Transformational Leadership Coach and Consultant

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership”

— Harvey S. Firestone

Advancement Professional.
Leadership Expert.
Institutional Catalyst.

Chris Glick bridges the critical gap between advancement success and transformational leadership that most institutions fail to address. Drawing from two decades as a senior advancement executive who has guided teams through pivotal leadership transitions at prestigious institutions, he brings unique expertise in developing the specialized leadership capabilities that determine long-term institutional success.

Organizations partner with Chris because he understands both the technical aspects of advancement and the adaptive challenges of leadership, having earned certification in teaching adaptive leadership from the Kansas Leadership Center. His methodologies address the specific leadership development needs of advancement executives navigating the complex dynamics of institutional politics, donor relationships, and team culture during career transitions that shape institutional impact for years to come.

The Arête Advantage

Arête transforms advancement executives by developing leadership capabilities rarely provided during critical transitions for newly hired and recently promoted senior leaders. We protect donor relationships, accelerate fundraising effectiveness, and build sustainable leadership cultures that determine long-term philanthropic success.

Derived from the Greek concept of "excellence" and the French word for "mountain ridge," our name symbolizes both the standard of excellence and the challenging upward path advancement leaders must navigate between individual success and transformational leadership.

Our Leadership Mandate

Mission

To transform advancement organizations by developing the distinct leadership capabilities that high-performing executives need—bridging the critical gap between individual success and organizational leadership that most institutions fail to address in their talent development.

Vision

To revolutionize advancement leadership culture across prestigious institutions, creating sustainable philanthropic impact through executives who master the complex intersection of donor relationships, organizational design, and leadership excellence.

Our Leadership Principles

Strategic

We serve as trusted architects of leadership capability, building partnerships focused on institutional transformation rather than tactical fundraising fixes. Just as advancement operations connect donors to mission impact, we help institutions connect leadership development to sustainable philanthropic success—creating a cascade effect that strengthens entire advancement ecosystems from frontline professionals to executive leadership.

Excellence

Advancement leadership requires a fundamentally different skill set than frontline success. Our development programs embody this critical distinction—combining evidence-based leadership methodologies with practical application to your specific institutional context. For prestigious organizations, excellence isn't measured by individual metrics alone—it's demonstrated through creating sustainable cultures of philanthropy guided by exceptional leadership. Our work addresses both immediate leadership effectiveness and long-term organizational capacity building.

Trust

Trust forms the foundation of both advancement success and our partnerships with institutions. The relationships your organization builds with donors parallel the trust we establish with your executive team—based on honest assessment, transparent goals, and precisely aligned expectations. We create a confidential environment where leadership challenges can be addressed productively, asking the necessary difficult questions while always prioritizing your institution's long-term advancement vision.

Empathy

Elite advancement teams balance accountability with nuanced understanding of both team dynamics and donor psychology. Our approach reflects this same sophisticated balance—driving toward leadership transformation while acknowledging the complex pressures facing advancement executives. We understand the unique landscape of institutional advancement—the board expectations, the complexity of donor relationships, and the weight of nine-figure campaign goals. Our programs embrace this complexity with empathy, helping your leaders maintain authentic connections while building the resilience required for sustained leadership success.

Fundraising Executive. Transformation Guide. Servant Leader.

Chris Glick's journey from humble beginnings to leadership expert reflects the transformational processes he now guides others through. Raised by working-class parents, Chris broke generational patterns by enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve at 19, becoming first-generation college graduate, and later earning a master's degree.

His leadership philosophy combines principles gained through military service, community engagement as a volunteer firefighter and Sunday school teacher, and personal growth practices including yoga instruction, Buddhist meditation, and mountain climbing expeditions in the Cascades and Andes.

Currently serving as Regional Director of Development for the Mountain West at Trust for Public Land, Chris leads multi-state fundraising initiatives while developing Arête Leadership Consulting to help advancement executives navigate critical career transitions.

His experience includes guiding advancement teams through significant challenges:

As Vice President of Development at Montana State University Alumni Foundation, he navigated three presidential transitions and complex university politics while securing over $93M in two years and implementing an adaptive leadership program.
At UC Davis, he transformed a struggling team during COVID-19, achieving record-breaking fundraising of $103.8M including a transformational $50M gift.
His earlier career includes rebuilding UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design development operation and securing major gifts at Johns Hopkins University, including a $15M commitment for biomedical sciences.

Chris's approach combines practical advancement wisdom with evidence-based methodologies from Harvard Negotiation Institute, Case Western Reserve, and the Kansas Leadership Center. Currently pursuing a second master's in organizational leadership at Gonzaga University, he specializes in developing servant leaders who create environments where both people and institutional missions thrive.

Based in Denver, Colorado, Chris balances his professional commitments with family time and continued personal growth through mountain climbing and other pursuits.

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”