Floyd Akins

Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Institutional Advancement Division

Floyd Akins joined the Otterbein community as its new vice president for institutional advancement in January 2025. He is responsible for setting the strategic direction and agenda for the Division of Institutional Advancement in alignment with the strategic plan of the University. The division includes the offices of Development, Advancement Services, and Alumni, Family, and Donor Engagement

Floyd has more than 35 years of experience in higher education, with nearly 30 of those years in advancement. He most recently served as vice president for advancement for the University of Toledo, where he oversaw a team of more than 40 staff and led the foundation’s second largest fundraising year, bringing in $36 million for the university in FY23.

Floyd has an impressive record of success in leading and mentoring teams to tangible results in fundraising and relationship-building on behalf of large and small universities. As associate vice president for advancement at Michigan State University, Floyd led a team that raised $232 million in fiscal year 2021. As assistant vice chancellor for development for The University of Tennessee Foundation, under his leadership, they increased the Corporate and Foundation Engagement (CFE) fundraising total by more than 200% over three years. He has worked as senior associate vice president for university development and vice president of The Ohio State University Foundation from 2010-2012. Floyd also worked in various positions at Grinnell College and the University of Iowa early in his career. 

Floyd received his master’s degree from the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications and his bachelor’s degree in communications from Eastern Illinois University College of Liberal Arts.