March 23, 2018 - Cardozo School of Law is pleased to announce that Dyer Ridley will join the school as Associate Dean of Institutional Advancement and Alumni Affairs starting April 9. He will oversee all of Cardozo’s alumni relations and lead the law school’s fundraising and stewardship efforts. Ridley has over 15 years of experience in development and an impressive record of success at educational institutions of higher learning.
Most recently, Ridley served as Director of Development for the Arts and Sciences at Columbia University, where he was personally responsible for raising $30 million, including raising funds for the naming of two faculty chairs as well as a major new scholarship for international students. Prior to that he was Senior Major Gifts Officer for Arts and Sciences at Columbia, where he oversaw a portfolio of major gift prospects in the New York region. In this role, Dyer led the Major Gifts team for Columbia College and the Arts & Sciences along with the development program for the School of General Studies.
“I am very pleased to welcome Dyer to my leadership team,” said Dean Melanie Leslie. “He is a dynamic fundraiser with an impressive track record of success, and I am looking forward to working with him to take Cardozo to the next level.”
Before Columbia, Ridley served at the College of William & Mary in Virginia as the Director of Parent and Family Giving, and Regional Director of Major Gifts. Ridley’s first position as a fundraiser in higher education was with Georgia College & State University, and prior to that he worked as the finance director for a consulting firm working on political campaigns.
Dyer Ridley received a B.A., cum laude, from Vanderbilt University where he studied political science and history.
“I am thrilled by the opportunity to lead the institutional advancement team at Cardozo and work with the school’s alumni and friends on its behalf,” Ridley said. “Dean Leslie has assembled an incredible leadership team and I am honored to be a part of it. Their work and that of the students and faculty place Cardozo at the center of innovation in legal education and scholarship. It is an exciting time to be part of such an amazing institution.”
