Pat Halloran: Lessons and Insights from 35+ Years of Fundraising

Pat Halloran is a native Nebraskan.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska – Omaha and his Master’s Degree from the University of Miami (Florida) where he was also Assistant Dean of Men for 4 years. 

He moved to Memphis to become the chief executive officer of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity and its Foundation. While he was in that capacity for 11 years he also served on the Memphis City Council for 4 years and ran for mayor of Memphis in 1980.  While he did not win that election, he is quick to remind everyone that he did beat Prince Mongo.

 Pat is a past Chairman of The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and past board member of the Memphis in May International Festival, the Memphis & Shelby County Music Foundation, and he currently serves on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Advisory Board.  He is especially proud of the fact that he started the Big Brothers Program in 1972, which is now Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Memphis. 

In 2011, Governor Bill Haslam awarded Pat the “Governor’s Arts Leadership Award” and the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau awarded Pat its “Legends Award” for 2012.  Also in 2012 the Public Relations Society of America named him the “Communicator of the Year.”  

For the past 35 years Pat has been the President & CEO of the Memphis Development Foundation, which operates the Orpheum Theatre.  During his tenure at the helm of the Orpheum's operation he oversaw two major renovations at a combined cost of $20 million, allowing the Orpheum to present any touring Broadway production.  He led the Orpheum’s largest project to date: the construction of the $14.5 million Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, which opened in August of 2015.