Dan DeVries, NCYL’s Director of Development for the past 15 years, has taken a job as Development/Communications Director at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies at Hastings College of Law. A former high school teacher who began his Development career writing grants at Stanford Business School, Dan says he is looking forward to returning to academia.

Since 1993, when he joined NCYL, Dan oversaw NCYL’s very successful efforts to secure donations from law firms and individuals. He also headed up NCYL’s efforts to raise money through private foundations and special events, including NCYL’s first ever benefit concert featuring the legendary Bay Area rock band Journey. The concert (and live auction), held at the historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Oakland, CA, sold out, raising $150,000 in net proceeds for NCYL.

Just a few short years after starting at NCYL, Dan found himself in the unenviable position of having to completely reshape NCYL’s fundraising efforts after it lost more than $800,000 – 60 percent of  its budget at the time – when the Newt Gingrich Congress cut all federal funding for national support centers, including NCYL. . But working with Director John O’Toole and NCYL’s Board of Directors, Dan intensified NCYL’s efforts to raise the needed funding from private law firms, individuals, and foundations.

Dan was well-known at NCYL for his twice-yearly “stuffing” parties, where he would treat the staff to pizza in exchange for help stuffing thousands of envelopes for NCYL’s fundraising mailings. The conversation would often turn to golf, “roots” music, and great books – three of Dan’s most avid interests.

“Dan was integrally involved in so many of our successes over the past 15 years. We will miss him and we wish him the best,” said long-time Director O’Toole.