Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) announced on Tuesday that it has hired its first-ever chief advancement officer (CAO) “following a six-month national search.” Stepping into that newly-created role is Dino Hernandez, who “brings three decades of strategic leadership in philanthropic resource management at multiple institutions of higher education,” per a press release from NMC. Hernandez is set to start the job on August 1.

A common role within nonprofit and educational entities, a CAO is typically responsible for sustaining, growing, and managing philanthropic giving for their institution. Per NMC, Hernandez “will lead all fundraising endeavors for the NMC Foundation,” the nonprofit that assists the college, and “will report directly to President Nick Nissley.” In addition, Hernandez will have “oversight” over the Dennos Museum Center, the International Affairs Forum, and WNMC radio, and will “oversee executive administrative functions for public relations, marketing, and communications” in collaboration with Diana Fairbanks, the college’s associate vice president of public relations, marketing and communications.

Hernandez comes to NMC from the University of The Bahamas, where he has reportedly increased giving by 148 percent. He is a Michigan native, having grown up in the southeastern part of the state and commenced his fundraising career with stints at Oakland University, the University of Michigan-Flint and Lawrence Technological University. Particularly notable was his 13-year tenure at Lawrence Tech involved, where he led a pair of comprehensive fundraising campaigns – one that raised $46.6 million for the college, and another that raised over $110 million.

Nissley hailed Hernandez’s appointment as a critical hire for NMC, noting the forthcoming completion of the college’s new 10-year campus master plan and major capital projects like the Freshwater Research & Innovation Center and a new building campaign around NMC Aviation as items that the new chief CAO will have a hand in.

“The CAO position marks a strategic shift within our college community, redefining the former leadership roles of the NMC Foundation to enable NMC to take a bigger step forward in our pursuit of excellence, innovation and stewardship,” Nissley said. “With the selection of Dino Hernandez, I’m even more confident those goals are within reach.”