Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell is heading back to the campus where it all started. The longtime Republican officeholder has been named Oral Roberts University's vice president of development and alumni relations and is slated to begin Dec. 1. The job puts him in charge of fundraising and alumni outreach at the Tulsa campus he once called home, even as he continues serving as lieutenant governor and prepares to slide into his new role.
University officials hailed Pinnell as "in every sense of the word, a leader" and confirmed the Dec. 1 start date, according to KOCO. The outlet framed the move as a homecoming for a high-profile alumnus who brings both political connections and fundraising chops to the table.
ORU has been busy touting campus upgrades and a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign in recent years, making its development shop a central piece of the university's growth plans, per ORU. Pinnell, a 2002 graduate, has already been a familiar face at campus events, according to ORU's event listings.
From Statehouse To Campus Development
As lieutenant governor, Pinnell has helped lead tourism and branding efforts and worked to recruit businesses and events to Oklahoma. His official biography details that track record and his marketing background, which line up neatly with the outreach, partnerships and donor cultivation that typically define a development vice president's portfolio, per the lieutenant governor's office.
Political Timing
The hire follows Pinnell's March announcement that he would not run for governor this year, saying he and his wife were "ready for a new chapter outside of politics," according to KOCO. Early reports have not spelled out how he will split his time between his elected post and the new university gig.
Pinnell's appointment sends a well-known local political figure back to a campus he has long frequented and gives ORU a high-visibility point person for donors as it pursues expansion and fundraising goals. More specifics about the day-to-day scope of the job and the logistics of his transition are expected as ORU and Pinnell's office release fuller statements.
