Talent Citizen congratulates David Bartell on his appointment as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Bay Path University effective August 3, 2026. As Vice President, Dave will lead the University’s Advancement enterprise, setting strategy and direction for all fundraising and constituent engagement efforts. Dave will work in partnership with President Sandra J. Doran, JD to identify and set Advancement priorities campus-wide, while leading a team that comprises individual giving, corporate and foundation giving, alumni and constituent relations, stewardship, and advancement services.
Dave previously served as Assistant Vice President for Development at the Upstate Foundation, where he led fundraising for Golisano Children’s Hospital, a key member of Upstate Medical University’s academic medical enterprise. During his tenure at Golisano Children’s Hospital, Dave led a multi-channel advancement operation encompassing major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, volunteer engagement, and external partnerships. Dave’s expertise lies in cultivating long-term philanthropic relationships, and he has remained active on the frontline as his leadership portfolio has grown over the years. Recently, Dave led his team to exceed its annual fundraising goal by ten percent while simultaneously decreasing expenditures.
Previously, Dave invested 14 years at Syracuse University, progressing to ultimately serve as Executive Director of Outreach Programs with the Office of Alumni Engagement. Dave was relied upon as a key leader in the effort to reimagine alumni engagement as a strategic driver of institutional advancement. A signature outcome of his efforts was achieving the $1.5 billion Forever Orange campaign’s goal of 120,000 unique donors and its corresponding focus on measurable engagement outcomes. Dave oversaw a comprehensive engagement portfolio including regional and international alumni programs, alumni career and professional development, student and young alumni initiatives, identity- and affinity-based programming, and student philanthropy. His earlier roles at Syracuse included major gift fundraising in behalf of the College of Arts & Sciences and as a regional advancement director in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Dave’s lifelong commitment to advancing access to education for students seeking meaningful careers makes him an exceptional match for Bay Path’s mission. Dave earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Le Moyne College, as well as a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration from State University of New York at Oswego. Dave’s early career included teaching and coaching high school sports, as well as sales within the medical industry.
As a volunteer leader, Dave has been a chair and member of numerous college and university committees, as well as serving as board president of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Syracuse, New York, among many other activities in service to the field of professional fundraisers.
With family ties to New England, Dave is excited to join Bay Path University in a transformative moment of growth with its recent acquisition of Cambridge College and its upcoming comprehensive campaign launch.
Talent Citizen President Tracy Welsh led this search with Managing Director Rachel K. Partin and Senior Associate Eva Kotilinek.