Renberg named associate VP for resource development

Ben Renberg has been appointed associate vice president for resource development.

Currently the assistant dean for external relations at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business, Renberg will assume his new role July 1. He succeeds Kevin Foyle, who will be ending his 14-year career at Rice later this month to become vice president for development at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“I congratulate both Ben and Kevin on their new professional opportunities and wish them great success in their new roles,” said Vice President for Resource Development Darrow Zeidenstein. “As our division seeks to build the foundation for future success, Ben’s ability to plan thoughtfully and execute flawlessly will serve us all well for years to come.”

Ben Renberg

Renberg will be responsible for day-to-day operations of individual fundraising programs and also oversee various departments within the Office of Resource Development, including gift planning, major gifts, annual giving, development events, research and constituent relations.

“Ben will be new to Resource Development, but not new to Rice and certainly not new to our profession,” Zeidenstein said.

Before coming to Rice, Renberg served as a partner with Dini Partners, a consulting firm specializing in the nonprofit community. His extensive background in the nonprofit sector also includes tenure at Baylor University as associate vice president for development and Baylor College of Medicine as director of development. A native Texan, Renberg has a B.A. and an MBA from Baylor University.

Since Renberg joined the Jones School staff in October 2010, the school’s fundraising has “grown tremendously,” Zeidenstein said. “Ben received unanimous acclaim for his professionalism and ability to execute.”

Bill Glick, dean of the Jones School and the H.J. Nelson III Professor of Management, also praised Renberg’s accomplishments. “In the last two and a half years, Ben has been a driving force in raising philanthropic support and visibility for the Jones School,” he said. “He has done an outstanding job of developing the external relations team through coaching, training, collaboration and selective external hiring. The team has successfully increased alumni engagement, supported the Jones School Council of Overseers, increased corporate partnerships and represented Rice University and the Jones School to the broader business community. The school is on pace to reach our Centennial Campaign goal. We wish Ben well in his new position, where we are certain he will have an even greater impact for our community at Rice.”

“As a participant in Rice’s Centennial Celebration while in the Jones Graduate School of Business, I thought it was exciting to see the celebration of Rice’s history and at the same time get a hint of what is ahead for the university,” Renberg said. “I look forward to being a part of the Resource Development team to keep the energy from the Centennial Celebration and the momentum from the Centennial Campaign to advance the important work going on across campus. It is an honor to serve the Rice community in this new role.”