70 DEANS AND DEVELOPMENT Your development officer is the key to realizing the fundraising goals that you set for your college. You are quite likely to spend more time with your development officer than any other individual at the University: on the phone, in meetings, and on the road. Carefully choose a person- ality and skill set that complements your strengths and mitigates your weaknesses in working with donors. Once you are working together, you need to support each other by candidly discussing what is working in your partnership and what can be improved. Through this maturing partnership, you will find that the development of donors provides a refreshing pause from your other decanal responsibilities. It is probably safe to say that none of us became professors and later deans because we were interested in fundraising; indeed, the very word often makes faculty members wince. In our experience, however, devel- opment is often one of the most enjoyable parts of the job. It offers opportunities to meet people from many walks of life, to learn what their education has meant to their lives, and to spread the word about the good work being done by faculty and students. Meeting alumni will also provide you with ever-new answers to parents’ eternal ques- tion, “What can my child do with a major in X?” Through practice, you will become accomplished in telling your institution’s story, and in advocating for the liberal arts.