The American Technion Society (ATS) has announced that Jeffrey Richard will become the organization’s new Executive Vice President in May, following a nationwide search. Melvyn H. Bloom, who has led the organization for the past three decades, will become Executive Vice President Emeritus.

Mr. Richard, a fundraising professional with more than two decades of top-level experience in the field, currently serves as Vice President for University Development at Columbia University, where he has played a major role in Columbia’s $6 billion campaign. He served previously as Columbia’s Deputy Vice President for Professional Schools and Programs, preceded by four years as Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism.

In addition to his work at Columbia University, Mr. Richard served as Director of Development at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies, where he was responsible for implementing a comprehensive campaign and successfully increasing revenue from major gift philanthropists.

Prior to his work in higher education development, he spent a number of years in the Jewish communal world as the National Coordinator for Major Gifts for the United Jewish Communities, and as Associate Director of Development and Annual Campaigns at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies in Boston. Jeff is active in his community as a Trustee of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale; a Board member of the Heller School Alumni Association at Brandeis University, his alma mater; and is a Development Committee Member of RAVSAK: Jewish Community Day School Network. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Hillel Foundation at Tufts University.

Since its founding in 1940, ATS has raised nearly $2 billion. The current 2009-2015 “Innovation for a Better World” campaign is expected to achieve or exceed its goal of $520 million. This has placed the ATS on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 400” every year since the list’s inception in 1991.