Maureen Silva to join Bridgewater College as vice president for institutional advancement

Following an extensive national search, Bridgewater College has selected Dr. Maureen Silva to join the College as vice president for institutional advancement. Silva, who comes to Bridgewater with a broad background in higher education development and fundraising, will begin on Feb. 1, 2014.

She currently works at St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM), where she serves as Vice President for Advancement and Executive Director of the SMCM Foundation. During her three years at SMCM, she has significantly increased annual commitments from donors, helped realize a large increase in the college’s endowment, and created numerous new relationships with alumni, community members and businesses.

“I could not be happier with the search process or the outcome,” said Bridgewater College President Dr. David Bushman. “I am confident we have selected an advancement leader who can help us set the College on a path to substantial fundraising success. Maureen’s record of achievement coupled with her passion for mission-driven, liberal arts institutions like BC, makes her a perfect member of our leadership team, and I’m looking forward to partnering with her to realize a great future for the College.”

“It will be a great honor to serve Bridgewater College, a strong institution focused on preserving an accessible and affordable education and instilling in its graduates a desire to live intelligent, healthy, purposeful and ethical lives in our global society,” said Silva. “I am proud to be joining a community that values honesty, integrity, loyalty and sincerity—ideals consistent with my own—and I look forward to partnering with Bridgewater’s leadership to strengthen the College’s philanthropic support.”

Prior to joining SMCM, Silva served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Campaign Director at the University of Denver and Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Colorado School of Mines. Silva has a Ph.D. in higher education organization and governance from the University of Denver, and a master’s of nonprofit management from Regis University.

Silva is active in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and has served for several years as a faculty member for Higher Education Resource Services.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to approximately 1,850 undergraduate students.