MSU narrows field for VP job to three candidates

The new vice president will succeed Greg Onstot, who retired earlier this year after 25 years with the school. Responsibilities of the position include fund-raising and alumni activities of the university.

“We had a very strong pool of candidates, and we believe we have three great finalists to interview,” said Tammy Jahnke, MSU College of Natural and Applied Sciences dean and chairwoman of the search, in a news release. “This is a key position for the university, especially given the increasing need for private gift support.”

The candidates are:

Brent Dunn, MSU’s director of athletics development and assistant director of athletics.

He has worked in development at MSU since 1985, spending several years each as director of annual giving, an associate director of development and director of annual giving, before coming into his current role in 1995. He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in communication, both from MSU.

Dunn will interview May 31–June 1.

Robin Robeson is senior vice president and market executive for The Commerce Trust Co., where she has been since 1997. Her previous positions there were assistant vice president and regional retail sales manager, and vice president and private banking manager.

Robeson previously held positions at Springfield Trust Co., the FISI-Madison Financial in Nashville, Boatmen’s Trust Co., and First National Bank and Trust Co. in Columbia. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia and professional designation as a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor from the Institute of Certified Bankers.

Robeson will interview June 3–4.

Prudence Precourt is director of marketing and executive vice president for the foundation at the Ripon Medical Center in Ripon, Wis. Before coming to the medical center in 2005, she was the principal in Verdon Precourt Associates consultancy for seven years, vice chancellor for development and university relations at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke for six years and vice president for institutional advancement at Wesley College for four years. She also has held positions at the University of Florida, Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

She has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, as well as accreditation from Certified Fund Raising Executive International.

Precourt will interview June 10–11.