University of St. Thomas

I have been working in the Development Office at St. Thomas since July 1, 2004. I am the senior development officer who works closely with the dean of the Opus College of Business (OCB), and I play an assisting role to my colleague, Joe Plante, with development efforts in the School of Law. I also have the pleasure of working on our Next Generation project, an initiative that is designed to engage our alumni and build a stronger alumni network.

Shortly after graduating from St. Thomas in 1989 with a degree in political science, I clerked at my father’s law firm while attending graduate school, where I earned a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit administration. While attending graduate school, I accepted an offer to be the executive director of a nonprofit nursing organization, where I remained for seven years. Eventually, my interest in development led me to the HealthEast Foundation, where I benefited from some great mentoring and career experiences. Four years later, I joined the Development team at the University of St. Thomas.

A little bit about my personal life: I grew up in St. Paul and attended St. Mark’s Elementary School and Cretin High School. My wife, Kathleen Just-Bannigan, is a 1992 alumna of the University of St. Thomas. We were married in 1997 and have twin boys. We live in White Bear Lake and are parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Paul. My father, John F. Bannigan Jr., is a 1958 alumnus of the College of St. Thomas and has served in several volunteer roles at St. Thomas including on the Board of Trustees. My mother, Margaret Mary Bannigan, is a retiree of the University of St. Thomas after more than 25 years of service in the library. My brother is John F. Bannigan, III, who also is a development officer at St. Thomas.

I serve on the development committee at Episcopal Homes of Minnesota which provides housing and nursing services to senior citizens. Also, I volunteer in the Perpetual Adoration program at the Church of St. Pius X. Currently, I am in my second term on the board of the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In my free time, I enjoy attending events, concerts, plays, and movies with my wife, as well as playing racquetball, fishing and golfing. While in college, I played baseball, was an active member of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, the History Club and the Pre-Law Society, and worked during the summers in the physical plant on campus.