Trisha Blosser Named Eastern Mennonite School Development Officer

Trisha Maust Blosser has been named Development Officer for Eastern Mennonite School, K-12 effective Sept. 10, 2018. A 1995 graduate of the school, Blosser most recently worked as Development Officer for Harrisonburg’s Explore More Discovery Museum.

“Trisha brings a wealth of connections and experience to our advancement team at a time of growth and excitement,” says Paul Leaman, Head of School. “Her passion for our values of strong academics from a faith-based foundation will help propel us into our second century.”

Blosser will play key roles with annual giving, corporate sponsorships, alumni relations and capital projects, including Let the Children Come. This campaign raised nearly $3 million last year to purchase and renovate property adjacent to the existing middle and high school. The updated K-12 campus will serve some 350 children K-12.

Trisha Maust ’95 Blosser, new Development Officer, talks with Paul Leaman, Head of School.

“I enjoy meeting people, understanding their passions and sharing stories that show the impact of donor support,” says Blosser. “As an alumnus of EMHS I can speak to the value of Christian education in my personal, professional, and spiritual life. My grounding in strong academics, creative solutions, and compassionate peers laid the foundation for my college and career,” she reflects.

Extracurricular activities such as Touring Choir enhanced her lifelong love of music, she says. “When I think of times of doubt and uncertainty, I can say that many of the songs and hymns I learned at EMHS carried me through to a place of faith and hope.”

Blosser, a member of Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, was involved in a recent campaign to raise $1 million for a building renovation. “I appreciated working with Trisha on this project,” says Phil Helmuth, long-time fundraiser and a former supervisor of Blosser at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) where she oversaw the phonathon. “She is passionate about her work, asks wise questions, is a good listener, and fun to be around.”

In addition to the Explore More Discovery Museum and EMU, Blosser worked previously as Director of Resources for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance and with Venture Builders, owned by her husband and father. In her work with nonprofits she oversaw major donor relations and fundraising events, including the Night at the Museum and Jazz in June for the museum. “I am still amazed and humbled by the generosity of our community,” she says.

Blosser earned an MA in history museum studies from State University of New York at Oneonta, a BA in anthropology from James Madison University, and studied in Ireland and Northern Ireland with Eastern Mennonite University.

She and her husband Jeremy, also an EMHS alum, are parents to two young boys.