Warren Buford has joined the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science as executive director of development. He will also lead the UVA Engineering Foundation. This marks a homecoming for Buford, who came to Charlottesville seventeen years ago to serve as the associate vice president for major gifts at UVEF before becoming executive director of the UVA School of Architecture Foundation, where he successfully led the school’s capital campaign.
For the last ten years, Warren has served as the associate head of school for advancement at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, a senior administrative role leading teams and working with boards to successfully achieve development and engagement initiatives while personally raising principal and major gifts. For many years, he also oversaw admissions, communications and marketing for the school. As an advancement leader, he has been an enthusiastic community builder who forges positive relationships with a diverse array of institutional and external stakeholders, including corporations, foundations and individuals, to align aspirations and resources. As an educational leader and social impact sector board member, he has demonstrated success advancing strategic initiatives and growing programs nationally and globally.
He is excited to work with Dean Jennifer L. West, UVA Advancement, the UVEF board, UVA Engineering faculty, and alumni and friends worldwide to advance the critical goals of the school, elevate and rebuild the development program, and finish UVA Engineering's campaign with strong momentum to the future.
Warren has taught or guest lectured on leadership and social entrepreneurship and has extensive experience consulting on philanthropy in the U.S. and internationally. He has been an active community leader, serving as a board member with the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Albemarle Housing Improvement Program, Olivet Presbyterian Church and the Virginia Discovery Museum. He has presented at numerous Council for the Advancement and Support of Education Conferences and served on their Africa Advisory Board. He has also worked previously for Davidson College in Davidson, N.C. and the Children's Defense Fund in Washington, D.C.
Warren holds a B.A. in political science with a concentration in ethnic studies from Davidson College and an M.Phil. in political studies with focus in transitional justice from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, where he served as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Fellow and research fellow with the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.