The Lee University Board of Directors announced the appointment of Vanessa Hammond to become vice president for University Relations. The new role for Ms. Hammond was the first administrative change recommended to the Board by incoming president Dr. Phil Cook.
“Vanessa Hammond exemplifies the best of Lee University,” said Dr. Cook. “Her outstanding work, strategic thinking, long-term dedication, and love of Lee University make her the ideal vice president for University Relations. I’m thrilled she has accepted the call to serve in this role.”
Ms. Hammond's appointment is a strategic move in the school's effort to build a more active and effective University Relations team. Offices under the UR umbrella include alumni relations, community engagement, church relations, donor engagement, and all types of fund-raising.
Ms. Hammond began working at Lee in 1993 in academic advising and then served for 27 years as director of grants and foundation relations, followed by her most recent role as executive director for university relations.
She established the university’s first grants office in 1997 and, over nearly three decades, secured millions of dollars in funding. Her work has supported a wide range of institutional needs, from major capital projects to academic and student development programs.
“From the beginning, Vanessa has been a one-woman fund-raising machine,” said Lee Chancellor Dr. Paul Conn. “She has brought Lee numerous million-dollar grants from foundations we had never heard of until she started our Office of Grants. Her work is represented in most of the new buildings we have constructed on this campus, and several outstanding programs we enjoy at Lee today were originally established by grants she developed.”
In addition to her UR role at Lee, Ms. Hammond has been a leader in other areas of campus life. She helped to create the Great Strides partnership between Lee and the Cleveland community and has continued to co-lead that program for 25 years. This annual spring event includes the 65 Roses 5K race, directed by Dr. Bill Estes, along with a walk which involves community teams, raising over a million dollars over the years for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
She has also been actively involved in the Global Perspectives program at Lee. Along with her husband Dr. Jerome Hammond, an associate professor or human development at the university, she has led student groups to China, Ireland, and South Africa, and in 2022, they were faculty directors of the semester-long program in Cambridge, England.
"It has been my privilege over the years to collaborate with faculty and staff to secure funding for Lee students and programs through grants,” said Ms. Hammond. “Now I look forward to playing a broader role. I'm honored and grateful for the opportunity to join with Dr. Cook, Dr. Conn, and my colleagues in University Relations as we work with alumni, donors, the church, and community to support students and their transformational journey at Lee."
A Cleveland native, Ms. Hammond is a graduate of Cleveland High School and was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2019. She earned her master’s degree in English from Wake Forest University and her bachelor’s degree in English from Lee.
She has served on several local boards, including the Bradley Cleveland Public Education Foundation, Cleveland Bradley County Public Library, Museum & Cultural Center at Five Points, and the First Horizon Bank Advisory Board.
She and Jerome have four children: Graham, Will, Ella and Lia.