Welcome to three new fundraisers

Paul Simard comes to Concordia from ONE DROP™, where he was manager of philanthropy.

Simard brings with him a range of skills and fundraising experience from McGill University, where he spent the bulk of his fundraising career. There, he took on several roles including development officer, director of regional programs and associate director of development for the Desautels Faculty of Management.

“To wake up every day and to have an impact on the world we live in, and to do it by supporting the young people who will shape our future, makes fundraising, as far as I am concerned, the perfect vocation: both challenging and immensely rewarding,” says Simard.

As principal director of development for the Faculty of Arts and Science, Simard will work closely with the dean and faculty members and will lead his team to engage with major gift prospects and donors. One of his first priorities is to foster a vibrant alumni community.

“We need to build strong, dedicated and motivated regional alumni groups who are driven to get involved and give back,” says Simard.

A Concordia attendee in the Department of Political Science, Simard also attributes the atmosphere at the university for drawing him back to his alma mater.

“I wanted to work in an environment that is truly innovative, where we could challenge the status quo and do things differently.”

Michelle Miatello, principal director, lead gifts

Michelle Miatello moved to Montreal from Kingston, Ont., where she gained over 15 years of senior fundraising experience as director of development for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University.

Her prior roles also include work at the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, the Queen’s School of Business and the Canadian Red Cross. She holds a BA from Carlton University and a Broadcast Media Diploma from Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont.

Although new to Montreal, she has long been fond of the city. “My husband used to live here and it’s always been our favourite city to visit,” says Miatello.

As principal director of lead gifts, Miatello will collaborate with colleagues across each of Concordia’s four faculties and will support a variety of university-wide projects.

“My role is to work with individuals, corporations and alumni who want to make a significant impact on Concordia,” she says.

Miatello believes the university is entering an exciting period in its evolution. “We have a clear and ambitious strategic direction set out by the president and our academic community. It offers a strong entry point to engage with alumni and donors,” she says.

“We must remember that your alma mater is part of your personal brand for the rest of your life. Concordia alumni want to see their university thrive.”

Peggy Killeen, principal director of development, Faculty of Fine Arts

For Peggy Killeen — a fundraising professional with extensive experience in the healthcare sector — her new role at Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts represents a return to her roots.

“As a student, I majored in printmaking. Stepping back into the fine arts world has felt like coming full circle,” she says.

Killeen holds a National Diploma in Graphic Fine Art from the Port Elizabeth Technikon in South Africa — now the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. She also earned a Certificate in Local Government Studies from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

Killeen began her career in humanitarian work, including anti-apartheid advocacy in South Africa and mandates in Croatia and the Central African Republic.

Her fundraising expertise includes planned giving, events management and communications, operations and donor relations. Most recently, she was director of development for the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation, which she worked to merge with the McGill University Health Centre Foundation.

Killeen’s prior fundraising experience also includes Miss Edgar’s and Miss Cramp’s School and the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation in Montreal.

Of the differences between fundraising in healthcare and the arts, Killeen highlights the potential to show donors what their gifts can achieve.

“One of the advantages we have is that we can often tangibly show what happens when funding is put into fine arts students,” she says. “It’s visible and it’s beautiful.”

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