Juan A. McGruder, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Meharry Medical College

Juan is the Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Meharry Medical College. He is responsible for designing and executing the overall strategy for advancement. He leads Meharry’s Institutional Advancement team of 30, which includes Alumni Relations, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Development, Donor Relations & Prospect Research, Gift Management Services, Government Relations, and Marketing & Communications.

He served as Vice President for Advancement at Oglethorpe University from 2021-23—leading the institution’s development efforts. Prior to joining Oglethorpe University, he was the Senior Vice President & Chief Development Officer at Junior Achievement of Georgia, and was Director of Development for Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at Georgia Institute of Technology—while the Institute launched and successfully completed its historic $1.5 billion campaign, surpassing the goal by over $300 million.

He has also held positions as Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Morehouse School of Medicine and Special Assistant to the President and Director of Alumni Relations at Clark Atlanta University (CAU). Prior, he served on a national level as Assistant Director of the Consortium for the Advancement of Private Higher Education at the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, DC. He was also a faculty member at LaGrange College’s Philanthropy and Development Master’s Program—teaching courses in Capital Campaigns Management and Strategy.

Juan completed a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Higher Education Administration at Vanderbilt University (1999), earned a master’s (Ed. M.) at Harvard University’s (1995), a master’s (M.A.) in Counseling and Human Development from CAU (1992), an Education Specialist (Ed. S.) in Student Affairs from Western Kentucky University (1994), and a Certificate in Romanesque and Gothic Architecture in Britain and Europe from the University of Cambridge, England (1998). His
baccalaureate (B.A.) is in Political Science/pre-law from Clark College (1990). He also earned the Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) international professional designation (2008).

Juan is the past President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) – Greater Atlanta Chapter (500+ members), has served as a member of the Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) International Job Analysis Task Force and the Committee on Directorship, as a Board member of the African American Development Officers Network (AADO), and the Practitioner Advisory Board of The Science of Philanthropy Initiative (SPI) at the University of
Chicago. He was also President of Midtown Atlanta Rotary Club and a is member of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2018.