Bob Martin, the vice president for university advancement, will be leaving Eastern on Feb. 23 to work at Central Michigan University to help lead the university’s first comprehensive campaign.

“This was a golden opportunity,” Martin said. “It is time for another adventure.”

Since 2010, Martin and his team have raised over $63 million dollars over four fundraising years exceeding the original goal by $13.7 million. Martin and his team also established over 320 new scholarships and had over 10,725 first time donors.

“We had several goals when I started. We wanted people to turn their love for Eastern into donations and build a group of alumni volunteers for future campaigns,” Martin said.

Martin said he decided to take the position as vice president for university advancement at CMU because it was a great career move, and he wanted to help start the school’s campaign, grow endowments and enhance culture philanthropy among students and alumni.

“That’s why I came to Eastern. I like to start things and I’m going there to be one of the leaders on the winning team,” Martin said. “CMU is a right match for me.”

Martin will be working with an old acquaintance from his time at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga as well as a team of leaders to help fundraise over $100 million for CMU.

“Basically, to do a $100 million plus campaign at a major university is just the pinnacle of my career,” Martin said.

Martin said he plans to meet with his new team and the president at CMU to set steps to be successful.

“We are going to have fun doing it, and we are going to turn the love for the Chippewas into a campaign success and that will help secure the future for students forever,” Martin said.

Martin said CMU is an amazing university and has almost 27,000 students, more than 200,000 alumni, a new medical college, “awesome” athletic programs and facilities, ranked academic programs and solid job placement rates.

“It would be a joy to sell that school as it was for Eastern,” Martin said.

Martin said CMU has a sense of pride coming from everyone he met, from the president to the alumni, and to the development and alumni staff.

“It was a team I believed would be enjoyable to join and help lead to campaign success,” Martin said.

According to an article in the Central Michigan News, Martin will earn $230,000 a year compared to the $185,000 he makes at Eastern.

“They had what I wanted. It was a complete package for me and my wife, and it will be the final highlight of my career.”

Martin’s departure was voluntary, and he said the pay was not a driving factor, but the opportunity was.

The university’s DI athletic status was another perk when taking the new position, Martin said.

“I’m a big sports fan,” Martin said. “Strong athletics help increase alumni pride and results in big donations to not only athletics but academics.”

President David Glassman said he is considering various options and individuals to fill Martin’s position, and the decision will be made after Martin leaves Eastern in late February.

“As a parent of an Eastern honors graduate, a staff member and an academic and athletic donor, I will miss Eastern and the friends I made here,” Martin said.

Analicia Haynes can be reached 581-2812 or [email protected].