As executive director of corporate and foundation relations at Syracuse University, Gary Girzadas leads a central team of fundraising professionals and engages with external partners to initiate strategic university initiatives, sponsored programs, philanthropy and student programs. He partners with Syracuse University faculty, deans and university leaders on opportunities to connect with companies and foundations looking to achieve their diverse objectives.

Prior to joining Syracuse in 2017, Girzadas worked at the University of Notre Dame's Development Office for 11 plus years, most recently as a director of corporate relations with increasing responsibility for strategic accounts. There he worked on multidisciplinary, principal-level relationships including the Accenture CE3 program which built out micro-grids for entrepreneurs in Uganda and the IBM Global Internship Program in which undergraduate and graduate students worked with IBM research labs in China, Zurich and Dublin.

He graduated from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, the University of Chicago Master's Program in the Humanities, and the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor's degree in English and government.