Illinois Athletics Capital Projects | NAADD Release

CHAMPAIGN, ILL – The National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) has named Illinois chief development officer Howard Milton as the 2019 Fundraiser of the Year. The senior associate athletics director for development, Milton helped set record-breaking fundraising numbers for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics over the last two years.

"I could not be more excited for Howard to be recognized by NAADD as its National Fundraiser of the Year," said Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman. "This honor celebrates Howard's acumen as a fundraiser, which has become well known to Illini donors over his last 10-plus years as a development officer, but it also recognizes his growth as a leader and strategist since assuming the role as our chief development officer in 2016. Howard's ambitious vision for the future of Illinois Athletics matches mine, and I am overjoyed for my close friend and colleague to receive this well-deserved honor. Further, this award is an acknowledgement of our tremendous development team, which is loyal, talented, and driven to move us forward every day, as well as affirmation to our thousands of donors who so generously give to Illinois Athletics in support of our student-athletes, coaches, and programs in their ongoing pursuit of excellence. A job well done by all!"

Milton will be formally honored at the annual NACDA Convention in Orlando on June 12. Under Milton's watch, he and his Office of Athletics Development team secured gift commitments of more than $42.4 million in FY18, and they are already at the $26.7 million mark halfway through FY19. This success includes the largest gift ever secured for Illinois Athletics, a $20 million commitment from the Henry Dale and Betty Smith family. True to the nature of Milton's collaborative approach, the Smith gift includes $15 million to name the new Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center, create $3 million in endowed scholarships to support former Fighting Illini student-athletes who wish to return to school to complete their degrees, and provides $2 million in support of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.

Milton works exceedingly well in a collaborative, transparent manner in an effort to maximize fundraising opportunities for the entire campus. Milton's OAD team have the second largest fundraising goal ($300 million) of the 'With Illinois' campaign ($2.25 billion), launched on October 13, 2017. The OAD team has already cracked the $200 million milestone and have achieved 67.8% of the overall campaign fundraising goal. 

Some of the fundraising success Milton and his OAD team have had include the $7 million commitment for the Demirjian Park project ($20 million stadium complex for soccer practice and competition fields, and outdoor track and field facilities).  At the time, it was one of the two largest gifts Illinois Athletics history.  Following the December 6, 2017 Demirjian Park announcement additional gifts were secured in support of the Henry Dale and Betty Smith Football Center, including commitments of $5 million, $3.1 million, $2.5 million, $1.7 million, $1 million, and several gifts at $100,000 or greater. All said, during this fundraising campaign, led by Milton, Illinois has secured seven gifts at $1 million or greater and 25 gifts at $100,000 - $999,999.

Milton and his OAD team secured a gift commitment of $1 million in support of the renovation and expansion of the Bielfeldt Athletics Administration Building, which is the hub of DIA, and where the Director of Athletics and key athletics administrators have their offices. Additionally, Milton and the OAD team launched a $30 million fundraising push (as part of the larger 'With Illinois' campaign) for the renovation and expansion of the Ubben Basketball Complex, with $4 million committed to date.

The most recent lead gift commitment was a $3 million gift from Susie Atkins, a DIA Campaign Steering Committee member, to name the Susan and Clint Atkins Baseball Training Center, an $8 million project that would provide a state-of-the art indoor training facility for Illinois Baseball, a critical capital project considering the tough Midwestern winters.

Milton and his OAD team are also actively working on projects for softball, a new academic services center, and are continuing to work through a feasibility study for a downtown arena which could possibly be used as a training and competition venue for wrestling, volleyball, men's and women's gymnastics, and possibly an ice hockey program. 

Before ascending to his current role, Milton was promoted from Associate Director of Development to Associate Athletics Director for Development in 2011. Milton's primary role was to cultivate and solicit major gift donors, and he had incredible success with securing new scholarship endowments, as well as capital project funds, among other sources of revenue. Milton was also provided the opportunity to serve as the OAD's point person on the $169.5 million Illinois Renaissance campaign for State Farm Center, the largest and most aggressive single capital project for Illinois Athletics at that time. In addition, Milton managed the 'Fighting Illini on Wheels' car program and oversaw all premium seating sales efforts for both football and men's basketball.

Milton originally joined the OAD in 2005 after spending his first four years at Illinois as Assistant Athletic Director for Event Management. While working in this capacity, Milton served as the event management liaison to the Chicago Bears during the 2002 football season, in which the Bears played their eight home games at Memorial Stadium while Soldier Field was undergoing renovations. He also was the Championship Director for the 2001 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, the 2004 NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championships, the 2005 Big Ten Baseball Tournament, and the 2005 ITA/USTA Men's National Indoor Tennis Championships. Within a four-year period, Howard had coordinated game-day operations for volleyball, softball, men's basketball, men's and women's gymnastics, wrestling, baseball and football.

A Winfield, Kansas, native, Milton holds two degrees from the University of Kansas. He earned a bachelor's degree in organizational communication studies in 1997 and a master's in higher education administration in 1998. Milton and his wife, Barclay (also a Kansas alum), live in Champaign with their three children; Connor, Claire, and Callie.