Martin (Marty) Smith has joined the team at Millsaps College as vice president of institutional advancement. Smith comes to Millsaps from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he served as senior associate vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs. He also previously held roles as vice president of institutional advancement at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois and Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas.

Smith replaces Hope Carter, who accepted a position at the University of Florida last year.

“This is an exciting time for Marty Smith to come to Millsaps,” said Dr. Rob Pearigen, president. “We have seen record-setting results in the past few years, including surpassing $2.1 million for our annual fund alone this past year. Marty is uniquely qualified to build on this positive momentum, having led major campaigns and increased donor bases and alumni participation over the course of his career in higher education.”

Smith brings more than 30 years’ experience in higher education to his new position at Millsaps. At Ottawa University, Smith led the most successful campaign in the institution’s history. He replicated that success at Illinois Wesleyan, completing the largest campaign in the school’s history and raising more than $141 million to establish new student scholarships and new endowed professorships, build and improve campus facilities and support the overall endowment. In his time at Transylvania University and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Smith was instrumental in building new giving programs and setting new records for participation and fundraising.

“Millsaps College has a national reputation as a premier liberal arts college, and I look forward to sharing the stories of its students, faculty and alumni as we build a strong foundation for the future,” Smith said. “I am passionate about this work, because as a scholarship recipient during my own college years, I experienced the impact that donors can have on an institution.”

Smith started in his new role on January 18, 2022. He can be reached at smithmw3@millsaps.edu.