Jennifer Messer

Jennifer Messer 
Chief Development Officer

Jennifer joined St. Mary’s in November 2024. She brings 25 years of progressive experience as a professional fundraiser for the University of Georgia (UGA) to her role at St. Mary’s. During her tenure at UGA, she interacted with thousands of donors, students, alumni, faculty and parents. Her range of service includes principal and major gifts, annual giving, board development, planned to give, naming opportunities and stewardship.

She began her fundraising career working for the Georgia Museum of Art when she was a graduate student at UGA in the 1990s. She continued her service to UGA at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and most recently as the Director of Development for the College of Environment and Design (CED). She raised the largest gift in the CED’s history in 2020 ($5 million).

Jennifer is a team player who knows the value of good collaborative fundraising efforts and also serves as a mentor to those new to the world of fundraising. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Rutgers College (New Brunswick, NJ) and her Master’s of Historic Preservation from UGA. She lives in Athens with her husband Scott, daughter Grace and a three-legged 17-year-old rescue dog named Daisy. She is an active member of the local community, having recently been appointed to the Athens Classic Center Authority board of directors.