.

Didn't know David is back. That is good news. Welcome back Dave.

Brian was my main contact, so that kind of stinks. He is from SW Va and would always swing by my office on the way through. We were looking at better ways to get SW Va and Northeast TN Duke Club involvement.

Brian was my guy as well. I really enjoyed meeting with him. Sorry to see him go.


Also sorry to bring this up but hope this isn't the rats leaving the ship. Can't imagine these folks wouldn't be excited to stick around and collect money if JMU was moving up. Hope I'm wrong.

I really think this points to staying in FCS. Many of these guys were the ones who said "get on the bus or get left behind when we hit FBS".

Does it really have to be that they chose to leave for another school because their current employer wasn't moving up to the highest level fast enough for them, if that's even a concern?
Perhaps a career advancement move to a higher ranking position? Perhaps more pay? Perhaps loved ones or friends live in that area? Maybe they just want to live closer to a bigger metropolitan area and not rural Harrisonburg?
Why is every person that leaves JMU's Athletic Department disgruntled that we're not FBS?

Completely agree. JMU is great, but there are bigger opportunities out there you know.... Does everyone leave their company because they aren't a going to make the Fortune 500 list?

Chill out guys. Start prepping for tailgating.

Whoa what the heck?!? I heard about Taylor back in the spring before he left but the others are a surprise to me. Brian P was my main contact as well. Didn't he just get married to one of the JMU coaches?

Kevin Weaver was my main contact. We would meet up in Atlanta regularly when he visited. Didn't even know he left though.

I hope it's a coincidence, but usually when you see a mass exodus, something is up. Call me alarmist...

(08-21-2013 06:23 PM)DooX Wrote:  Whoa what the heck?!? I heard about Taylor back in the spring before he left but the others are a surprise to me. Brian P was my main contact as well. Didn't he just get married to one of the JMU coaches?

Yeah, I feel like it was field hockey or lacrosse. Met them at the GW pre game in DC a couple years ago. He's a pretty fortunate dude.

Nice moves for the 3 guys. Great promotion for Taylor and Kevin and Brian are following their wives. Both wives took much better jobs and the great thing is that both of them found good jobs as well. Change is not easy but no one left because of anything JMU did or did not do. Any other speculation is not factual. Getting Dave back is great. He just finished helping Rice with the $44,000,000 athletic fund raising campaign. Good timing for us since we have some work to do in that area.

Why hasn't there been any turnover over the last two decades at the more senior positions?

I agree Dukeman. It is because we have too many people in those positions that are watching each others backs. It's unheard of to have certain individuals stay in positions like they have given the results we have achieved . It is because no accountability is held when your among friends.

(08-21-2013 08:06 PM)Dukeman Wrote:  Why hasn't there been any turnover over the last two decades at the more senior positions?

They are just waiting for Dukeman to apply...

(08-21-2013 08:06 PM)Dukeman Wrote:  Why hasn't there been any turnover over the last two decades at the more senior positions?

Which position hasn't turned over in the last two decades?

(08-21-2013 09:47 PM)POTUS#4 Wrote:  

(08-21-2013 08:06 PM)Dukeman Wrote:  Why hasn't there been any turnover over the last two decades at the more senior positions?

Which position hasn't turned over in the last two decades?

Yes Dukeman...explain. In the last 20 years JMU has had 3 presidents, 3 VP's of Academic Affairs, and 3 VPs of Finance (altho that title has changed over the time in question), and 2 Director of Athletics. The one area where there has been even greater turnover is in the VP of Development position...where I count some 5+ people in that role...and arguably the poorest performance.

(08-21-2013 04:13 PM)fanofallthatisjmu Wrote:  Recap:
-Taylor Adkins and Brian Powell have left
-Kevin Weaver (Major Gifts) has left
-Makes 4 people in the span of 3 months that have left
-Dave Biancamano, who left for Rice, is back
-Brian Frerking is moved to major gifts
-Hired a new guy from Oakland Univ in Michigan


Glad Dave is back, he is good for the Duke Club. Lots of changes, sounds like a clusterf*** though. Couldn't have come at a better time either .....

If you had to answer on a daily basis to Geoff Polglase, (spelling is wrong and I could not care less.) you would leave too. Bean counter just like his mentor Charlie King. Did Rice fire Dave B? Why else would he be back here?

I'm really going to miss Taylor and Brian. BP was an asset to the University and I hate to see him go.

So who is the director of the Duke Club? Dave?

Brian's wife accepted the Asst. head coach position at Notre Dame a few months ago. With several openings, the DC got a huge get in hiring Dave back on board. Brian Frerking will be managing all major gifts with the upcoming capital campaign, including funding toward the new basketball arena.

Quote:Duke Club Staff Adds Biancamano, Epstein; Restructures Personnel

Courtesy:JMUSports.com Release:08/21/2013

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Duke Club, the fundraising arm of the James Madison University Athletics Department, has announced the addition of two new staff members as well as restructuring roles within the fundraising group, Director of Athletics Jeff Bourne announced today.

Dave Biancamano returns to JMU after spending the last two years at Rice University as Director of Development for the athletic department. At Rice, he was a major participant in their capital campaign, raising funds in support of $44M football facility upgrade and $9M tennis complex. This will be Biancamano's third term of duty with JMU Athletics, where he previously rose to the position of Assistant Athletic Director for Development.

As part of the restructuring, Brian Frerking will assume management of all major gifts fundraising and will have the title of Associate Athletic Director for Principle Relationships and Campaign Stewardship. His focus on the future will be in expanding private gift support from alumni and friends of the university. Biancamano will become Associate Athletic Director for Fundraising and External Development, providing oversight of the annual fund and daily development operations.

“To maintain the momentum of our development programs, I am pleased that Dave has accepted our offer to return to JMU,” Bourne said. “Dave has a great knowledge and passion for JMU and we are excited for his family’s return to the valley. I also personally look forward to working closely and directly with Brian in this regard as he and I will spend much of our collective time in the coming months and years in expanding our donor base. This will give us a great approach to increasing support for JMU Athletics.”

Additionally, Aaron Epstein joins the Duke Club as Assistant Director of Development, filling the role of Taylor Adkins. Epstein comes from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan where he was Coordinator of the Athletic Fund and VIP Programs.

These adjustments are in response to several members of the Duke Club staff moving on to other fundraising opportunities. In addition to Adkins, Director of Annual Gifts Brian Powell and Director of Major Gifts Kevin Weaver have also departed the organization.