The most prolific fundraiser in Unity College history is set to return on Monday, December 3rd.
Unity College President Stephen Mulkey is pleased to announce that Ellsworth resident Martha Nordstrom has been named director of development. Nordstrom had previously served in that position prior to pursuing other opportunities in the Ellsworth area. She is credited with developing the foundation of a sophisticated giving structure to serve the needs of a college that aspires to national prominence.
“She will be a key member of the Senior Vice President for External Affairs team and will work to create a strategy to develop programs and oversee the implementation for all donor-related initiatives,” said Mulkey.
Mulkey noted that while Nordstrom honors Unity’s remarkable past, she will be focused on supporting the entire College community in its quest to develop sustainable solutions to the pressing environmental problems of the 21st century.
The capacity of development at the College improved steadily in service to several high-profile initiatives, most recently including a transformation of the curriculum to focus on sustainability science. In November, Unity became the first college in the United States to divest its entire $13 million endowment from investments in the fossil fuel industry.
Nordstrom will be part of a recently transformed administrative structure that unites the Departments of Development, Enrollment and the newly created Marketing department under another newly created department: External Affairs. She will lead the fundraising and giving programs as well as alumni relations.
Most recently Nordstrom served as the director of philanthropy and public affairs for Mount Desert Island Hospital (MDI). In four-years at MDI Hospital she raised more than $10 million in restricted and unrestricted cash and pledges.
Nordstrom earned a bachelor of arts degree from The New School for Social Research in New York, New York. She pursued additional undergraduate study at College Year in Athens, Greece, and St. John’s College, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Unity College is a private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.
In 2011, Unity College was named to the top 30 of the Washington Monthly college rankings, and was one of eighteen U.S. colleges and universities named to The Princeton Review’s 2010 Green Rating Honor Roll.
