Jon Denney, Stanford’s vice president for development, has announced that he will retire from Stanford after six years in the role.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend much of my life at Stanford – first as a student, and then for 28 wonderful years of my professional career,” Denney said. “It has been an honor to serve the university in so many capacities, and I am deeply grateful for the colleagues, donors, and volunteers whose dedication helps advance Stanford’s mission and support its extraordinary faculty and students.”

Denney plans to step down at the end of this academic year. Martin Shell, vice president and chief external relations officer, will serve as interim vice president for development upon Denney’s departure. Shell, Denney’s current supervisor, previously held the role from 2005 to 2018.

“Jon’s contributions to Stanford throughout his career have been extraordinary,” said Stanford President Jonathan Levin. “He truly understood Stanford and forged strong relationships with those who care just as deeply for the university. We owe Jon a debt of gratitude for his outstanding tenure as vice president of development, and his lifetime of service to Stanford.”

“We’ve been fortunate to have Jon at Stanford in various roles over the years, and I’m particularly grateful that he agreed to come back to Stanford in this leadership role six years ago,” Shell said. “Jon’s accomplishments since then speak for themselves. He has been a gifted development professional, a wonderful leader to his team, and a treasured colleague. We wish him a wonderful, well-deserved retirement.”

Denney joined Stanford as head of development in April 2019, leading his team through the transition to virtual donor engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining strong relationships with the Stanford community and continuing to secure extraordinary philanthropic support for the university.

"I am incredibly proud of my colleagues in the Office of Development (OOD), whose dedication and hard work have driven strong fundraising results year after year, even in the face of challenging times," Denney said.

Under his leadership, OOD translated Stanford’s Long-Range Vision into concrete fundraising priorities and launched a multi-year effort to secure lead gifts for new university initiatives and core needs of the schools and units that were identified in the strategic planning process.

In 2022, Stanford launched its first new school in 70 years, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, with support from a $1.1 billion gift from John and Ann Doerr, the largest in the university’s history. This and other major contributions significantly bolstered the university’s efforts in climate and sustainability research.

Denney also strengthened collaboration with volunteer groups that provide critical support and guidance to OOD, including the Board of Trustees Committee on Development and the university’s Campaign Committee. “There are so many people who care deeply about Stanford and volunteer their time to help the university be successful,” Denney said. “It’s really unique and important for our work.”

Denney earned an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Stanford, where he was a competitive swimmer and co-captain of the 1985 men’s swimming NCAA Championship team. He then worked in Stanford’s athletics department from 1988 to 1999 before leaving for other roles.

Denney returned in 2002 as director of the Stanford Fund, later advancing to senior associate vice president for development. In 2013, Denney joined the U.S. Olympic Committee, leading fundraising and launching the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation. He served as president of the foundation until he returned to Stanford in 2019.

Reflecting on his time at Stanford, Denney said, “Thirty-three years of my life have been spent on campus so it’s a part of me, and my family and I owe Stanford a great deal. It’s given me more than I could ever repay,” he said. “I’ll look back on this role as the highlight of my professional career.”