Hope College has named Jeff Puckett as its new vice president for development and alumni engagement.

Puckett comes to Hope with strong experience in fundraising, having been a leader in higher education development for 21 years. He currently serves as the vice president of development and alumni relations at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin.

“Jeff’s leadership style is an excellent fit with Hope College, and he brings a track record of innovative thinking and professional success,” said Hope College President Dr. John Knapp. “As we complete our 10-year strategic plan, he will be a critical partner in developing resources and more actively engaging our alumni.”

In his new position at Hope, Puckett will direct the efforts to increase philanthropic giving to, and alumni involvement with, the college. Overseeing Hope’s Division of Development and Alumni Engagement, he will help close out the college’s $175 million A Greater Hope campaign, prioritize fundraising initiatives, develop new strategic initiatives, and work to strengthen alumni, parent, and community engagement.

Since joining Beloit in 2010, Puckett has led the college to a 45 percent increase in its annual budget-relieving fundraising base. He helped the college successfully close its $100 million Classic. Daring. Life-Changing. comprehensive campaign and led the design and implementation of Fast Forward: The Campaigns for Beloiters, a series of six project-based programmatic and capital campaigns focused on enhancing the mission and reputation of Beloit College.

Prior to joining Beloit, Puckett was a member of the development staff at Washington State University from 1999 to 2010. His last post there was as senior vice president and chief operating officer of the Washington State University Foundation and associate vice president of development for the university. Puckett served as the director of development at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska, from 1998 to 1999, and as the director of annual support programs at Elon College (now Elon University) from 1996 to 1998.

“Hope College is a truly remarkable institution,” said Puckett. “I look forward to partnering with President Knapp and the entire Hope College community on the development and advancement of its strategic fundraising initiatives.”

He will begin his time at Hope in early January 2015.

Puckett graduated from Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and completed a Master of Arts degree in English at Appalachian State University.

He is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Fund Raising Professionals (AFP), and most recently has served as a keynote speaker and guest panelist on the topic of modular fundraising campaigns.

Puckett and his wife, Amy, have two children, Sam, 17, and Madeline, 14.