UA Foundation Names New President and CEO
Foundation veteran John-Paul Roczniak is praised for his leadership experience and ties to the UA community.

University Relations – Communications
April 4, 2016

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John-Paul Roczniak, interim leader of the UA Foundation since July 2015, has been named its permanent president and CEO.
John-Paul Roczniak, interim leader of the UA Foundation since July 2015, has been named its permanent president and CEO.


The University of Arizona Foundation has named John-Paul "JP" Roczniak as its president and CEO, effective immediately. Roczniak, a nine-year veteran of the foundation, has served as its interim leader since July 2015.

"After a rigorous national search for the most qualified candidate to lead our UA Foundation into an ambitious and exciting future, our board unanimously accepted the recommendation to permanently appoint JP," said Thomas W. Keating, chair of the UA Foundation Board of Trustees.

"JP earned this job over highly qualified competitors by demonstrating extraordinary people skills, initiative, personal growth and true ownership of the position during his tenure as interim."

The UA Foundation, founded in 1958, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UA through philanthropy.

"I am so pleased that JP Roczniak has been selected as the president and CEO of the UA Foundation. He has done a wonderful job as interim CEO, and you will find no one with more love for the University of Arizona than JP," said UA President Ann Weaver Hart.

"His commitment to the University’s success, his leadership experience, and his strong ties to the UA community make him the ideal person to lead the philanthropic efforts that will help drive the UA’s future. I very much look forward to continued partnership with JP as he takes on this role on a permanent basis."

Roczniak’s 20-year career in higher education fundraising began at the University of Connecticut Foundation and included a stint at the University of Rochester in New York. At the UA, he has worked in development at the Eller College of Management in addition to serving in several roles at the UA Foundation, most recently as senior vice president for principal and planned gifts.

"Admiral Hyman G. Rickover said, 'Human experience shows that people, not organizations or management systems, get things done,'" said entrepreneur Karl Eller, a longstanding UA donor and adviser for whom the University’s business school is named. "I have known JP Roczniak for many years. He has the experience, wisdom and integrity to get great things done for the UA. On behalf of the many donors who have supported the University by contributing to the UA Foundation, we welcome and appreciate JP’s leadership."

Roczniak’s immediate focus will center on leading the successful completion of the Arizona NOW campaign. Arizona NOW is distinguished by its unprecedented scope and focus on improving the prospects and enriching the lives of the people of Arizona and the world. Thanks to the generosity of nearly 85,000 distinct donors, the campaign is well ahead of its July 2018 deadline. More than 90 percent of the $1.5 billion goal is already raised.

In addition to Arizona NOW, Roczniak will work with Hart and the foundation board to strengthen the UA's development program.

"I’m humbled by the opportunity to support this great University," Roczniak said.

"I’ve seen incredible commitment from the board and the staff to working together for the greater good. To lead a team with this level of potential is a great honor and an exciting challenge."

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Phil Schlesinger

UA Foundation

520-621-8822

phil.schlesinger@uafoundation.org