David Cristantello named vice president for institutional advancement at Niagara University

Niagara University has announced David Cristantello, Ph.D., has been named vice president for institutional advancement.

Cristantello will assume his new role at Niagara in mid-June. He replaces Don Bielecki, who retired last summer after 10 years at NU - a period that included the realization of the largest capital campaign in the university's history.

Mary Borgognoni, associate vice president for operations and outreach, has served as the university's interim vice president for institutional advancement since September.

Cristantello brings years of experience in higher education fundraising, as well as a strong knowledge of philanthropy in the Western New York region. Most recently, he served as the vice president for external relations at Daemen College for more than 12 years. He is also familiar with Niagara University, having worked as the institution's director of development from 1997 to 2000.

In addition, Cristantello previously served as the vice president for development and administration at the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute, and as the director of development at St. John Fisher College. He is the president-elect of the Western New York chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

"We are very pleased to welcome David back to the Niagara University community," stated the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., president. "To be able to fill this position with someone of David's experience, expertise and institutional knowledge gives us great confidence that he is the right person to help us attain our future advancement objectives."

In his new role at Niagara, Cristantello will be responsible for providing visionary leadership, management and strategic direction for the institutional advancement sector. He will be a visible and active presence on campus and throughout the Western New York region, and will maintain primary accountability for establishing and cultivating university relationships with alumni and members of the community.

Cristantello earned a Ph.D. in higher education from the University at Buffalo, which is also where he attained a master's degree in college counseling and student personnel. His undergraduate degree in business administration is from SUNY Oswego.