Katie Fraumann has been appointed senior vice president for the Division of Advancement and External Relations. (Image courtesy of Katie Fraumann) CHICAGO — DePaul University President Robert L. Manuel has appointed Katie Fraumann as senior vice president for the Division of Advancement and External Relations, effective April 3. A well-rounded fundraiser, Fraumann has more than 20 years of experience building large-scale international capital campaigns for academic and athletic programs in complex higher education institutions.
Fraumann comes to DePaul from the University of Michigan, where she is responsible for raising $35 million in new gifts annually as executive associate athletic director for development and sport administrator for men’s basketball. Her previous roles include leading fundraising efforts for the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School of Public Health. She also raised more than $500 million for the “Victors for Michigan Campaign.”
“Katie’s passion for DePaul’s mission combined with her vision for the university’s philanthropic expansion matches our goal to transform into the national leader in higher education,” Manuel said. “I’m very happy to welcome Katie and her family to DePaul, and I look forward to our partnership as we design a highly ambitious capital campaign that will enable us to extend DePaul’s Catholic, Vincentian mission even further.”
Fraumann’s dedication to service led her to co-found WOMAN, which stands for Women of Michigan Athletics Network. Recognizing the value of women in leadership positions, she launched the initiative to serve as a model of equity and inclusion. The program helps those seeking career advancement overcome barriers. Fraumann also serves on the Michigan Athletics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, as well as the Development Budget Planning Committee, and the University-wide Fundraising Collaboration and Prospect Coordination Committee.
Prior to her current position, Fraumann worked throughout the University of Michigan in a variety of development roles, each with increasing responsibility. She was executive director for development and alumni engagement for the School of Public Health. She also worked as director of development in the Office of University Development and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
Before joining the University of Michigan, Fraumann was the assistant director for development at the University of Illinois College of Business. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan and will relocate to the Chicago area with her husband and three sons.
“I feel truly honored to join DePaul,” Fraumann said. “Community service always has been an important part of my life, and DePaul’s mission to serve the public good immediately resonated with me. I’m excited to help launch DePaul into a position of strength, as we design a future that will create tremendous opportunities for our students and our community.”
At DePaul, Fraumann will lead all fundraising and alumni relations efforts, including the design and implementation of a major capital campaign that will lay the foundation for the university’s long-term success. A member of the president’s cabinet and key liaison to the Board of Trustees, Fraumann will oversee annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, alumni relations, donor relations, parent engagement, advancement services, advancement communication, and special events.
DePaul’s Division of Advancement and External Relations is currently led by Lori Smedley, who has served as interim vice president since April 2022.
“Advancement has continued to excel under Lori’s leadership,” Manuel said. “I’m very grateful to her and all the Advancement staff for their hard work and dedication to serving our students, especially for their recent success raising more than $7 million in 24 hours during the 2023 Blue Demon Challenge. I very much look forward to our continued work together.”
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