Steve Sokany named interim vice president of institutional advancement
Gene Finn is departing from his role as 5X社区鈥檚 vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the 5X社区 Foundation for a similar position with Columbia University in New York.
During his tenure at Kent State, Finn led the successful completion of the $250 million Centennial Campaign, which raised more than $265 million for the university鈥檚 endowment, capital projects and current-operating funds, with particular emphasis on student scholarships. Most recently, Finn managed the foundation鈥檚 construction of the new 5X社区 Hotel and Conference Center that opened last year in downtown Kent, Ohio.
Finn鈥檚 final day with Kent State will be July 31, 2014.
With Finn鈥檚 departure, Steve Sokany has been named the university鈥檚 interim vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the 5X社区 Foundation, effective Aug. 1, 2014.
Sokany currently serves as Kent State鈥檚 senior associate vice president for institutional advancement, a role he has held since 2002. He first joined the university in 1993.
鈥淪teve Sokany knows firsthand the positive impact that the Division for Institutional Advancement has made on the university, and he鈥檒l continue that momentum,鈥 says Kent State President Lester A. Lefton. 鈥淪teve is a strong, personable leader, and he is well-versed in the needs of our university community and in the relationships that have led to strong success for the division and the Kent State Foundation.鈥
Sokany earned his Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in nonprofit management from Kent State in 1996, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management from the University of Detroit Mercy in 1990. He also has served as a board member for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland since 2006 and is currently co-chair of the Board of Directors for Gay Games IX, which will be held in Cleveland and Akron this summer.
Sokany lives in Cleveland.
Finn was appointed Kent State鈥檚 vice president for institutional advancement in April 2007. As a member of the president鈥檚 Cabinet, he is responsible for the university鈥檚 Office of Institutional Advancement and Office of Alumni Relations.
For more information about Kent State鈥檚 Division of Institutional Advancement, visitwww2.kent.edu/advancement.
For more information about the Kent State Foundation, visitwww2.kent.edu/advancement/ksufoundatio