The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Thursday, March 28, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

New fundraising director steps in

14036_juliagrumbles2011f.jpg

Julia Grumbles

Amid an internal investigation into two former employees’ use of University travel funds, a new fundraising director will step in today to try to move forward.

Julia Grumbles starts today as interim vice chancellor for University advancement.

She replaces Matt Kupec, who resigned Sept. 10 after questions surfaced about his personal use of travel funds with Tami Hansbrough, mother of former UNC basketball star Tyler Hansbrough and a former University major gifts officer.

Grumbles accepted the job on Sept. 18 and was appointed at an emergency Board of Trustees meeting the next day.

“Chancellor (Holden) Thorp called me on Saturday when he was in Louisville for the game … On Tuesday, I was in Dallas standing outside of a restaurant when I accepted the job,” she said.

Grumbles has been at UNC since 2006. She served on the national committee for the Carolina First Campaign, which brought in $2.38 billion from 1999-2007.

“We’re delighted with this appointment,” said Elizabeth Dunn, senior associate vice chancellor for development, in an email. “Julia is well-known and well-respected on campus and among our larger donor community as a volunteer and faculty member.”

Grumbles said she won’t make major changes within the development office. She said despite the recent scandal, the office is not broken.

“What I want to do is immediately get with internal staff, get a better understanding from them on who they’re calling on, how close they are to deals, if they need help,” she said.

Scott Ragland, director of development communications, will likely work closely with Grumbles.

“We feel well positioned for the future, and Julia’s appointment is going to reinforce that,” he said.

Grumbles said the only change she intends to make is to better utilize social media to appeal to younger donors.

She taught Introduction to Entrepreneurship for four years. She also serves on the UNC Health Care Board of Directors and in Thorp’s Innovation Circle.

Grumbles also co-founded the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council, which encourages female alumni to donate money and time.

“Women tend to get very involved with their community — the local hospital, the PTA. They tend to get involved in their backyards — not with the University.”

Before working at UNC, Grumbles spent more than 20 years at Turner Broadcasting, an Atlanta-based media company. She said she held sales jobs at all levels.

“That probably qualifies me a lot for this job,” she said. “Marketing is first cousins with fundraising at Carolina.”

Grumbles said she does not know how long she will serve.

“When they find someone full term is when I will step away.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

Special Print Edition
The Daily Tar Heel's Collaborative Mental Health Edition