Welcome to the latest edition of the Salem State University Viking Voices podcast. In this episode we have a very special guest, Cynthia McGurren Salem State College, class of 1983, who recently retired from Salem State after 31 years of exceptional service most recently as Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the Salem State University Foundation, Inc. Her employment at Salem State has included the roles of director of college relations, acting vice president of institutional advancement and special assistant to the president. In 2004, she was appointed vice president of institutional advancement and executive director of the SSU Foundation. Under Cynthia’s leadership, Salem State Foundation’s endowment grew from $5 million to $30 million. She personally has raised nearly $26 million in spendable and endowment funds for the university over her 14-year tenure as chief fundraiser. Cynthia was a key visionary in ensuring the successful completion of our first-ever comprehensive campaign, the 10,000 Reasons Campaign, raising over $26.5 million … 94 percent participation rate of giving from full-time faculty and staff. Cynthia, as a student, led the creation of and has been a driving force of the Salem State Series which has just announced a 37th annual event. The series has featured writers, journalists, politicians, sport starts, international diplomats, Nobel laureates, and presidents.