The Spire

Kaitlyn Richards ‘29

News Editor

The College of the Holy Cross has appointed alum John R. Hayes Jr. ‘91 as the new Vice President for Advancement to lead in fundraising, as well as alumni initiatives, effective Nov. 3, 2025. Hayes returns to Worcester with twenty-five years of leadership experience, as the College continues to advance its philanthropic efforts to foster new opportunities for students, faculty, and staff members. 

Hayes graduated from the College in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in history. While he was on campus, he participated in the Navy ROTC scholarship program, which subsequently led to his service as a Navy Officer for several years with the USS Vicksburg (CG-69). After his service in the military, Hayes earned a master’s degree in Business from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. 

After completing his graduate studies, Hayes held senior leadership positions in advancement. His career included serving as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Development for the University of Massachusetts Boston. Hayes most recently served as the Vice Chancellor for Advancement at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, where he led his team in a historic fundraising campaign that raised over seven hundred million dollars for two campaigns: the Pathways of Promise Campaign, as well as the Advancing Together Campaign. 

At Holy Cross, the division of Advancement’s influence is seen in many aspects of campus life and supports the upholding of the College’s Jesuit values. The division holds a pivotal role in working with alumni relationships, donor engagement, and initiating campaigns that aim for the betterment of the campus community. The team is responsible for holding annual events such as the Homecoming Weekend and Alumni Weekend, which are important to fostering pride for the college, as well as hosting events such as the Donut Graham Campaign, in addition to the annual Power of Purple Giving Day, which raised over three million dollars in donations. 

With his new position as Vice President for Advancement at Holy Cross, Hayes will oversee all fundraising and alumni relations, which are important aspects of expanding the academic, athletic, and artistic programs that all students benefit from. Students can expect Hayes’ work to support improvements in classroom spaces, residential spaces, and research opportunities. 

In a message to the campus community, President Vincent Rougeau welcomed Hayes back to Holy Cross and stated that he is confident that Hayes “will help build on the progress we’ve made as part of Aspire, as we look to continue building a culture of philanthropy with a modern approach to fundraising.” Aspire serves as the College’s strategic vision of the future. One of the key pillars of the campaign is the push for philanthropy on campus. Rougeau continues his message by explaining that the administrative “ability to maximize a sustainable culture of philanthropy serves as the foundation for so much of what we can accomplish as an institution,” as well as having “aspirations of reaching new heights — for our students and the greater good” which makes Hayes’ new role all the more important for the community members of Holy Cross. 

With his position set to officially begin in early November, John R. Hayes Jr. will assume leadership of the College of the Holy Cross’ Office for Advancement, and the team will begin its transition. As he starts his new role, he will oversee fundraising efforts to support the needs of all campus community members. The College now looks to new perspectives and guidance in order to help realize the philanthropic vision into an initiative that will influence the division of advancement at the Holy Cross Community. As Hayes steps into his new role, the campus community will observe the influence Hayes has on advancement. 

Featured image courtesy of College of the Holy Cross

Copy Edited by Annamaria DeCamp ’27