The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth is pleased to announce the appointment of Kimberlee (“Kim”) Labonte as its new Executive Director of Development. A seasoned fundraising leader with more than two decades of experience across higher education, academic medicine, public health, and the arts, Labonte will guide Geisel’s philanthropic strategy and development programs in support of the school’s mission to improve lives through research, education, and clinical excellence.
Labonte joins Geisel from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she served as Managing Director of Development and led a comprehensive advancement enterprise spanning major and principal giving, corporate and foundation relations, international engagement, annual giving, and prospect management. She partnered closely with academic and administrative leadership to shape compelling fundraising priorities, strengthen donor relationships, and expand philanthropic support across Harvard Chan’s departments, centers, and institutes. In this role, she was known for cultivating a highly collaborative team culture and developing strategies that elevated donor engagement and institutional visibility.
In her new role at Geisel, Labonte will oversee strategies that expand philanthropic engagement and help secure resources essential to advancing medical research, supporting faculty and students, and addressing the world’s most pressing health challenges.
“Geisel’s mission reflects the transformative power of medicine to improve lives worldwide,” Labonte shared. “I’m inspired by its commitment to discovery, education, and translating innovation into real-world impact—and honored to partner with the Geisel community to help propel that work forward.”
Prior to her work at Harvard Chan, Labonte served as Chief Development and Community Engagement Officer at Mass General Brigham–Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, where she secured major and principal gifts, strengthened campaign planning and board governance, and led community health initiatives. She previously held senior fundraising roles at Villanova University, where she exceeded regional campaign goals, Longy School of Music of Bard College, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Peabody Essex Museum. Across these institutions, she demonstrated a consistent ability to inspire philanthropic investment, cultivate strategic partnerships, and advance organizational priorities.
Labonte earned her B.A. in Sociology, magna cum laude, from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she also completed significant graduate-level coursework in education.
Geisel looks forward to welcoming Labonte into this vital leadership role and to the impact her experience and vision will bring to the school’s fundraising efforts.
