The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) today announced that Gregory Leet has joined the nonprofit biomedical research organization as vice president for advancement. In this role, Leet will lead global development, communications and trustee relations.
“We are thrilled that Gregory has joined JAX at such an exciting time at our organization, and in the overall biomedical research field,” said Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Edison Liu, M.D. “His leadership, creativity and experience will help us share JAX’s mission even more broadly and build greater connections with communities and philanthropists around the world.”
Joining JAX with more than 25 years of advancement experience, Leet most recently served as vice chancellor for university advancement at the University of California, Irvine, leading all advancement and fundraising programs and initiatives, including those of the UCI Medical Center and Chao Comprehensive Cancer Center. He also oversaw the university’s community and government relations programs. Under Leet's leadership, UCI became the youngest university to complete a $1 billion fundraising campaign. He also secured UCI's largest gift ever of $40 million for nursing and allied health sciences.
Prior to UC Irvine, Leet served as vice president at advancement consulting firm Grenzebach Glier & Associates (GG+A) in Chicago, where he worked with universities and nonprofits to enhance development programs for clients including UCLA Health Systems, University of Southern California, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pew Charitable Trusts. He also served as vice president of development at the Arizona State University Foundation, managing a planned $1.3 billion campaign and collaborating on fundraising projects such as the ASU Biodesign Institute and ASU’s institutional rebranding initiative and prospect management program. The branding and prospect management efforts both garnered national awards from the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE).
Leet was previously at Creighton University, where he held several major gifts officer and management positions and secured a $50 million outright gift, the largest in Creighton’s history. In 2007, Creighton received the CASE Circle of Excellence Award as one of the nation’s top 30 development programs.
“I’m very excited to join such a unique organization and expand upon JAX’s base of passionate philanthropic supporters,” Leet said. “To share the work of a team whose research and medical breakthroughs are empowering treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, addiction and other challenging conditions is a tremendous honor.”
Leet received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kansas State University and his master’s degree in nonprofit management at Arizona State University.