For Sergio Gonzalez, working in advancement is energizing—from collaborating with talented colleagues to opening opportunities for students. 

A longtime CASE volunteer, Gonzalez has served as Senior Vice President for Advancement at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, U.S., since 2017. In July 2022, he became chair of CASE's Board of Trustees.

Here, he shares what his volunteer service has meant to him, how he started in advancement, and more. 

How did you find your way to advancement?

My path was different than most. I had different careers in law, government, and the nonprofit world. Even though I hadn’t worked in higher education or fundraising, Donna Shalala (my former boss and a great leader, now a mentor and friend), gave me an opportunity to take on a significant leadership role. She hired me as the Senior Vice President for Advancement and External Relations at the University of Miami in Florida, U.S. I did that for 16 years. I am eternally grateful to Donna and honored.

What energizes you most about your work at Brown?

Three things particularly energize me. First, there’s the impact of our work in transforming lives, especially in providing life-changing opportunities for students. Financial aid made my education possible. It is very meaningful for me to raise funds to make it possible for students to benefit from a Brown education.

Second, I love working with Brown’s President Christina Paxson and her wonderful leadership team. Chris is a terrific leader in higher education and she inspires us every day.

Finally, working with my talented advancement team is energizing. We enjoy working with each other. We are collaborative and appreciate each other and our contributions. 

What do you see as the biggest challenge for advancement professionals today?

One key challenge is finding balance in a number of things: the ways we work (in office or at home), the ways we engage with our alumni and donors (in person or virtually), and the messaging we provide (being considerate of many perspectives and views). We have to balance our own well-being with family and ever more demanding careers. Finding balance in all these things is the greatest challenge.  

What has serving as a CASE volunteer meant to you?

It has been a joy to give back to a profession I love while building relationships with colleagues and learning from them. The impact of CASE is inspiring: We advance education to transform lives and society. CASE is unique—it's one of those rare membership associations that serves a very wide and varying set of professions within one umbrella (advancement). We also serve professionals in so many realms of education: higher education, community colleges, and independent schools, all around the globe. It’s a significant and impactful mission. 

Now, as the first Hispanic chair of the CASE Board of Trustees, I hope to inspire other diverse professionals to join the ranks of the advancement profession and to volunteer with CASE to, in turn, pave the way for others. 

What’s the most valuable piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

“Work hard and most everything will fall in place.” I learned this from my grandfather, who came to the U.S. 60 years ago in his late 50s, fleeing a dictatorship in Cuba. He lost everything he had worked for and came to this country with only 25 cents in his pocket to rebuild for himself and his family. It’s hard not to be inspired by that. It reminds me to give it all (or at least as much as I can!) every day. 

Finally, what’s something meaningful to you that you keep in your office?

Pictures of my beautiful wife and my three children, and Miami sports teams memorabilia. It’s fun to be a Miami fan in New England!