Jim Piatt

James B. Piatt, Jr. came to Elon in 2008 as Vice President for University Advancement and was promoted to Senior Vice President for University Advancement and External Affairs in 2023. His responsibilities include oversight of all fundraising activities, alumni engagement, parent engagement, corporate and foundation relations, annual giving, donor relations. student professional development center (career services), cultural and special programs, national campuses, and continuing and professional studies.

Under his leadership, the university has completed two comprehensive fundraising efforts - the Ever Elon Campaign, which raised $107.3 million from 2006-2011, and the Elon LEADS Campaign, which attracted $260.5 million from 2015-22. During his time at Elon, the university's endowment has increased from $83 million to $390 million, the number of endowed scholarships has more than doubled, and 14 fundraised facilities have been added to the campus, including Schar Center, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Founders Hall, Inman Admissions Welcome Center, The Inn at Elon, and many more. He has also overseen the expansion of Elon's national campus footprint, which has added programming in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C. and Charlotte. Mr. Piatt oversees university career services - the student professional development center - which was ranked in 2024 as 20th in the nation by the Princeton Review. 

Prior to Elon, Mr. Piatt served eight years as Vice President for College Advancement at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio. Earlier in his career, he served as Associate Director of Development at the Law School at Stanford University, Development Director for the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, and Assistant Dean for Development in the College of Communications at Ohio University.
 
Mr. Piatt received his MBA from Ohio University in 1993 and his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in 1987. He is co-chair the Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising, a signature annual program of the Council for the Aid and Support of Education (CASE). He has presented on multiple topics related to higher education advancement and external affairs at CASE conferences, the Southeast College Advancement Consortium, the American Council on Education, and the North Carolina Independent Association of Colleges and Universities. His involvement in the Burlington community includes membership and leadership roles at Front Street United Methodist Church, and other volunteer service.