Tourea B. Robinson Named Vice President For Institutional Advancement, Development, Marketing, And Communications, Edward Waters University

JACKSONVILLE, FL. (April 14, 2023) – With a diverse background spanning more than twenty years of advancement, development, and fundraising experience in corporate non-profit and higher education settings, Mrs. Tourea B. Robinson has accepted an appointment as the new Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Development, Marketing and Communications (IADMC) at Edward Waters University (EWU) effective April 4, 2023. As EWU’s new Vice President for IADMC Mrs. Robinson will provide the leadership and vision to aid in the continued forward progression of the University’s overall development and philanthropic function as it continues to emerge as a model inventive and dynamic fundraising operation.

“We are simply ecstatic to welcome such a dynamic development professional and progressive fundraising leader of the quality of Mrs. Robinson to the EWU community,” said EWU President & CEO, Dr. A. Zachary Faison, Jr.

As an experienced and demonstrably effective development professional, Mrs. Robinson has forged a distinguished reputation as a philanthropic leader throughout the greater first coast region and beyond having successfully developed, managed, and executed multiple comprehensive fundraising campaigns, programs, and solutions generating in excess of $50 million throughout the course of her career. During her prior tenures as a Director of Development and Director of Donor Relations, she has exhibited an extraordinarily high acumen in the management and implementation of propitious strategic planning, marketing, alumni relations, major gifts, and governmental relations initiatives.    

“Mrs. Robinson is both a superlative advancement and development senior leader and a seasoned fundraising practitioner having led and/or managed multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns at various community non-profit organizations and in higher education environments similar to Edward Waters,” President Faison said. “We look forward to her leadership in building upon our established positive momentum and outcomes as we continue to increase giving at the university amongst all of our constituent stakeholders, friends, and community partners,” President Faison said.             

Robinson’s prior experiences as a philanthropic leader have come most recently from her service in the community non-profit sector as Director of Development at the Clay County Aging True Communities in Northeast Florida. She also formerly served as the Director of Development for the Ritz Chamber Music Society and Manager of Grants, Corporate, and Foundation Giving at the Jacksonville Symphony. In higher education, Mrs. Robinson formerly served as Coordinator of Donor Relations and Annual Fund Officer at Savannah State University and later was named Director of Donor Relations and Special Events at the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Foundation, where she managed the college’s $32 million scholarship endowment and played a principal role in completing FSCJ’s first-ever capital scholarship campaign—garnering over $7 million in funds raised for student scholarships. She is a past consultant and board member of numerous non-profit and professional fundraising organizations.      

“I am enthusiastic and eager to join in partnership with the entire EWU community at this transformational time of Emerging Eminence under the progressive and visionary leadership of President Faison,” said Mrs. Robinson. “EWU’s historic mission and its current trajectory serves as a great source of inspiration for me personally as a Jacksonville native and I look forward to engaging both the EWU and greater Jacksonville community towards heightened investment in the higher education crown jewel that is Edward Waters University,” Mrs. Robinson said.    

Mrs. Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Savannah State University and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in public administration from the University of Phoenix. She is also currently pursuing a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Robinson is a former President of the First Coast Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is a Eta Cohort fellow of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (HELF).

She is happily married to Lenard Robinson, and they have two sons, Jeremy and Jonathan. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.