Dear Colleagues, 

I write to share that Mary Burke, vice president for institutional advancement, has made the decision to resign from Temple University to pursue other opportunities. Her last day will be Friday, March 7.  

I want to thank Mary for all her contributions over the last few years. Since she joined both Temple and Institutional Advancement nearly three years ago, she has made an undeniable impact. In every year that she led the division, gifts to the university exceeded more than $100 million. This includes fiscal year 2023, when Mary and her team raised $127,841,145, which is the largest amount ever raised by the university during one single fiscal year. During fiscal year 2024, Mary helped shepherd 21 commitments of $1 million or more to the university. This includes the largest gift in Temple Athletics history and the largest gift in the College of Engineering’s history. 

Under her leadership, the university also launched Made for More: Prioritizing Scholarships at Temple, a targeted fundraising initiative to encourage the establishment of endowed scholarships. The program has proven to be immensely successful in ensuring future students can pursue the high-quality education that is a hallmark of Temple University.  

Al Checcio, who has been working with the university to conduct a thorough review of the Office of Institutional Advancement, will serve as interim vice president for the division. Al brings with him more than 40 years of experience to the role and has held chief fundraiser roles at several prominent institutions, including the University of Southern California and Fordham University. He also led major fundraising campaigns at institutions that include American University, the University of Pittsburgh, Drexel University and right here at Temple. 

I want to extend my gratitude to Mary for her service to the university over the last three years. I know the collective Temple community joins me in wishing her the very best. 

Sincerely, 

John Fry 
President