MRU announces Melanie Rogers as new Vice-President, University Advancement

Following a national search, Melanie Rogers has been selected as the successful candidate for vice-president, university advancement, and will return to Mount Royal University to begin her new position on June 3.

Rogers will be at the forefront of the University’s efforts in development, donor relations, marketing and communications, government relations and alumni relations, while working closely with the president and executive team on the University’s operations.

This requires someone with an ability to lead expanding and enhancing the reputation of the university while liaising with the executive team to ensure strategic goals are met. Rogers’ values and passion for building relationships with internal and external audiences — much of it sharpened at Mount Royal before and after becoming a university — along with her leadership experience, demonstrated to the search committee that she is the right person to expand this aspect of MRU’s mission.

Dr. Timothy Rahilly, PhD, president and vice-chancellor at MRU, expressed his deep thanks to members of the cross-campus search committee for their time and effort in the extensive process, while pointing to the attributes and talents of Rogers that stood out during recruitment.

“Melanie understands Mount Royal and our vision,” Rahilly said. “She appreciates our bold culture and fierce commitment to teaching excellence and wants to strengthen that culture and amplify it with the broader community. I look forward to supporting her as we tell the world about MRU’s strategic plan: Opening Minds and Changing Lives, providing students with a holistic and transformative education, preparing them to become lifelong learners and active global citizens.”

For the past three years, Rogers has been vice-president, external relations at NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in Edmonton where she has been leading a broad portfolio including marketing, communications, digital and web strategy, events and conference services, fundraising and alumni relations.

No stranger to MRU, she previously led the University’s marketing and communications portfolio for seven years following a series of leadership roles. As associate vice-president of marketing and communications, she played a key role in the development of the strategic plan, oversaw the launch of several successful brand and marketing campaigns, and led the MRU crisis communication team through numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m thrilled to be coming home to MRU, which has remained near and dear to my heart,” said Rogers. “The University is at an exciting time in its journey and I’m ready to take our vision and share it with the external community as we build on our reputation as a top-tier undergraduate university.”

Rogers has also held positions at Red Deer College, Augustana University College and the University of Alberta, and served as the executive director of the Red Deer Downtown Business Association.