Experienced higher education executive joins UTC Development leadership

Smith joins UTC as its first senior associate vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs.

Martin W. (Marty) Smith, a fundraising executive with more than 30 years’ experience in higher education leadership, has joined the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as its first senior associate vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs.

Smith manages development programs for UTC’s five colleges—the College of Arts and Sciences; Gary W. Rollins College of Business; College of Engineering; College of Health, Education and Professional Studies; and the Honors College—in addition to managing campus fundraising initiatives, annual and planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations for the University of Chattanooga Foundation.

Smith also supervises advancement services, stewardship, donor relations and advancement communications.

Smith came to UTC from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where he had been vice president for advancement since 2016. Prior to that position, Smith was vice president for advancement for Illinois Wesleyan University from 2005 to 2016. He was vice president for university advancement at Ottawa University in Kansas from 2003 to 2005; preceded by serving as campaign director and director of major gifts at that university from 2000 to 2003; and director of development there from 1999 to 2000.

Smith was director of athletics for Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana from 1998 to 1999 and held the same position at Ottawa University in Kansas from 1995 to 1998. He was Ottawa’s director of public relations from 1990 to 1995 and its associate director of development from 1988 to 1990.

Smith has a master’s degree in sports administration from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ottawa University in Kansas.

He is a member and past presenter at conferences of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.