New director to lead Madison Trust

In anticipation of the sixth annual competition to be held on March 1, 2019, JMU welcomes its new program director for Madison Trust, John Meck, who already serves as director of Corporate Relations at the university.

The competition provides a lively intersection where savvy philanthropists directly experience the ingenuity and innovative spirit of faculty and staff. Competitors make formal presentations and discuss their visionary ideas with individuals who have the potential of making these concepts a reality. Investor-judges decide which ventures are most promising, and they have the opportunity to provide financial support as ground-floor partners.

Making certain the competitors are properly vetted and the investor-judges are primed to participate, the program director’s role is primarily to ensure that everyone involved has a stellar experience.

“In the last five years, almost $500,000 in investments has been committed to fund faculty innovation through Madison Trust,” says Nick Langridge, vice president of University Advancement. “With John’s leadership — given his strong relationships with people across all the colleges and understanding of strategic philanthropy’s potential to make an impact — I’m confident that the variety and substance of ideas brought forward will be more dynamic than ever.”

For more than 12 years, Meck served as development manager for Rockingham County, and prior to that he was a firefighter/paramedic. He has been employed with University Advancement since 2014, working to develop philanthropic relationships with corporations, foundations, and other organizations. Meck earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and organizational development from Eastern Mennonite University, and his master’s of business administration from EMU as well.