Virgil Allen Brings Leadership and Fundraising Background to His New Position as MSU-DCL Development Director Development Director Virgil Allen with alumni relations and development staff members, back left, Alumni Relations Director Laurie Schaibly, ’00, and front left to right, Events Coordinator Kathryn Reed and Development Assistant Kelly Jencks. MSU-DCL Development Director Virgil Allen has come full circle since his childhood years in a small, southern-Michigan town. As a high school student, Allen knew he wanted to travel and to go to college in a large city. Little did he know he would end up visiting 23 countries and living in places such as New York City, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and San Francisco. Allen had his eye on the Coast Guard, which would send him any place he wanted to go, so he entered the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy just outside New York City to pursue a bachelor’s degree. A 20-year career in the Coast Guard followed. Allen was moved all over the country, ending up at the Pentagon to draft policy related to reserve forces who had served in Operation Desert Storm. During his moves, he completed a JD at Loyola University in New Orleans and graduated from the U.S. Armed Forces Staff College, where he studied national security measures and war planning. A recipient of the Defense Superior Service Medal, he left the Coast Guard as its highest decorated commander and moved on to a position as an independent lobbyist in Washington. From there he returned to the Merchant Marine Academy, where he was in charge of development for the school’s foundation. Within six months, the foundation, which had been operating “in the red” for two years, had returned to “the black.” Soon thereafter, Allen was promoted to foundation president. A desire to be close to family brought Allen and his wife Dyann back to Michigan, where he was hired as executive director of the Saginaw Valley State University Foundation. That’s where MSU-DCL found him when they began the search for a new development director last year. Allen draws on his vast military management experience in leading the activities of the alumni relations and development office. He maintains a hands-off management style. “You need to find people who are able and willing to do the job,” he explains. “Then you need to support them and stay out of their way so they can do what they know how to do.”