Don Birkelbach
About Don Birkelbach
Don Birkelbach serves as the Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts at Texas A&M Foundation, where he has worked since 2017. He has extensive experience in development and recruiting, having held various roles at The Dow Chemical Company and Texas A&M Foundation over several decades.
Current Role at Texas A&M Foundation
Don Birkelbach currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Major Gifts at Texas A&M Foundation. He has held this position since 2017, contributing to fundraising efforts in the Bryan/College Station, Texas area. His role involves developing strategies to enhance major gift fundraising and working closely with donors to support the foundation's mission.
Previous Experience at Texas A&M Foundation
Before his current role, Don Birkelbach worked at Texas A&M Foundation as the Senior Director of Development for Science from 2001 to 2010. He also served as the Assistant Vice President for Development in Engineering from 2001 to 2013. During his tenure, he focused on building relationships with donors and enhancing development initiatives within the university.
Career at Dow Chemical Company
Don Birkelbach spent 27 years at Dow Chemical Company, where he held the position of Technical Manager from 1974 to 2001. He also served as the Recruiting and Hiring Manager for five years, overseeing recruitment processes. His work led to the authorship or co-authorship of 12 US patents and the discovery of a new polymer product, Linear Low Density Polyethylene, which received the IR-100 Award in 1978.
Education and Academic Background
Don Birkelbach studied at Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He later pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Personnel Management at the University of Houston-Clear Lake from 1976 to 1979. He also achieved a Master of Science in Chemistry from Texas A&M University.
Board Memberships and Advisory Roles
Throughout his career, Don Birkelbach has served on the boards of several College Placement associations. He has also been involved with advisory councils for the College of Science and the Career Center at Texas A&M, contributing his expertise to support educational initiatives and career development.