembled in 40 years. Everyone here is so unique, with different personalities and backgrounds. Yet, they come together as one comprehensive team. When needed, each one jumps in and works as a team to accomplish the common goal."

According to Charles DiGange, associate vice president of institutional adancement, the quality of the staff is a testament of Mansfield's demand for perfection. "In all of our dealings with the public, Joe insists on nothing less than the best. As a result, he brought this division up to a certain standard, a higher level of professionalism."

In the beginning it was dark

Things were less than rosy in the early months of his tenure, Mansfield notes. He remembers a conversation he had with university chancellor and then president, the Rev. James C. Carter, S.J. "I asked Fr. Carter why, when he offered me the job, he hadn't told me about of all of the deep-seated problems I would be facing (such as low alumni participation and an almost nonexistent donor base.) Fr. Carter said if he'd told me I never would have taken the job."

Soon, Mansfield was transforming those lemons into lemonade. He began the $50-million Thresholds capital campaign with great anticipation and excitement. He solicited and received the participation of faculty, staff, students, Jesuits, parents, foundations, businesses, and alumni. In October 1995, the university hosted the inauguration of University President Bernard P. Knoth, S.J. Mansfield remembers this event as a particular turning point in his administration, a time when he saw the entire Loyola community come together.

"There had never been an inauguration for a president before so we were starting from scratch and making it up as we went along," he recalls. "But everything fell into place. The faculty was enthusiastic. The staff working behind the scenes was great. We were all preparing for a new leader to take his position. At this time I remembered my conversation with Fr. Carter, and it was then I realized how far we had come in such a short period of time."

At a university-wide reception for Mansfield earlier this month, the fact that Knoth and Mansfield have shared a close working relationship was apparent. In his toast, Knoth was filled with emotion as he referred to the departing vice president as his "mentor" and admitted he had not yet come to terms with Mansfield's leaving.

The start of a new chapter

His retirement from Loyola comes a little prematurely, Mansfield admits, saying he was preparing for another four or five years at the university. He looked forward to working with his staff and taking it to the next level. However, when a great job opportunity in North Carolina was presented to his wife, Nancy, the Mansfields' plans were altered. They had decided earlier to make that state their retirement destination. Actually, retirement may not be the right word as Mansfield stresses he is far too young to quit working. He has been negotiating with four of the top consulting firms in the country and will, most likely, accept an offer from one of them.

"I intend to be a consultant on a full-time basis. The best thing about being a consultant is you lose most of your stress," Mansfield says smiling, adding he also will have a lot more time to do volunteer work in his new community.

He has made a career out of achieving

Before coming to Loyola, Mansfield served at the University at Buffalo, the flagship campus for the State University of New York, as vice president for development and president of the University at Buffalo Foundation, the entrepreneurial arm of the university. Prior to this, he was vice president for development at Penn State and director of development for capital campaigns and major gifts at Columbia University. Fund-raising programs at all three institutions were cited during his service by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as among the best in higher education.

The search for Mansfield's replacement is underway and the process could take anywhere from six to 12 months.