Grand View Announces Stephen Sporer as Vice President for Advancement

January 6, 2023

Grand View University announces the promotion of Stephen K. Sporer to Vice President for Advancement. Sporer has been with the university since January 2022 as Associate Vice President for Advancement. He succeeds Bill Burma, who announced his retirement last fall after 22 years.

President Rachelle Keck says, “I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Stephen to this new role and to the university President’s Council. His deep experience in higher education fundraising and alumni development in locations across the country, his educational background, and his personal traits and qualities make him the ideal person for this important work. Stephen brings fresh ideas, energy, and enthusiasm to his work, and he connects with donors and constituents authentically. I am excited to work alongside him as we usher in a new era at Grand View University.”

Sporer came to Grand View from Luther College where he was Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations. While leading a team of 25, Sporer managed the college’s lead donors and served on the president’s leadership cabinet. He increased annual fund giving to a record $2.25 million including a $1 million Giving Day. He also helped Luther reach goals in capital and endowment initiatives.

Prior to Luther, Sporer served two stints at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. During his nine years at Macalester, Sporer worked his way up through the ranks ultimately becoming the director of principal and major gifts. He also assisted in the strategy, planning and fundraising for The Macalester Moment, a $100 million campaign.

Sporer also worked in fundraising at the University of California-Davis as its associate director of regional giving, and at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, as its director of student activities and associate director of alumni relations. Sporer holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Iowa, where he majored in English education, and a master's degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he studied adult and higher education with an emphasis on counseling. He has also completed graduate coursework in theatre and writing at Sarah Lawrence.

Sporer is excited, "I’m thrilled to step into the vice president role at what is clearly an energizing new chapter in Grand View’s deep and successful history. I look forward to highlighting all of the incredible successes at GV while sharing the story of what we need to succeed in 2023 and beyond so our students can live out their fullest potential."