Contributor profile

Laird has been privileged to assist and learn from philanthropists over a more than 30-year career divided between higher education and academic medicine. His work has involved collaborating closely with benefactors in several capacities and settings: Director of Gift Planning at St. Olaf College, Director of Gift Planning at Mayo Clinic and Director of Gift Planning at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in MA. Administratively, he had tours of duty as: Vice President for College Relations at St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, Vice President of Development, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, and Vice Chair, Department of Development, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Over the past several years Laird conducted audits of planned giving and gift planning programs, as well as pre-campaign audits and feasibility studies at numerous hospitals, colleges and universities, private secondary schools and medical associations. He recently stepped down from serving on the board of the American Council on Gift Annuities.

Laird lives with his grade school sweetheart (married 45 years) in South Portland, ME. They have two wonderful daughters and a grandson.