Makela-Goodman named assistant vice president for leadership gifts



Rochelle A. Makela-Goodman

Rochelle A. Makela-Goodman has been named Lehigh University’s assistant vice president for leadership gifts. She will be responsible for managing Lehigh’s regional leadership gifts program, as well as creating and managing the college-based leadership gifts program.
“Rochelle has the right combination of fundraising and analytical skills to lead this group as we move to the next level of achievement,” said Christine D. Smith, associate vice president for advancement. “In her 10 years here, Rochelle has developed exceptional knowledge of Lehigh's academic and research strengths and understands how to position the institution for fundraising success.”
Makela-Goodman brings a wealth of knowledge to the position. She has served as a senior development officer in major gifts since 2005, working with trustees and key volunteers to advance the university’s fundraising priorities, and directed the department’s West Coast operations.
From 1999 to 2005, Makela-Goodman was director of foundation relations, where she developed successful relationships with the W.M. Keck Foundation, Andrew Mellon Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among others. Makela-Goodman also served as director of corporate and foundation relations at Centenary College.
“I am so pleased and proud to be working with one of the finest advancement teams in the country,” she said. “I look forward to working with the university’s team of talented professionals to advance the educational mission of Lehigh.”
A graduate of Centenary College and Northampton Community College, Makela-Goodman is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
--Ainsley Lamberton