WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - William & Mary Director of Athletics Samantha K. Huge and Associate Vice President for Development Earl T. Granger III '92, M.Ed. '98 announced today that Anthony D. Henderson Sr., has been hired as the senior associate athletics director, executive director of athletics advancement. Henderson will serve as the lead fundraiser for William & Mary Athletics, responsible for leading philanthropic strategies that will advance the department's pursuit of excellence.
 
"Anthony brings an incredible track record of success and experience to William & Mary and, most importantly, understands who we are and what are all about," said Huge. "Providing world-class student-athlete and fan experiences take resources, and I am confident that Anthony will connect with our passionate and generous donors to move us forward."
 
A member of the senior leadership team, Henderson will have oversight of all fundraising endeavors with the goal of assisting the Department of Athletics to advance its mission and ensure financial stability. To that end, he will oversee the Tribe Club Board and provide recommendations to the director of athletics and associate vice president for development on matters related to advancement activities and strategies that will enable the department to secure gifts at all levels. He will also supervise the athletics advancement staff and serve as a sport administrator.
 
Henderson will also play a vital role in helping the university secure its $1 billion fundraising goal as part of the For the Bold campaign. With a year left in the campaign, athletics is positioning itself to build on the momentum and focusing its philanthropic efforts on key initiatives that will be unveiled in its strategic plan this fall.    
 
"I am so excited to join the Tribe," said Henderson. "Being from the Richmond area and attending college in the 757, I already knew William & Mary was a really special and unique place. Samantha's vision for the Department of Athletics is clear — Boldly Pursuing Excellence academically and athletically. I can't wait to help her bring that vision to our alumni, donors and friends and I look forward to working to build on that legacy."

Henderson comes to Williamsburg with 15 years of experience in athletics revenue generation, serving the last seven years at the University of Akron.  He began his career at Akron as the director of athletics development in August 2011 and was promoted to associate athletics director for development in July 2016.

"Anthony is passionate about supporting the development of our athletes and comes highly recommended to us," said Matthew T. Lambert '99, W&M's vice president for University Advancement. "He is a strategic thinker and will bring a new perspective to our athletics fundraising efforts, building on the strong record of philanthropic support over the past few decades. Anthony is a person of high energy and an experienced colleague who will provide strategic leadership as we pursue excellence in athletics."

In his most recent role, Henderson was responsible for day-to-day operations of the Z-Fund, the fundraising arm of Akron Athletics and for each of its 20 sports, including fundraising for capital projects, scholarships and major gifts as well as the oversight of premium seating, hospitality areas and events. In more than seven years, the development team raised over $25 million and produced significant increases in fundraising for scholarships, a university priority, as well as increases in restricted dollars to individual sport programs. 
 
In addition to leading the fundraising operation, Henderson also served as the sport administrator for the Zips Football program. In this role he touched all areas of the program to include goal setting, performance management, academics, compliance, budget, scheduling, capital projects and student-athlete well-being.
 
Prior to joining the Zips, Henderson spent three years at Old Dominion, where he was the assistant director of athletic development. He managed donor relationships for the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation and helped grow the athletic endowment to more than $16 million and the annual fund from $400,000 to $2.7 million annually through premium seat sales, annual contributions and naming rights opportunities. Along with an increase in annual revenues, he also contributed to an increase in overall donor membership of 52 percent during his tenure.

Henderson transitioned to ODU from the private sector where he worked as the senior account executive at The Event Authority, LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina, responsible for managing the Jordan Brand Classic account. This signature High School All-Star Basketball event of the Jordan Brand, a division of Nike, Inc., was played in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Preceding his employment with The Event Authority, Henderson served as the director of marketing and corporate partnerships for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in Virginia Beach. In this role, he was responsible for prospecting, researching and establishing leads to corporate relationships as well as overall marketing of the conference events. The conference's main event, the MEAC Basketball Tournament, saw unprecedented growth during his tenure.

Henderson has also worked for Disney Sports Attractions, the Richmond Braves baseball club and as a substitute teacher and assistant football coach at his alma mater, Powhatan High School.

A nationally recognized emerging leader in collegiate athletics, Henderson was selected among 25 senior-level administrators from across the country to participate in the prestigious 2018 NCAA Pathway Program. The program is designed to elevate those currently in senior-level positions within athletics administration to the next step in reaching their goal of becoming directors of athletics.

Henderson holds professional credentials from the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) in which he has served as a conference representative for two separate terms (Peach Belt Conference 2011-2013; Mid-American Conference 2013-2015), the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). He is a two-time recipient of the NAADD Diversity Award, selected for the inaugural class of 10 individuals for the NAADD Executive Committee Mentor Program as well as a graduate of the 2011 Dr. Charles Whitcomb NCAA Leadership Institute. He has also been a participant of the NACDA Senior Level Administrators Mentoring Institute, Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium, LEAD1 (Formerly D1A Athletic Directors') Association Institute and is also a former Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Western Reserve in Akron.

Henderson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Hampton University while competing as a student-athlete on the football team. He played defensive back for the Pirates and was a part of a squad that won two MEAC regular-season titles and advanced to the NCAA I-AA playoffs in each of those seasons. He also holds a master of science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Sports Leadership where he graduated cum laude.

He and his wife Danjile, a former track and field student-athlete at Hampton University, return to Virginia with their son, Anthony, Jr. (A.J.) and daughter Ashlynn.
 
What they are saying about Anthony:
 
"Anthony has been successful and is well-known nationally in development circles. He's experienced and an energetic professional; he will work hard for William & Mary and to support student-athletes. The Tribe got a good one."

Whit Babcock
Director of Athletics, Virginia Tech
 
"William & Mary has found an administrative star in Anthony Henderson. I've watched Anthony's ascension in intercollegiate athletics closely and his work has been notable for several reasons. Number one, he is committed to creating transformational opportunities for student-athletes that help ensure their welfare and success inside and outside of athletics competition. Number two, Anthony has always been a strong relationship builder; he values working collaboratively and connecting diverse constituencies. These qualities result in benefits to the institution, the Department of Athletics and its coaches, its donors, corporate partners, but most importantly the student-athletes."

Craig Littlepage
Special Advisor to the President and Director of Athletics Emeritus, University of Virginia
 
"William & Mary Athletics has made an outstanding choice in selecting Anthony to lead its athletics advancement team. He understands the critical role that fundraising and donor stewardship play in allowing all parts of an athletic department to deliver a superlative experience for its student-athletes. His leadership will benefit the young men and women representing the Tribe now and for years to come."

Dr. Jim Phillips
Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation, Northwestern University
 
"Anthony is a special person with some extraordinary gifts. Chief among them are his ability to relate to and connect with people, and his true passion for the student-athletes he works so diligently to support. We hate to lose Anthony and his fantastic family from our community, but are happy that they are going to a wonderful place in William & Mary."

Larry Williams
Director of Athletics, University of Akron