University Advancement
The mission of University Advancement is to build and maintain a donor base that will make a difference in the lives of students, faculty, and staff today and for the future. This enables the university to fulfill its educational mission by augmenting current budgets and building on the university's endowments.
Ronald Bailey | Vice President for External Affairs
Retired Lt. Gen. Ronald Bailey is a 1977 graduate of Austin Peay. While he was a
student, he played football for the Governors and participated in the University ROTC
program. Bailey spent 40 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, with his final assignment
being the deputy commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations for the Marine Corps.
During his career he oversaw the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and he served as
commanding general of the First Marine Division, as commanding general of the Third
Marine Expeditionary Brigade and as deputy director for operations of the Joint Staff.
He was also a Military National Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Following
his retirement, he returned to Austin Peay in 2018 as the vice president for external
affairs. He now oversees the University’s offices of advancement, communication and
strategic initiatives.
Kris Phillips | Assistant Vice President for University Advancement
Kris returned to APSU, his alma mater (’91), in 2016 after a 16-year tenure at the
University of Tennessee and the UT Health Science Center. In his role as Executive
Director, he is responsible for all university engagement and fundraising activities.
Kris and his wife, Tammy, have two sons - Brayden and Parker, the latter of which
is a current APSU baseball student athlete.
phillipsk@apsu.edu
Vonda St. Amant | Assistant Executive Director
Vonda is a 1983 graduate of APSU. After several years in non-profit fundraising, Vonda
returned to her alma mater in 2010 and currently serves as Assistant Executive Director
of University Advancement. Vonda oversees a dynamic development team and provides
donor-focused leadership to help meet the strategic goals of the University.
stamantv@apsu.edu
Kimberly Adkison | Director of Donor Relations and Scholarships
Kimberly is a Clarksville native and APSU graduate in professional studies and management
(BS ’06 and MS ’10). She serves as the Director of Donor Relations and Scholarships.
Kimberly oversees stewardship management and scholarship compliance.
adkisonk@apsu.edu
Matt Bucy | Director of Development Operations and Annual Giving
bucym@apsu.edu
Jordan Harmon | Assistant Director of Athletics - Development
Jordan attended APSU (BS ’17) and was a member of the GOVS baseball team. He embraces
the opportunity to be in a position to give back to his alma mater while serving as
Director of Development – Athletics. Let’s Go Peay!
harmonj@apsu.edu
Jerica Swiger | Director of Development
Jerica Swiger has worked in the areas of arts, culture and development for several
years with organizations such as Ohio Northern University, Eastern Michigan University
and The Chicago Architecture Foundation. Jerica brings nearly 20 years of experience
in all areas of non-profit and higher education management to APSU, where she assists
the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Behavioral Health Sciences and the
College of Graduate studies with membership development, programming, board development
and fundraising. She holds a Master’s Degree in Non-profit Management with a concentration
in Human Services and a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management with a minor in Management.
swigerj@apsu.edu
Brad Averitt | Director of Development
A native of Erin Tennessee, Brad is a two-time Austin Peay alumnus (BS 2010 in Corporate
Communications and MS 2017 in Health and Human Performance). He began his career at
APSU in Enrollment Management, serving as an Admissions Counselor from 2010-2016 and
as the Coordinator of Graduate Recruitment from 2016-2018. He is eager for the opportunity
to continue serving and strengthening his alma mater in his exciting new role as Director
of Development, working with the College of Business.
averittb@apsu.eduSam Mynhier | Assistant Director of Annual Giving
mynhiers@apsu.eduPayton Baggett | Advancement Communications Specialist
baggettp@apsu.eduLarry Wheeler | Functional Support Specialist
wheelerl@apsu.eduAshley Puskas | Office Supervisor
puskasa@apsu.eduEmily Crain | Advancement Specialist
craineg@apsu.edu