Kirk Harbinger '89

Photo of Kirk Harbinger

Elected: 2021
Current Term Ends: 2025
Committees: Marketing & Enrollment Strategy, Philanthropy & Engagement

Since 2020, Harbinger has served as director of development for the University at Albany, where he manages a portfolio of donors/prospects through engagement, cultivation, and stewardship.  He also collaborates closely with deans, faculty, and staff to identify and articulate priorities and strategies for achieving fundraising goals.

For the previous seven years, Harbinger worked at Ithaca College, as a major gifts officer in the Division of Philanthropy and Engagement and as development coordinator for the Roy H. Park School of Communications. He was an integral part of building a culture of philanthropy among students, alumni, and parents, with responsibilities that included matching philanthropic interests of donors with college priorities. Over his prior career, he has been a manager, consultant, executive, and business partner in multiple industries, spearheading change management initiatives and employee training programs. 

In addition to earning his B.A. degree in politics from the Ithaca College School of Humanities and Sciences, Harbinger has completed coursework toward his Master of Public Administration degree at UAlbany. While a student at Ithaca, he served as vice president of the senior class, resident assistant, and student justice. He has been an active and engaged alumnus over the past three decades, serving as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors and volunteering with the IC Career Network, among other activities.

Harbinger has volunteered with a number of professional and community organizations, serving as vice president of the local Association for Training and Development chapter and board member of the Capital Region Workforce Investment Board. A longtime foster parent, he was named “volunteer of the year” by CAPTAIN Community Human Services. He is also an accomplished NCAA basketball and soccer referee, having been selected to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball National Championship game. His wife, Elaine, also attended Ithaca College, and they have a daughter and a foster son who both graduated from the college.