Courtney Surls is the Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations at American University, where she works with the university leadership, alumni, and donors to support AU's strategic priorities, attract new funding, and build lifelong relationships between AU and more than 115,000 alumni.

Prior to coming to American University in 2015, Surls served as senior vice president for development at the Newseum, where she provided strategic leadership for fundraising, membership, and stewardship and prepared the institution for its next fundraising campaign.

Surls’s experience also includes serving as vice president of development at University of Southern California, positions in development and advancement at Loyola Marymount, and as a teacher and development director at an independent school in Los Angeles. She earned her master of education degree in school administration from Loyola Marymount and her bachelor's degree in music and music curriculum from Iowa State University.