The leadership of the Advancement Division is changing—the result of an organizational assessment of Dartmouth’s fundraising and alumni relations program and part of an effort to achieve the ambitious institutional goals set by President Sian Leah Beilock.
Ann Root Keith, who has served as chief advancement officer since President Beilock appointed her to one of two senior advancement roles in 2024, will leave Dartmouth at the end of the calendar year.
Keith modernized advancement services and developed a strong team of senior managers in service to Dartmouth’s five schools and central administration. With her team of colleagues throughout Advancement, she orchestrated the introduction of Beilock and her top priorities to Dartmouth’s 80,000-member global alumni body during the first two years of the new administration. She also advised Inaugural Dean of Arts and Sciences Nina Pavcnik on advancement strategy during the creation of the School of Arts and Sciences.
“I am grateful to Ann for her leadership and dedication over more than two decades at Dartmouth,” says Beilock. “Her commitment has energized alumni and staff alike and raised the bar for how this institution can continue to fulfill its mission. Dartmouth is a better, stronger institution for all Ann has contributed to it.”
A search is underway for a senior vice president for advancement to lead Dartmouth’s global community in lifelong engagement, volunteer service, and philanthropic support. They will oversee a staff of approximately 225 in Alumni Relations, Development, and Advancement Administration.
Beilock plans to maintain two senior roles with advancement responsibilities on her leadership team. Bob Lasher ’88 will become senior vice president for transformational strategy and philanthropy, an expansion of the strategy role he assumed in 2024.
Over the past three years, Lasher has worked with the senior leadership team and the Board of Trustees to translate Dartmouth’s five areas of focus—the promotion of mental health and well-being, dialogue, an environmentally responsible planet and campus, innovation and impact, and a lifelong Dartmouth community—into a clear set of university priorities and measurable goals.
In his new role, Lasher will continue to partner with the provost and deans to shape academic initiatives of impact and societal benefit while also leading planning for Dartmouth’s next campaign. The new responsibilities reflect the dramatic changes in the landscape for research funding and the vital connection between the institution’s strategic vision and the transformational philanthropy necessary to drive competitive excellence.
Lasher, who came to Dartmouth in 2013 as senior vice president for advancement and led the Call to Lead campaign, says Keith has been “a tremendous partner in this work.”
“Ann is a gifted leader whose superpower is empathy,” he says. “She has coached and mentored the central advancement staff into one of the most highly engaged and productive teams on campus, and she leaves Dartmouth with the strongest possible foundation for continued success.”
Keith joined Dartmouth in 2002 as director of leadership giving and has served in a number of leadership roles, including associate vice president for individual giving, associate vice president of development administration, interim senior vice president for advancement, and chief operating officer for advancement.
“I am grateful to President Beilock for giving me the opportunity to lead this amazing team of advancement professionals,” says Keith, an adopted member of the Class of 2005.
“After 24 years, I feel absolutely steeped in the Big Green. Dartmouth is woven into my life in ways that go well beyond the office. This community has shaped me, and I am so grateful for every year of it.”
