Johnny Garvilla

Mission-driven advancement leader, consultant, author, and former collegiate athletics executive with more than 30 years of experience building fundraising programs, developing donor relationships, leading teams, creating corporate partnerships, and helping schools, universities, athletic departments, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations strengthen their advancement culture. Known for a relationship-first approach to fundraising: learning the culture, honoring the story, rebuilding trust, and earning the ask.

• Generated more than $100 million in philanthropic support, sponsorships, gifts-in-kind, capital investments, and planned giving commitments across colleges, universities, foundations, and youth sports.
• Negotiated more than $25 million in contracts, sponsorships, naming-rights agreements, and strategic partnerships supporting athletics, advancement, and institutional growth.
• Drove more than $100 million in cumulative economic impact through championship events, tournaments, and major celebrity and athletics-related programming.
• Managed more than $60 million in operations and scholarship budgets across multiple institutions and organizations.
• Tripled corporate giving at the University of Missouri–St. Louis through a comprehensive corporate sponsorship and naming-rights initiative.
• Led or supported facility development spanning fieldhouses, halls of fame, locker rooms, football stadium enhancements, press boxes, synthetic turf fields, performance training centers, and athletics healthcare facilities.

1. Vice President of Philanthropy

   2026 – Present

   Greenville University · Greenville, Illinois

   • Lead institutional philanthropy strategy, major gifts, capital campaigns, donor relations, and advancement operations in support of the university's mission and long-term growth.
   • Partner with the President, Board, and senior leadership to align fundraising priorities with strategic plan, enrollment, and student experience goals.

2. Associate Director of Athletics, External Affairs

   2021 – 2026

   Greenville University · Greenville, Illinois

   • Led two transformative capital campaigns for athletics facilities expansion.
   • Helped secure support for fieldhouse, athletics museum and hall of fame, locker rooms, football stadium enhancements, press box, concession facilities, baseball press box, synthetic turf baseball field, performance training center, and athletics healthcare facility.
   • Established the Orange & Black Athletics Annual Fund.
   • Mentored Major Gift Officers in cultivation, solicitation strategy, portfolio management, and stewardship.

3. Principal Consultant

   2007 – Present

   ProServe Consulting / John Garvilla LLC · Greater St. Louis

   • Advise colleges, universities, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations on advancement strategy, donor relations, capital campaign planning, athletics annual funds, corporate partnerships, alumni engagement, event strategy, and long-term philanthropic development.
   • Created comprehensive development and athletics advancement plans for institutions including Maryville University and Mid-Continent University.
   • Directed major celebrity, alumni, and sports-related events, including Hall of Fame and institutional advancement events.
   • Support leaders and teams in building sustainable advancement operations rooted in relationship, trust, mission clarity, and strategic follow-through.

4. Regional Sales Manager

   2020 – 2021

   Battery Outfitters · St. Charles, Missouri

   • Oversee product sales across Eastern Missouri, Southeastern Iowa, and Western Illinois.
   • Ranked #1 in new accounts among twelve regional sales managers during first month.

5. Director of Development, Alumni & Community Relations

   2019 – 2020

   Lassen College & Lassen College Foundation · Susanville, California

   • Created an Annual Fund and Corporate Partnership program generating significant commitments.
   • Secured a corporate partnership with Banner Health.
   • Instituted facility and landmark naming-rights program to strengthen foundation development opportunities.

6. Director of Athletics / Foundation Leadership

   2018 – 2019

   Central Christian College of Kansas & Foundation · McPherson, Kansas

   • Developed comprehensive strategic plan for the athletics program and created an Athletics Annual Fund.
   • Directed the 75th Anniversary celebration for intercollegiate athletics and helped reinstitute the Hall of Fame.
   • Negotiated a ten-year renewable Coca-Cola contract and launched facility/landmark naming-rights opportunities.

7. Director of Athletics

   2017 – 2018

   Truett McConnell University · Cleveland, Georgia

   • Developed comprehensive strategic plan for athletics and created trustee- and administration-accepted proposals and budgets for five new athletics programs.
   • Founded Student Athlete Advisory program and advanced academic monitoring, special projects, and student-athlete development initiatives.

8. Regional Sales Manager

   2014 – 2017

   MH Equipment · Greater St. Louis

   • Ranked #2 in sales during second year with the company.

9. Executive Director

   2011 – 2014

   St. Louis Youth Soccer League · St. Louis, Missouri

   • Led one of the Midwest's largest youth sports organizations.
   • Served more than 15,000 participants and 1,000 teams annually.
   • Increased enrollment by 25%.
   • Secured tournaments generating more than $50 million in cumulative economic impact.
   • Oversaw a 104-acre sports complex with 17 fields.

10. Director of Athletics

    2007 – 2009

    University of Missouri–St. Louis · St. Louis, Missouri

    • Instituted corporate sponsorship program that more than tripled corporate giving over the previous forty-two years.
    • Implemented naming-rights initiative for corporate partners and developed the first Athletics Department policy and procedure manual.
    • Co-hosted the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship and coordinated the Tritons Celebrity Weekend honoring the St. Louis Hawks NBA Championship team.

11. Director of Athletics

    2004 – 2007

    Belhaven College · Jackson, Mississippi

    • Led a turnaround from zero winning seasons to seventeen winning campaigns within three years.
    • Increased athletics-related enrollment by 25%.
    • Secured support for synthetic turf football and baseball fields.
    • Helped develop athletics performance and training center.
    • Negotiated partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center adding two full-time athletic trainers.
    • Created the Blazers Built For Others service leadership program.
    • Supported SACS accreditation documentation.
    • Created the Blazer Club and instituted a comprehensive fundraising and sponsorship program.

12. Director of Athletics Promotions

    2002 – 2004

    Troy University · Troy, Alabama

    • Coordinated the ESPN March Madness Selection Show featuring Dan Patrick.
    • Helped lead activation for the final Blue-Gray Bowl.
    • Built and managed a U.S. Army Recruiting Command partnership.
    • Developed a 64,000-constituent athletics communications platform.

13. Head Men's & Women's Soccer Coach / Director of Athletics Annual Fund

    1997 – 2002

    Milligan College · Milligan, Tennessee

    • Won five conference championships and earned national rankings of 10th and 11th.
    • Recruited and developed three future FIFA World Cup participants, two Olympians, and twelve All-Americans.
    • Two-time Regional Coach of the Year; three-time Conference Coach of the Year.
    • Resurrected the Buffalo Club annual fund and led fundraising for the new two-field lighted soccer complex.

Author of Earn the Ask, a forthcoming book on relationship-first fundraising, donor trust, stewardship, friendraising, and mission-driven generosity. Available for consulting, leadership advising, fundraising strategy, advancement team coaching, and speaking engagements for schools, universities, nonprofits, ministries, and athletics organizations.