A4BGU Names Kim Isaac as New VP of Advancement
A4BGU Names Kim Isaac as New VP of Advancement
February 7, 2025
Kim Isaac, the new Vice President of Advancement for Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU).
NEW YORK, January 9, 2025 — Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU) announced the addition of Kim Isaac as its Vice President of Advancement. Isaac will lead efforts to secure U.S. contributions to “Way Forward,” a landmark $1 billion global fundraising campaign aiming to strengthen the future of Israel through its South, with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) serving as the region’s anchor institution and engine for growth.
Isaac comes to A4BGU with 27 years of experience working in highly successful advancement programs for higher and secondary education institutions, social service organizations, and Jewish federations, including Seattle University, University of Washington, and The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. In the role at A4BGU, Isaac will provide thought leadership and managerial oversight in all areas of financial resource development and donor engagement.
To date, supporters from around the world have committed more than $475 million to the Way Forward campaign. Tasked with securing 60%, or $600 million of the campaign’s $1 billion goal, A4BGU is galvanizing American supporters into action. The $1 billion raised will support BGU’s capital building and expansion projects), student access and support, and academic and research excellence.
As the largest employer in the region, BGU is key to the economic vitality of southern Israel and is playing a pivotal role in rebuilding the Negev after the tragic events of October 7, 2023. While planning for the Way Forward campaign was in the works long before then, the Hamas massacres gave the campaign an even greater sense of urgency.
“We are excited to have a professional of Kim’s caliber spearheading U.S. development initiatives to in support of Ben-Gurion University as the way forward,” said Doug Seserman, CEO of A4BGU. “On October 6th, it was already evident BGU represented the future of Israel in the South. On October 7th and in the months that followed, BGU has demonstrated just how vital it is to the remarkable resilience of the entire nation.”
BGU was directly and disproportionately impacted by the October 7th attacks, and yet, the University community is spearheading the nation’s recovery and rebuilding. In massive numbers, BGU students, faculty, and staff volunteered in hospitals, aided families of IDF soldiers, and organized logistical operations to circulate food and supplies.
By joining A4BGU, Isaac is coming full circle both professionally and personally, having started her career in fundraising for Israel-related causes.
“I am honored to join the A4BGU team, and eager to leverage my experience in higher education fundraising and in the Jewish community to further the impact of BGU,” Isaac said. “Now is the time to rededicate my career to the people of Israel. It is incumbent upon American Jews who stand with Israel to discover the story of BGU, the institution that is leading the way forward in rebuilding the region which suffered the greatest devastation on October 7th.”
As the majority of philanthropic support for BGU comes from the United States, A4BGU plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion’s vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community, and sharing the University’s expertise locally and around the globe. A4BGU also builds an aspirational movement of Americans who are committed to improving the world through a new 21st century unifying vision for Israel. This is manifested by the cutting-edge research carried out at BGU that results in scalable solutions for all of humanity in water conservation, environmental science, medical research, AI, cybersecurity, and more.
To learn more, visit: a4bgu.org/way-forward
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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