VP Earns “40 Under 40” Distinction

10/23/2012 

SUNY Cortland Vice President for Institutional Advancement Kimberly Pietro has been tapped as one of Central New York’s “40 Under 40” winners, a distinction reserved for 40 of the area’s brightest individuals who are 39 years old or younger.

Pietro, 35, will be recognized Wednesday, Nov. 14, at the “40 Under 40” Luncheon and Awards Ceremony at the Oncenter in Syracuse. The luncheon benefits 40 Below, a non-profit organization of young professionals and community members dedicated to revitalization in Central New York.

“I’m humbled, to say the least,” Pietro said. “Although this is an individual honor, I think it really speaks to the type of people we have working at SUNY Cortland — hard-working, ambitious, civic-minded — from President Erik J. Bitterbaum on down. I’ve been fortunate to work with some really talented people in my career and that certainly has held true in my brief time at the College.”

According to the “40 Under 40” award description, the honor recognizes “individuals who have excelled in the workplace and in the community. This group demonstrates diverse backgrounds, experiences and skills; they thrive on active community involvement and appreciate the importance of their role in advancing public good.”

Pietro joined the College in June and oversees all of SUNY Cortland’s efforts in alumni relations, fundraising, government affairs, public relations and print and electronic communications.

A member of the College’s five-person President’s Cabinet, the institution’s primary leadership team, Pietro also serves as executive director of the Cortland College Foundation Board. She oversees SUNY Cortland’s Educating Champions: The Campaign for Cortland fundraising initiative, a bold initiative to raise $25 million to support the College’s institutional goals, as well as a 37-member staff.

Prior to joining SUNY Cortland, Pietro served as the associate vice president for development at Onondaga Community College. In that role, she helped the college raise the $7.5 million goal set by its Reach Beyond capital campaign. She was responsible for several complex projects related to fundraising, sponsorship opportunities related to the college’s SRC Arena and corporate and foundation partnerships.

Pietro worked at Le Moyne College from 2001 to 2010, rising through the positions of assistant director and director of annual giving to become director of major and planned giving. In her most senior role, her work was instrumental in the college’s $50 million Achieving New Heights capital campaign.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education at the University of South Carolina, where she was a first-team All-American and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in softball in 1999. After graduation, Pietro served as an assistant softball coach at Syracuse University.

She holds a Master of Science in Higher Education from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration from Le Moyne College.