If you follow me on instagram @devdebrief, you saw that I went out to Annapolis in March. There, I met the US Navy development team and learned about their approach to fundraising. Mike Hoffman is an amazing leader who is growing programs, posting new positions, and argues teams are best built in person.

Mike joined the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation in March 2013 and currently serves on the Foundation’s senior leadership team as the Vice President, Development. Mike began his tenure at Navy as a Major Gifts Officer and grew into a series of roles with increasing responsibility before taking the VP position last year.

As the Naval Academy Foundation builds out a team in anticipation of their next campaign, Mike will lead a staff of 15 on the Development team, which includes the Regional Development program, which is comprised of the organization’s major gifts and high-end leadership annual giving initiatives, and the Planned Giving program. In his role, he also works closely with the Foundation’s EVP, Board of Directors and other organizational leaders to play a central role in campaign planning and execution. Additionally, Mike manages a portfolio of top donors across the country with a focus on principal gifts.

Since 2004, Mike has worked in education at both the independent school and higher education levels, with most of that experience in development positions. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mike was at Johns Hopkins University in their Regional and International Programs development office.

Mike graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He lives in Annapolis with his wife and three children.