Connie McKenzie is the Senior Associate Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Her position guides a department of development and alumni relations professionals who build relationships with individuals, foundations and corporations capable of gifts to EVMS. In addition, in her role with alumni relations she works with a team whose goal is to help EVMS alumni maintain important connections and facilitate alumni-student interaction for enriching the educational experience.
The departments are currently engaged in a six-year capital campaign titled Deliver on the Promise.
Connie and her team led the capital campaign which raised 62.4% above its goal. During her ten year tenure, her team increased giving by 1,100% over all giving across the prior years.
This unprecedented success resulted in EVMS receiving the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Hampton Roads’ 2013 National Philanthropy Day Award for Outstanding Non-profit in Fundraising and Connie was subsequently awarded the AFP – HR’s Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award in 2014. In that same year, Ms. McKenzie also received EVMS’ highest honor award of Outstanding Achievement from the President of EVMS.
Early in her career, Ms. McKenzie applied her masters in social work background to raise funds for various human services programs. Her first experience was in homeless services in Richmond where she formed her fund development skills. In 2004, she earned the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation which recognizes professional accomplishments and measures a fundraising professional’s current practice.
She is a graduate of Lead Hampton Roads as well as Ignite Chesapeake, leadership programs of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, she was recognized by Inside Business as a Top Forty under 40 honoree.
Connie is a prior board member of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the First Colonial High School Crew Club, past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Hampton Roads (AFP-HR), where she continues to serve as a mentor in their mentorship program, and in addition is a past president of the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. She is currently a member of the board for the Museum of Contemporary Art and is a member of the 2019-2020 CIVIC Leadership Institute Program.