Michael Rishell Email & Phone Number

Mesa, Arizona

Using words as persuasive tools. Consulting on strategy for mission-driven organizations. Teaching and coaching the use of these tools. Divining resources.Engagements have included faculty appointments at Wichita State University and Butler Community College as well as consulting for therepublicofhumanity.org, The University of Tampa, and The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM).With TKAAM, I consulted with the executive director on matters of external relations, fundraising, and organizational strategy. I also prepared background information and proposals for strategic partnerships, primarily with organizations but also with individuals and worked to recruit new members of the board of directors of the museum.For the University of Tampa, I advised on the celebrations and recognition strategies surrounding the successful completion of their capital campaign. With the republicofhumanity.org, I helped create the initial campaign case statement as well as advised on fundraising opportunities.While at Wichita State, I developed and taught COMM 612P -- Communication, Leadership, & Philanthropy. Also, was co-founder of the Applied Narrative Initiative along with department chair of English. Secured initial grant for start-up and worked to secure funding for 1-3 years from university leadership. Worked closely with Ohio State's Project Narrative to guide the development of the programming.I have also served in editorial positions for both The Red Truck Review and Red Earth Review, and have published in the Southern Literary Review, the Dragon Poet Review, and The Red Truck Review.

Phoenix, Arizona Area

Taught writing, journalism, and creative writing (both print and video, as well as social media) at an early college high school with a student population that is primarily Latino. The school is associated with South Mountain Community College, a part of the Maricopa Community Colleges.

Worked with the dean and the faculty of Fairmount College to guide major gift fundraising strategies and to manage major gift prospects. Also, for the university at large, manage donor relationships on a regional basis in Southern California and the Mid-Atlantic.• College fundraising totals were $607,391 for fiscal 2012 up from $492,590 in fiscal 2011, a rise of 23%. For fiscal 2013 they were $1,667,104 – a rise of 274% from the previous year. The three year improvement has been 338%.• Developed social media strategies for the Elliott School of Communication to help promote Communication Week and to help monetize alumni support. This work received a CLARUS Award from the Kansas Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America during Spring 2011. • In conjunction with faculty, developed successfully funded (or soon to be funded) projects in new media, debate, and adult education. Additionally, a Center for Creative Narrative is in development, working with all humanities disciplines. Currently working to create a Council for Applied Learning to create a model for education in the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences.

Led fundraising and external relations program with five direct reports (major gifts, alumni and annual giving, corporate relationship management, advancement services, and administrative services) and a total of 24 professionals and 4 support staff. • Increased production over 300% for fiscal year (2009) was $36,043,242, compared to previous year’s production of $12,955,614.• Designed and initiate campaign strategic plan for the McCombs School’s $225 million capital campaign, part of the university’s overall $3 billion effort, The Campaign for Texas.• Developed concept, with two faculty, of Texas Venture Labs and Venture Week to bring together the vast and varied resources of the University of Texas’s resources and academic programs in Entrepreneurship, ultimately revitilizing the academic programs and creating new synergies.

Designed and implemented regional fund-raising structure and culture change to serve 40,000 alumni in Phoenix and an additional 150,000 alumni outside Arizona. • Overall fundraising performance for UAF improved 30% from $118 million to $154 million in Fiscal 2007.• Worked with unit-based colleagues on major gift strategy and solicitation in greater Phoenix area creating a team approach to managing relationships.• Served as part of the senior leadership team of the UA Foundation.• Worked with UA Museum of Art to develop an Archive of Visual Arts, assisting with securing founding archival gift and managing two key donors supporting the development of the archive, now a vital part of the museum’s programming and research.

Directed fund-raising efforts with the 70,000 alumni of the Broad School, including supervision of three additional professional staff. As one of five senior directors of development university-wide, involved in campaign planning process for Michigan State’s $1.2 billion The Campaign for MSU. Kickoff was September 2002.• Secured leadership gifts of $16 million, $10 million, $8 million (2), and $4 million, along with fourteen $1 million gifts. • Campaign goal for The Broad School is $125 million; progress as of February 2005 was $85 million (with 26 months remaining in campaign).• Created The Broad Leadership Society, a gift recognition society to encourage annual, unrestricted gifts of $5000 or more BLS has grown from three annual gifts at this level to more than thirty at the end of the program’s first year in 2003.• Also served as interim director of communications for the Broad School November 2000 – June 2001, supervising an additional three professional staff and one support staff member.• Received 2006 Lewis Quality Award for the development of the Broad Coaches program – a mentoring program directed by the Broad Alumni Association.

Created as a part of Ohio State’s University Technology Partnerships Task Force, this position originated in the College of Engineering and developed strategies for corporate support of research-based programs, working to manage corporate relationships not only philanthropic but also rooted in corporate research, operating/manufacturing, and marketing budgets. Work concentrated on three areas: the development of SciTech and its technology commercialization initiative, the creation and expansion of technology partnerships – particularly those that cross traditional academic borders, and the development of an angel relations strategy.In addition to the work described above, served as co-manager of fundraising programs for the College of Engineering. As part of Ohio State’s $1 billion Affirm Thy Friendship campaign, the College of Engineering’s campaign goal was $160 million. Specific responsibilities included directing corporate fundraising and corporate research partnerships, serving as development liaison to Office for Technology Licensing and Technology Partnerships,and initial development of fundraising for the technology commercialization initiative, including limited partnership for internal seed venture capital fund.Specific accomplishments at Ohio State include:• Elevated campaign goal became $160 million (original goal was $120 million). As of February 29, 2000, (when position was moved to the Office of Research) campaign progress was $155,425,876 – 97% of goal for June, 2000. • Fiscal 2000 fund-raising total was $14,511,511. This represented a 33% increase from fiscal 1999 total of $10,951,546.• Fiscal 1999 corporate/foundation total was $7,967,120.• Established corporate partnership model for relationships with Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Northrop-Grumman, and Texas Instruments.

Phd, Higher, Adult, And Lifelong Education

Dissertation: Becoming the University: The Early Presidential Discourse of Gordon Gee. Major Field: Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education..

Mfa, Poetry (With High Honor)

Thesis: People Places & Very Dark Places Advisor: Jeanetta Calhoun Mish. Second Reader: Timothy Bradford

M.Ed., Institutional Advancement

Major Field: Institutional Advancement (Higher Education Administration and Marketing). Advisor: David R. Jones

B.A., English And Secondary Education

Activities and Societies: University Senate, Sigma Phi Epsilon FraternityMajor Fields: English and Secondary Education. State of Kansas.

Education record

Activities and Societies: Two letters in varsity baseball.