Andrew Schmidt brings a wealth of knowledge from the nonprofit sector to his appointment at Brevard College. In his previous role in higher education as Director of Annual Giving at Willamette University, a prominent university in the Pacific Northwest, Andrew worked with alumni, parents, and community partners to meet the financial needs of a diverse student body, 98% of whom were supported with academic scholarships every year.
Prior to that, as Advancement Analyst at Kanuga Conferences in nearby Hendersonville, he was responsible for donor database administration, prospect research, and raising funds in support of a $15M capital campaign centered on a comprehensive renovation of the 47-year-old Kanuga Lake Inn.
Andrew began his career in fundraising at his alma mater, Sewanee: The University of the South, as an assistant director in charge of reunions and volunteers, and worked on reunion giving campaigns as well as alumni engagement and stewardship events.
Andrew’s primary responsibilities will be to coordinate and advance Brevard College’s major gift fundraising initiative, and to smoothly integrate a donor-centric relationship management strategy with a complementary alumni affairs and annual giving program.
“I came to Brevard in 2016 and absolutely fell in love with the community,” Schmidt explained. For five years, he collaborated closely with the team at PLATT, the full-service architecture, construction, and interior design firm based on Main Street, while working as the General Manager of a private estate in Lake Toxaway. “I really enjoyed the hands-on experience of estate management and private service, where the myriad challenges require a keen attention to detail and agile problem-solving skills, but I’m a fund-raiser at heart.” He continued, “I’ve been a big fan of BC’s mission and the faculty’s commitment to experiential learning. When the opportunity arose to join President Andrews’ exceptional administrative team, I couldn’t have dreamed up a better fit.”
Andrew holds a BA in Philosophy and is working to complete a master’s degree in Applied Arts & Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, with an academic concentration on transformative thinking and ethical leadership. When he’s not working in the alumni house or out about town visiting with donors, you can often find Andrew, his wife Sara, and toddler son Arthur splashing around in King’s Creek.