Marie Foster-Bruns

Vice President of Advancement

Marie Foster-Bruns, MBA, joined Valparaiso University as the vice president of advancement in March 2023. In this role, Foster-Bruns leads all advancement activities and manages a team responsible for fundraising, career services, and alumni relations activities of the University. She reports to President José D. Padilla, J.D., and serves as a member of the president’s cabinet.

Prior to this appointment, Foster-Bruns served as president and CEO of One Region, an organization advocating for the strategic promotion and growth of NW Indiana. Before that, she was chief experience officer and vice president of the Purdue Alumni Association where she oversaw a staff of 25 in the development and implementation of communication strategies and engagement experiences for students and more than 600,000 alumni worldwide. She has additional fundraising experience in her role as senior director of advancement and development officer at Purdue University Northwest. 

Foster-Bruns received a B.S. in education from Purdue University and her MBA from Purdue University Northwest. She is involved with several community-based organizations and was named a 20 Under 40 Award winner by BusINess Magazine. Her volunteer work includes teaching English and Spanish to children in Haiti and Mexico.

Education

MBA – Purdue University Northwest

B.S. – Purdue University