Stronger Together.
We are a fair, honest, and sincere collective who create the most benefit through serving together. We take your institutional challenges personally, and value humility when our clients are successful.
Individually, we have all been entrusted to develop and lead high-performance teams. As a group, we have also faced our share of challenging situations in higher education. We can’t wait to help you navigate your own.
Stephen Alexander
Founder and Principal
Stephen Alexander is the Founder and Principal of College Avenue Partners.
Steve’s higher education experience encompasses the broad spectrum of advancement. Steve has directed major gifts at Arizona State University, where he drafted a campaign plan for the WP Carey School of Business, helping lead a team that generated $21M in the first 12 months. At the University of Southern California, Steve served as Executive Director of Development and Graduate Relations during the successful $6B Campaign for USC. Steve has also directed national fundraising strategy for Bowling Green State University and directed principal giving for Western University in London, Ontario. Steve has also been elected to civic office, serving as Vice Chair of the Greater Essex County District School Board. He has also contributed his time to many volunteer boards and community organizations.
In founding College Avenue, Steve has led clients through the exploration and implementation of successful alternative revenue concepts and best-in-class advancement practices. He advised the University of Windsor on advancement while also actively participating in the development and negotiation of the institution’s first public-private partnership, a 440 bed residence hall and dining facility. He also helped direct campaign fundraising for the $72M Toldo Lancer Centre, a state-of-the-art athletic complex that replaced aging facilities.
Steve is a graduate of the University of Windsor and remains passionate about his alma mater.
Email Steve Alexander
steve@collegeavenuepartners.com
Sharon Lowe
Senior Advisor, Grants, Government, and Foundation Relations
Sharon Lowe has over 20 years of experience in higher education fundraising and serves College Avenue Partners as a Senior Advisor. Most recently, Sharon was the Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships in Institutional Advancement at Ohio Dominican University and the Director of University Grants and Foundation Relations at Ashland University.
Sharon excels in facilitating strategic collaborations that bring partners together to maximize resources and increase the capacity of the university. She worked directly with the President and Executive Vice President of Ohio Dominican University to quickly stabilize the institution through external partnerships and advocacy, expanding experiential opportunities for students to drive enrollment while escalating fundraising opportunities.
As the Director of University Grants and Foundation Relations for Ashland University, Sharon generated multiple revenue streams through philanthropic engagement with foundations, corporations, state, and federal agencies. Sharon led the grants division to raise over $42M for the institution, increasing the productivity of the department by 38% over 5 years. Grant funding supported academic program development, research, scholarships and other high impact opportunities for students.
Sharon earned her BA from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and an MS in Nonprofit Administration Leadership and Fundraising from Louisiana State University, Shreveport.
Email Sharon Lowe
sharon@collegeavenuepartners.com
