Steve Maconi, Advisor
After a 21-year naval career, Steve Maconi brings with him more than 20 years of development expertise in the non-profit sector, with significant experience in Board Development, strategic planning, donor relations and leadership gifts.
Steve recently retired from his position at the Virginia Military Institute as the Chief Executive Officer of the VMI Alumni Agencies. As the inaugural CEO of the combined VMI Alumni Agencies, he led the organization, coordination, and integration of the VMI Foundation, the VMI Alumni Association and the VMI Keydet Club, each with their own independent governing board. He provided both strategic and operational leadership for alumni relations and
philanthropic efforts across these agencies, achieving efficiency, synchronization, and enhanced
levels of alumni engagement, communications, and fundraising support to VMI. He built and
strengthened relationships with the Institutes diverse constituents, both within the Institute and
externally with alumni, and managed a staff of forty-three professionals and administrative
support personnel, creating a culture of cooperation, communications, and collaboration.
Prior to VMI, Mr. Maconi was the Director of Development for Severn School in Maryland,
responsible for philanthropy, alumni relations and communications for the largest independent
school in Anne Arundel County Maryland.
Mr. Maconi also served 15 years at the United States Naval Academy Foundation in Annapolis,
MD, advancing to the position of Vice President of Development. While there he was
instrumental in the first comprehensive development effort in Naval Academy history and played
a critical leadership role in the Academy’s $400 million fundraising effort.
While assigned to the Naval Academy Foundation, Mr. Maconi was the architect of fundraising
program that brought the first on-line course in Naval Academy history. Working closely with
the Ocean Technology Foundation (curriculum architect and program execution) and Academy
faculty, the on-line course focused on the search for John Paul Jones’ Revolutionary warship the
Bonhomme Richard.
Mr. Maconi is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ocean Engineering), and
was a United States Naval Aviator, retiring as a Commander after 21 years. He accumulated
over 3500 flight hours in the P-3 aircraft, earned every advanced pilot designation and was the
Maintenance Officer of the largest aviation squadron in the U.S. Navy.
