With NYC Homecoming, Kelly Brown Looks Forward to Elevating College Profile

On Monday January 15, Lehman College welcomed Kelly Mansfield Brown as the new Vice President for Institutional Advancement. She comes to the College from St. John’s College of Annapolis, M.D. and Santa Fe, N.M., where she was Vice President for Advancement and Campaign Director. 

"Over Kelly’s three decades in higher ed fundraising and development, she has significantly improved the fiscal health of prominent institutions, enriching the lives of their students” said Lehman president Fernando Delgado. “I am thrilled she has chosen Lehman as the next step in her impressive career and look forward to working alongside her to elevate the College’s profile and expand its capacity to serve our students, our community, and our borough." 

Among Brown’s accomplishments, she has helmed three multimillion-dollar capital campaigns; her most recent $300 million campaign at St. John’s exceeded its goal by over $25 million. She has brought in numerous major gifts, orchestrated large-scale alumni and donor engagement efforts, and has significant experience in marketing and branding strategy.

"When I saw that McKenzie Scott invested $30 million in Lehman College, I knew there was something special about this place,” said Brown. “The more I learned, the more I wanted to help support Lehman's mission of educating the Bronx's finest and helping to energize and improve entire communities."

Brown’s 30-year advancement career includes senior leadership positions at institutions including The Johns Hopkins University, The University of Maryland, and The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

Although she has spent most of her career in the Washington, D.C. region, Brown sees her move to New York as a homecoming. “I grew up in Northern New Jersey and spent my weekends kicking around New York with friends,” she said. “Most importantly, I am excited to return to a place that knows how to make bagels and pizza.”   

Brown earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American History at The Johns Hopkins University. She has been married for 27 years and has two children, one in college and another in high school. When not fundraising, she enjoys cooking, reading, travelling and scuba diving.