Dr. R. Mark Dillon has oversight of fundraising; alumni, parent, media, and public relations; print and web communications; and advancement services.
Prior to coming to Wheaton in November of 1994, Dr. Dillon served as Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois.
Dr. Dillon received a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Bethel College in 1976 and an M.Div. from Trinity in 1980. He was the first recipient of a Ph.D. in Philanthropic and Leadership Studies in 1990 from the Union Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1987, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School named him Alumnus of the Year.
The author of Advancing Advancement: A Study of Fundraising Effectiveness among Protestant Seminaries in the U.S., Dr. Dillon has also written numerous articles for professional journals on the topic of development and fundraising. In addition to his duties at Wheaton, he is frequently engaged as a conference speaker and is called upon for development consultation. Currently he serves as Chair of the Chief Institutional Advancement Officers (CIAO) Commission of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
During Dr. Dillon’s tenure, Wheaton has experienced unprecedented growth in facilities, programs, relationships, and outreach—this due in large part to the College’s completing several major campaigns, including the $157-million New Century Challenge and the $260-million Promise of Wheaton.
Dr. Dillon’s wife, Susan, also works at the College, as the international student writing consultant in the Writing Center.