Gary Cardaronella began his career as a faculty member at the University of Virginia, then as Chair of the Department of Political Science at Radford University. He has been involved in planning, institutional advancement, and fundraising for more than thirty-five years, and has had hands-on experience in all aspects of development, from one person start-up operations to serving as a university vice president.

His career in institutional advancement included senior positions at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania, where he was actively involved in helping to plan its $1.2 billion campaign, and Drexel University.  As Vice President at Drexel University he had responsibility for development, public relations, alumni affairs, and government and community relations.  In 1992, Gary and Patricia Stirling formed Cardaronella Stirling Associates.

Gary is active in a broad range of civic, community, and cultural organizations. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Giving USA, is a member of the Association of Philanthropic Counsel and the Association of Fundraising Professionals, was a founder of the San Joaquin Valley Leave A Legacy Program, and has been a speaker at a wide range of professional conferences.

He has a Ph.D. in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and an M.A. and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He and his family live in Fresno, California, and take full advantage of the nearby Sierra Nevada and Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks. He has also been a partner in a contemporary arts gallery.