As Vice President of Advancement at Bradley University, Jacob C. Heuser oversees a team of nearly 30 development and alumni relations professionals to drive donations and fundraising efforts. Since 2007, his work has resulted in over $90 million raised, more than 50 successful alumni events each year, and 4,000 first-time donors to the university. He was on the team responsible for Bradley’s Renaissance Campaign—the largest fundraising campaign in university history—and currently oversees fundraising for the Business and Engineering Convergence Center.
In addition, Heuser serves on the Administrative Council and Strategic Planning Committee, and is secretary of the Advancement Committee of the Bradley Board of Trustees. He is also one of just five people serving on the President’s Council—an advisory group at the forefront of university decision making.
Combining his work at Bradley with community involvement has consistently been among Heuser’s top priorities. He organized “Giving Tuesday” last year, reaching out to students, alumni and the community for a challenge-based fundraising campaign that resulted in nearly 1,700 donors and more than $576,000 raised. He is a steering committee member for the Bradley Caterpillar Strategic Alliance, working with Caterpillar executives to leverage research and creative capabilities and drive joint relationships between industry and faculty/student initiatives. He also spearheaded negotiations in securing a seven-figure gift for a partnership between Bradley University and Quest Charter schools.
Outside of Bradley, Heuser has kept ties with his undergraduate fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, serving as an informal advisor on various projects, as well as the Phi Delta Theta Educational Foundation. He is also active with the Dax Locke Foundation, having previously served as board chair, utilizing his fundraising and leadership skills to help raise more than $2 million for St. Jude.
A graduate of Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University), Heuser is the youngest acting vice president at Bradley. He and his wife Lea Ann have two children—with a third on the way! iBi
