Bob Sweeney has spent his entire career in higher education advancement, successfully leading both public and private institutions in their fundraising, public relations, and strategic planning efforts.

The April 2001 announcement of Mr. Sweeney's promotion to Senior Vice President of Development and Public Affairs came upon the heels of the successful completion of the $1.43 billion Campaign for the University. As Vice President for Development, Mr. Sweeney assumed leadership of the University's advancement initiatives in August of 1991 and led the Campaign from its planning stages to its successful conclusion. Under his guidance, the University's development effort was restructured, and philanthropic cash flow increased fourfold from $50 million in 1990 to $200 million in 2000. The Campaign, which concluded on December 31, 2000, realized nearly ten times the total of the University Campaign of the 1980's, which raised $146 million.

Beginning in 1973 at the State University of New York at Oswego, then at the University of Richmond and at Loyola College in Maryland, Mr. Sweeney gained a reputation early in his career for successfully directing campaigns and dramatically increasing philanthropic cash flow. In 1987, he was named Associate Vice Chancellor of Development and director of the $320 million Bicentennial Campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which realized over $440 million in gifts and pledges under his tenure.

In recognition of the increased role Mr. Sweeney has assumed over the public affairs of the University, in 1999 he was given direction of the Public Affairs Office, which includes public relations, publications, the news and television bureaus, web services, marketing, and community relations. As part of the effort to better define the University's profile within the community and nationwide, Mr. Sweeney has worked to gain consensus for, and acceptance of, a new University logo, which was unveiled at the President's State of the University Address on April 18, 2001.

Mr. Sweeney and his wife Peg have two sons, Matthew and Paul. The family resides in the Charlottesville area.