The University of Illinois Springfield has appointed Wayne Davenport as associate vice chancellor for development, major gifts. He will begin his role on March 24.

Davenport will oversee all development officers and major gifts programs at UIS. Additionally, he will serve as the primary development officer for the College of Business and Management.

“We are very excited to welcome Wayne to our team and help take our major gifts program at UIS to new heights,” said Gabe Cagwin, UIS vice chancellor for advancement and senior vice president for the University of Illinois Foundation. “We conducted a national search, and with Wayne’s impressive achievements throughout his career and how he connected with our staff and search committee during his on-campus visit, it was clear that he was the right person for the job and ready to serve in a leadership role on our Advancement staff. We couldn’t be happier to have Wayne and his family join our Springfield community.”

Davenport brings nearly two decades of experience in fundraising and advancement. He most recently served as senior director of advancement for the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri, where he was responsible for securing major gifts, building donor relationships and supporting the university’s philanthropic initiatives.

Prior to his role at Missouri, Davenport held leadership positions at Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University-Commerce, where he successfully led fundraising campaigns, managed major gift portfolios and helped secure multimillion-dollar commitments.

Davenport earned a master’s degree in animal science and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural science and technology from Texas A&M University-Commerce.