Gabrielle Hendricks
Laura McCullough entered the Mount community this fall semester as the new Assistant Vice President of Advancement. McCullough brings her previous knowledge and energetic spirit to the Office of Advancement.
McCullough began her education and Penn State University, receiving her bachelor’s degree in business and then later received her master’s degree in business administration. She has worked in fundraising development since 2008 and worked in banking previous to that. Before taking her position as Assistant Vice President of Advancement at Mount St. Mary’s, she worked for the Community Foundation in Fredrick County, raising money and grants for scholarships.
McCullough discussed her goals as Assistant Vice President of Advancement. She stated her goals are, “Identifying what the needs of the institution are and figuring out what is the best way to get there. It is a lot of discovering and figuring out what is working”. McCullough oversees alumni engagement and development operations which entails fundraising, so it is imperative for her to learn what is the best way to gain resources for funding developments at the university and retain alumni involvement.
When describing McCullough’s work ethic, her colleague, Patricia Hill-Callahan, Vice President of Advancement, said, “She’s extremely bright, she works efficiently, has strong attention to detail, and is delightful to be around”. She called McCullough “the engine that makes the office work”. McCullough’s responsibilities are a crucial aspect to the functionality of the Office of Advancement.
When describing her own work, McCullough described how she pours her Catholic values into it. She said, “A lot of communication should have a faith base component, in my work, in personal values and how I work with my team and treat my staff.”
She expressed how the Mount is a unique place, where she is able to show her faith in her work. She stated, “I never had an employer where I could end an email with ‘God bless’ or talk about Christmas or Easter”. McCullough can share her faith and values with an institution that is built on sharing the gifts and virtues of Catholicism like the Mount.
McCullough’s Catholic values not only influences her work, but her energetic personality also contributes to her productivity. Hill-Callahan remarked, “I did not know how quickly she [McCullough] worked. She’s fast, she’s efficient. She gets the job done.” Even when describing herself McCullough joked, “I’m incredibly perky so if you are not a perky person you should have your coffee before you see me.” Having someone who is enthusiastic about their job is what the Office of Advancement needs, and McCullough goes beyond to fulfill that requirement.
President Timothy Trainor praised McCullough’s abilities, saying, “Laura McCullough has both breadth and depth of fundraising experience that will truly help advance our fundraising efforts. I believe her experience and passion for excellence will help the Mount succeed in meeting our fundraising goals.”
Mount St. Mary’s University welcomes McCullough and cannot wait to see how she brings success to the Office of Advancement and the university community.
Kelly Blanco
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