Ray Toenniessen elevated to new leadership role at D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families

Dr. Mike Haynie, Syracuse University Vice Chancellor, Founder and Executive Director of the University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) has named Ray Toenniessen to the newly created role of IVMF Deputy Executive Director. Currently Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation, in this new role Toenniessen will assume operational responsibility for the IVMF’s people and programs that serve more than 22,000 servicemembers, veterans, and families each year.

“Ray has been with the IVMF since its inception. For more than a decade he’s played a central role in almost every facet of the IVMF’s strategy, programming, and growth,” said Dr. Haynie. “There is no one more committed to our mission or more qualified to drive future growth and innovation than Ray Toenniessen.”

As Deputy Executive Director, Toenniessen will lead the efforts of the IVMF team of more than 100 employees located both on the Syracuse University campus, and within military communities across the U.S.

“I am honored to assume this new responsibility, and greatly appreciate the trust Vice Chancellor Haynie has in me to lead the D’Aniello IVMF into the future,” said Toenniessen. “As a team we have accomplished a great deal over the last thirteen years, working to enhance the lives of veterans and their families. That said, there is much more to do. I look forward to the work ahead, leveraging our best-in-class programs, services, research, and evaluation initiatives to create positive change for the military-connected community.”

Vice Chancellor Haynie will continue to serve as the IVMF’s Executive Director, and Toenniessen will collaborate closely with the IVMF’s Chief Operating Officer Maureen Casey and Managing Director of Programs & Services Barb Carson.

Toenniessen graduated from Syracuse University and commissioned from its ROTC program as a Second Lieutenant. He served four years on active duty including a combat deployment to Iraq in 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon his transition from active duty in 2010 he returned to Syracuse University as the first National Program Manager of the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV), expanding the program across the country to a partnership with ten world-class business schools while launching additional small business programs for veterans and their families out of the Whitman School of Management. In 2011, he assisted Vice Chancellor Haynie in launching the D’Aniello Institute, initially serving as director of programs and operations. As Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Toenniessen has been responsible for launching numerous innovative programs over the last 10+ years, including the IVMF’s partnerships with private sector firms, foundations, and donors to the IVMF’s programs that have impacted the lives of more than 210,000 service members, veterans and military family members since 2011.