R. Brian Elderton

R. Brian Elderton, Sr. Vice President, Development, joins the BrightFocus Foundation team with more than 25 years of senior leadership experience in advancement and fundraising for higher education and healthcare institutions.

Most recently, Brian served for 16 years as Vice President for University Advancement at La Salle University in Philadelphia where he built the advancement program and oversaw Alumni Relations, Development, Marketing and Communications, Government and Community Relations, and University Events.  During his tenure, he developed the University’s major gift program and led fundraising campaigns that garnered more than $150 million for the university, including over $84 million in gifts and pledges from 37,000 alumni during the University’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Shoulder to Shoulder, which funded the building of a new science and technology center and grew the endowment.

Previously, Brian worked 9 years as Vice President of Development for Mercy Health System, a healthcare network in Pennsylvania.  Earlier in his career, Brian was a Development Consultant with Martin J. Moran Company, in New York; and served as Assistant Director of the Annual Fund at Georgetown University, where he also established and served as Director of the Parents’ Annual Fund and the Graduate Annual Fund.

Brian spent the early part of his career as a high school teacher and football, baseball and basketball coach, his last position was teacher football coach and Chairperson of Religious Studies at Good Counsel High School in Silver Spring, MD.  He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Christian Brothers University in Memphis and a Master of Education, from the University of Missouri- St. Louis.    

Brian is the proud parent of three daughters and enjoys traveling, reading, golfing, boxing and watching sports.