Ms. Amber A. Diglaw ’09
Amber, a native of Canton, is a graduate of The Ohio State University, earning a BA in psychology in 2009. She is a dynamic and innovative fundraiser for the University. She is not one to throw out an idea and leave it on the floor to wither on the vine. Instead, she works tirelessly to bring it to fruition. Her effectiveness is reflected in her rise from Assistant Director to Associate Director to Director of Development supporting the Office of Military and Veterans Services and the Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC programs, culminating in her promotion to Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences in 2019. She has been responsible for securing over $20 million in scholarships and other student support from 2011 to 2019.
Upon graduation, Amber’s first assignment with the Tri-Service ROTC was to establish an annual giving campaign for each of the units with the goal of engaging a new donor base for the program. In 2011 as the Associate Director of Development, she began to lead the development and alumni engagement efforts for the ROTC units – working specifically to establish new student support funds for cadets and midshipmen and provide university support to the alumni boards. During her tenure from 2011 to 2019, she assisted alumni in establishing or endowing eleven new donor-funded scholarships for Army ROTC (the unit previously had five). She also helped established multiple student support funds for the Naval and Air Force ROTC – including the first endowed scholarship for the Air Force. She also secured corporate and individual funding to host a university-wide event for the Army v. Ohio State football game – including sponsoring every Army cadet to attend free of charge.
Through her work with the Office and Military and Veteran Services – alumni and donors supported a $1M dollar renovation of the Veterans House, created a student-veteran peer program, established the Veteran Community Advocate Program that supports 30+ students per year, and created multiple military-connected student support funds. She also spearheaded the effort to create a donor-funded “Annual Flag Day” on campus to recognize our military-connected students, faculty, and staff, cross-campus endowed scholarships
Today, as the Senior Director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences, she leads the strategic fundraising mission of the division of Arts and Humanities- comprised of 25+ departments and centers. Her work with the Department of History ranked as the top military history program in the country, allows for continued partnership with the Tri-Service ROTC and Office of Military and Veteran Services. She most recently worked to establish a new Endowed Chair in Global Military History and a military-connected students’ scholarship-funded cohort for the existing WWII study abroad program.
Over the past decade, Amber has been asked to present at multiple national conferences on the best practices of military-connected student fundraising. She has been recognized by the Army ROTC with the “Most Supportive OSU Person of the Year” award and with the Office of Military and Veteran Services Distinguished Service Award.