Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Strengthening the strategic unit behind its $400 million Reach for Excellence fundraising campaign, Virginia Tech Athletics is proud to welcome and introduce Matt Camire, Marcus Haskett and Erich Horner as associate directors of major gifts within the Hokie Club.
Together, the trio of new development officers will help cultivate Tech donor bases across the state of Virginia, carrying from the northern and central parts of the Commonwealth, through the Richmond metro and into the Tidewater region.
"We are thrilled to welcome Erich, Marcus and Matt to the team," said Tristan Mulcahy, assistant athletics director of major gifts. "All three have extensive fundraising experience from top academic and athletic institutions that will benefit the Hokie Club. We look forward to them meeting with our Virginia Tech alumni, family and friends this fall as we continue the positive momentum with the Reach for Excellence campaign."
With the Hokie Club operating at full capacity, Virginia Tech is ever-closer to growing into its extraordinary athletics future, aided deeply by the Reach for Excellence campaign. As the Hokies flex their potential at moving into the top tier of the ACC, the initiative prioritizes comprehensive excellence for all sports, scholarship endowments, football program enhancements and facility upgrades – such as the $75 million-plus renovation of Cassell Coliseum.
Under the scope of the Reach for Excellence, the Drive for 25 mission to increase Hokie Club membership to 25,000 annual supporters is actively approaching the 20,000 milestone, accounting for close to $16 million in annual scholarships for more than 570 Virginia Tech student-athletes.
Meet the Hokie Club's three newest associate directors of major gifts:
MATT CAMIRE
Donor region: Northern Virginia
Familiar to the Blacksburg and Lynchburg areas, Camire begins his fourth year at Virginia Tech this August, having previously served as the assistant development director for leadership gifts in the College of Engineering and for the university. Since 2018, he has played a key role in raising between $190,000 and $500,000 per fiscal year in planned, leadership and annual gift support.
Prior to his campus work, Camire coordinated fundraising strategies for Special Olympics Virginia in Blacksburg, overseeing the organization's largest geographic territory. In 2012, he earned his master's degree in sports management from Liberty, where he also competed as a football student-athlete, graduating with his bachelor's degree in 2010.
"It is an honor and a privilege to join Virginia Tech Athletics and the Hokie Club staff," said Camire. "I have always loved Virginia Tech. During my time in advancement here at the university, I have grown to love it even more. Hokie Nation is special and I cannot wait to meet more Hokies in the near future!"
MARCUS HASKETT
Donor regions: Richmond, Tidewater
A former Virginia Tech football student-athlete, Haskett rejoins the Hokies after a three-year stretch at Penn State's Nittany Lion Club, where he was the assistant director of development for the annual fund. There, he raised more than $150,000 in philanthropic dollars, assisted in the club's $20 million benchmark for annual funds raised and managed donor bases across three states.
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2014, Haskett served the Hokies in a variety of department internships while pursuing his master's degree in sports industry management at Georgetown. Upon earning his degree in 2017, he specialized as a program assistant for the Hokie Club annual fund, helping it reach its $17.2 million benchmark in 2018.
"I am humbled by the opportunity to return home to once again serve the institution that has been so instrumental in my growth and development," said Haskett. "Thank you to all who have helped me get to this point and I am excited to reconnect with Hokie Nation!"
ERICH HORNER
Donor regions: Richmond, central Virginia
Horner arrives in Blacksburg after more than five years of working in the SEC development offices at Mississippi and South Carolina. Most recently, he managed more than 215 donor portfolios as the associate director of development in the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation while generating more than $135,000 in capital gifts.
Before venturing to Ole Miss, Horner was the assistant director of membership services at South Carolina, where he served as liaison to the Garnet Society that housed more than 400 athletic department donors. He also served the Gamecock Club as its development coordinator, having received his master's degree from South Carolina in 2017 and his bachelor's degree from North Carolina State in 2015 – both in sports management.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to call Blacksburg and Virginia Tech my new home," said Horner. "The people here have welcomed me with open arms and I cannot wait to connect with donors about the exciting things on the horizon – not just for athletics, but the university as a whole. I see why we say, 'This is Home,' around here. Hokie Nation is truly a special place!"