Shaun B. Keister, a veteran fundraiser with experience in higher education, arts, and conservation philanthropy, became UC Davis' first vice chancellor for development and alumni relations in 2011.

He functions as the campus's chief fundraising officer and also serves as president of the UC Davis Foundation. He led UC Davis in successfully completing its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, "The Campaign for UC Davis," raising more than $1.1 billion from nearly 110,000 donors. Under his leadership, UC Davis became one of the top two percent of fundraising programs in the United States according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Keister has served in a series of high-level development posts at Florida State, Iowa State, and Penn State universities. In his previous positions he has played a key role in the launch of three major campaigns.

He is a nationally-renowned fundraising expert having been quoted in local and national media outlets including "CNN Money," The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Currents magazine, The Sacramento Bee, and Fox 40 News. Additionally, he has nearly 20 years as an independent fundraising consultant serving clients including the San Francisco Opera, Steppenwolf Theatre, World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservancy, and more than 60 public and private universities.

Keister has served as a CASE member and volunteer, speaking at more than 20 international conferences. He is the 2005 recipient of the CASE Crystal Apple Award for excellence in teaching.

He has a bachelor's degree in political science from Pennsylvania State University and master's and doctoral degrees in sociology from Iowa State University of Science and Technology.

Dale Wright is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dale is an advancement executive with 25+ years of extensive experience in higher education and non-profit fundraising with progressive responsibility in constituent engagement and involvement, strategic planning, management, and building and coaching high performing teams. 

Dale has a proven record of success in alumni affairs, program development and execution, securing and stewarding major and principal gifts, as well as multi-year comprehensive capital campaign experience, including three (3) $1B+ campaigns. 

Wright is actively involved with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), serving on both district and international committees, including the CASE Commission on Philanthropy, as well as a faculty member and speaker at educational programs and conferences. He is a recipient of the prestigious CASE Crystal Apple Award for Teaching Excellence and is a CASE Laureate. Additionally, he is a member of organizations such as the African American Development Officers Network and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where he also serves as a local chapter board member. 

Outside of his professional endeavors, Wright is committed to community service, serving on the American Legion Boys State of Missouri (Missouri Boys State) Board of Directors. In recognition of his service to Missouri Boys State and the field of education, he received the Mel Carnahan Public Service Award in Education in 2023 from the Carnahan Policy Institute. He holds degrees from the University of Missouri (Mizzou).