On this recent episode of the RAISE Podcast, our CEO Brent Grinna chatted with Joe Manok. Joe serves as the Vice President for University Advancement at Clark University where he provides executive leadership to all aspects of fundraising, corporate and foundation relations, and alumni engagement. Catch the full episode here, or listen below!
In the mid-1860’s, in the beautiful town of Amherst, Massachusetts, amidst the US Civil War, a prominent graduate of Amherst College conceived of the idea of an international university that would bring a rigorous curriculum to students in the Middle East.
Over 200 years later, the American University of Beirut has granted bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees to tens of thousands of graduates who now reside in over 120 countries. The American University of Beirut (AUB) has continued to educate students through the Lebanese Civil War, through Hezbollah attacks and kidnappings, and through numerous global crises; producing true “citizens of the world” that have served as presidents, prime ministers, prominent academics, and business leaders. As an example of AUB’s international influence over the years, 20 AUB delegates were present at the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945 – more than any other university in the world.
Among the ranks of AUB’s prominent graduates is Joe Manok, who now serves as Vice President of Advancement at Clark University. Born in Beirut, Joe taught himself computer programming at a young age and worked as a cook in a fast food restaurant across the street from AUB’s campus. When Steve Jeffrey, then-Vice President for Development at AUB and a loyal restaurant customer, learned about Joe’s self-taught computer programming skills, he became invested in Joe’s promising future. Steve eventually convinced Joe to apply to AUB’s computer science program.
With the support of scholarships and a part-time role in the AUB development office, Joe enrolled at AUB. From there, Joe’s story is one of resourcefulness and resilience, courage and curiosity. His data-driven pragmatism is balanced by his willingness to charter new paths, which brought him to New York as an international fundraiser for AUB, then to a leadership role in principal giving at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology, and finally to Clark University, where he leads a small but mighty team that is at the forefront of innovation in advancement.
Joe and his team are unafraid to take risks, test boundaries, and harness the power of technology in service of creating a better donor experience. Stay tuned for exciting things to come from our collaborative EverTrue-Clark Advancement Lab, where our teams will leverage our combined experience at the intersection of technology and advancement particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Clark University is hiring for advancement innovators! If you’re interested in joining one of the industry’s most forward-thinking shops, connect with Joe on LinkedIn.
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