Meet the AA&D Executive Team
Our executive team’s broad expertise and creative leadership guide our daily work in support of Harvard’s mission. Find their bios below and get to know our leadership.
Brian Lee
Vice President for AA&D
An accomplished leader with a long history in educational and nonprofit advancement, Brian Lee joined Harvard in 2018 as vice president for Alumni Affairs and Development. Brian joined the Harvard team after serving for almost seven years as vice president for development and institute relations at the California Institute of Technology. In that role, he helped to orchestrate and launch the University’s $2 billion Breakthrough Campaign, which has raised in excess of $3 billion. Prior to joining Caltech in 2012, he worked at Tufts University for 26 years in various positions, rising to become senior vice president for university advancement. While at Tufts, Brian led a robust, university-wide program in alumni relations and engagement, working closely with the alumni association. He was involved in three major institutional campaigns—including Beyond Boundaries, which launched in 2003 and raised a record $1.2 billion for Tufts by its conclusion in 2011.
A well-known leader, innovator, and collaborator in the fields of alumni affairs and development, Brian has served as chairman of the board of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and as a board member of CASE Europe. Brian graduated from Assumption College with a bachelor of arts in English. He and his wife, Christa, have two children, Kathryn Colahan EdM ’14 and Gregory.
Sarah Karmon
Associate Vice President and Executive Director, HAA
A longtime member of the Harvard community, Sarah Karmon became associate vice president and executive director of the HAA in January 2023, after serving for three years as the HAA’s deputy executive director. In that role, she oversaw all operational aspects of the HAA, working with colleagues from across the Schools and central administration in support of Harvard’s more than 400,000 alumni around the world. Sarah also played a leading role in bringing the Classes of 2020 and 2021 back to campus for special in-person Commencement events in May. As associate vice president and executive director, Sarah is responsible for the strategic direction of the HAA and leads a network of more than 17,500 alumni volunteers. Those volunteers are committed to sustaining communities of alumni in support of Harvard’s mission and they are an important conduit of alumni viewpoints and sentiment toward the University.
Sarah joined the HAA as the senior director of University-wide affairs in August 2016. She also served as special assistant to the presidential search committee, which selected Larry Bacow JD ’76, MPP ’76, PhD ’78 in February 2018. Prior to joining the HAA, she served as chief of staff to Provost Alan Garber AB ’77, PhD ’82, and as deputy director of University development strategy. Sarah is a graduate of Vassar College. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family, especially to their favorite destination, Italy.
Mike McNally
Associate Vice President and Dean of Development, FAS
Mike McNally joined Harvard from Massachusetts General Hospital, where he is vice president for development. He previously held positions at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, notably as the deputy vice dean for external relations and later vice dean for external relations. He also held development leadership positions at MIT.
A Massachusetts native, Mike’s parents immigrated from Ireland, and he was the first in his family to attend college. He holds a BA in history from Boston College and an MA in international relations from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Mike lives in Arlington with his wife, Mary, and their dog, Blaze. They enjoy traveling, cooking, and spending time with family.
Jen Pachus
Associate Vice President, UDO
As AVP for the University Development Office, Jen oversees teams who coordinate across the University to create transformative and cross-School gift opportunities, engage donors in University-wide priorities and initiatives, and manage the development activity and travel for the president and provost. Prior to her role in UDO, Jen was the assistant vice president for communications and engagement, and she also served the Office of the President concurrently as special assistant to the inauguration, where she oversaw planning for the 29th Presidential Inauguration in partnership with colleagues in AA&D and across the University. From 2008 to 2018, Jen was executive director of The Harvard Campaign. In 1990, Jen started her Harvard development career as a front-line fundraiser in the Harvard College Fund and FAS Major Gifts, later serving as associate dean for FAS Development (managing service teams and the dean’s development activity).
She received her BA in philosophy from Yale University and has completed several courses in nonprofit management at Harvard Kennedy School. Jen lives in Needham with her husband, three children, and dog, Bandit.
Siovhan O'Connor
Associate Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, AA&D Resources
Siovhan O’Connor is the associate vice president for resources and chief operating officer for AA&D. In this capacity, Siovhan is responsible for running the daily operations for Alumni Affairs and Development and focuses on internal communication, staff morale, and promotes organizational wellness. She also oversees the internal resource teams that support AA&D efforts including information systems and technology, business intelligence and analytics, business operations, data governance, email marketing services, research and prospect management, events, creative services for communications, gift and biographical processing, University gift policy, budget and facilities, and human resources and talent management.
She began her Harvard career at Harvard Medical School and worked in executive education for both the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Graduate School of Education before beginning her work in development as assistant director of FAS development operations, focusing on services and process development for capital giving, the parents fund, and other areas of the organization in October 2003. A native of Indiana, Siovhan holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Marian University.