Kathi Dantley Warren has 25 years of advancement leadership experience, serving in progressively responsible positions at higher education and academic medical institutions in $1B+ campaigns. Kathi served as the vice president for development and alumni relations at Rice University from July 2019 until March 2023. There she led a team of 150 and held responsibility for alumni relations, major and principal gifts, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, presidential events, annual giving, marketing and communications and advancement services. She joined Rice in July 2017 as the associate vice president for development in charge of individual giving.

Under her leadership at Rice, the university secured the first nine-figure gift in its history in 2020, followed by its second in 2021. Propelled by these commitments, the university set new fundraising records in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, including more than $250 million raised in 2022, and another $50 million gift in fiscal year 2023.

Prior to her tenure at Rice, Kathi served as the senior executive director of development at the Duke University Cancer Institute for four years. In this role at one of the original eight National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers, she transformed the fundraising program from a yearly $18 million enterprise to $30 million, and successfully completed a $200 million campaign.

From 2010 to 2014, Kathi served as assistant dean for alumni affairs and development at Cornell University’s College of Engineering, where she developed and implemented its first alumni affairs and development strategic plan and alumni engagement plan. During her tenure, she increased annual revenues from $22.7 million to more than $56 million, and led the college to its second-best fundraising year. These efforts also enabled the college to create and endow several new signature initiatives, including an engineering leadership program and teaching excellence institute.

Prior to Cornell, Kathi spent eight years at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, ultimately serving as Campaign Director, where she helped lead Smith to achieving its $90 million campaign goal one year ahead of schedule. She also served as a major gift officer at the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University.

Kathi earned an M.A. in cellular and molecular biology from Duke University and a Bachelor in Arts in biology from Hampton University. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, she is an avid sports enthusiast and dog-rescue advocate who also enjoys travel, cooking and painting.

Interim Leadership

Love Mutts Rescue, Volunteer

Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Member, Fundraising Chair for the 2019 Beautillion Committee and Chair for the Policies and Procedures Committee

Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Chair of Conference on Leadership in Development and Board Member of the CASE 50 Steering Committee

Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), General Board Member