Bill Barlow Named Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs

Bill Barlow

As Oberlin College begins to weigh its options for a new capital campaign, it is turning to Bill Barlow, the newly named vice president of development and alumni affairs, for guidance. Barlow, the former director of leadership giving at Amherst College, took over his new position within the College’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs on February 1, 2009. In this new role, Barlow will provide the strategic direction and leadership for all fundraising and alumni-relations functions within the College.

“I am extremely pleased to announce this appointment,” says Oberlin President Marvin Krislov. “Bill is passionate about the mission of liberal arts education. He is exactly the right person to help lead Oberlin through the next stage of its development, as we prepare for a new campaign.”

“I am excited about the opportunity to join the Oberlin community and become part of such a special and historic institution,” Barlow adds. “I look forward to working with the president, trustees, faculty, students, and staff as we actively plan for the next campaign. Despite the current economic climate, there is tremendous opportunity to engage with those who care about Oberlin and are committed to its future success.”

Barlow spent his formative years in New Hartford, Connecticut. He served in the Navy after graduating from high school and earned a bachelor's degree in government from Wesleyan University.

For the past two decades, Barlow's professional life has focused on the intersection of education and philanthropy. From 1985 to 1996, he served first as planned giving officer and then as senior development officer at Laubach Literacy International (now ProLiteracy Worldwide), a nonprofit organization.

In 1996, he became director of planned gifts at Amherst College and held a number of positions within the development office over the next 12 years, including director of development from 2002 to 2008. In his current position, Barlow has overall responsibility for major and principal gifts, gift planning, and development research. He led the major and planned giving program during the Amherst campaign that ended in 2001, which raised $269 million against a $200 million goal. Since then, he has played a central role in the planning and fundraising efforts that resulted in the launch this past October of Amherst’s current $425 million campaign.

Barlow enjoys running, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and playing golf. He has sung in a church choir for years and is an avid reader. He and his wife, Inger, have two daughters: Anna, a college counselor in Sarasota, Florida, and Kristen, a research analyst in Washington, D.C.

To learn more about the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, visit the Web site.