The Institute has appointed Angelo Turner as director of the Endowment for Research and Education. He will focus on cultivating relationships with prospective major gift donors to help build the GIA Endowment Fund.

"Angelo brings to GIA a wealth of experience stemming from his last 15 years within the fundraising business," said Linda Ellis Harmeling, vice president and chief Development officer for GIA. "His work on behalf of the Endowment for Research and Education will be important to the Institute's efforts in the critical areas of identifying gem treatments and professionalizing the industry."

Turner worked as the major gifts fundraiser for the cardiology and pulmonary critical care divisions of Scripps Health Foundation in San Diego prior to joining the Institute. GIA is not in the healthcare industry, but Turner sees a parallel between the two, he said.

"Diamonds aren't mandatory for survival like a heart transplant. People can choose to spend their money elsewhere," he said. "But GIA's role is  critical since the industry looks to the Institute for the definitive answers when serious issues arise. We improve lives and protect the public."

In addition to cultivating donor relations, Turner will also work to build support for GIA's Jr. Gemologist curriculum - a public outreach program where children learn about gemology by examining mineral specimens and gemstones.

Turner began his development career at 15 when he was a San Diego High School student and worked for the city's mayor writing grants to raise money for nonprofit youth programs. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in psychology and criminal justice administration from National University in La Jolla, California, and earned his graduate school certification in nonprofit management at Indiana University in Indianapolis.

Turner also served as executive director of U.S. Advocates for Youth Foundation, a nonpartisan, voter registration organization, during this time and was on a U.S. Senate and Congressional panel on youth criminal justice issues. He has a strong interest in helping people, which is why he pursued a career in fundraising, he said.

"I'm always looking to help that one kid who's in trouble, the diamond in the rough," he said. "I see huge potential in GIA's global outreach to be able to help large groups of people by creating job opportunities through education and training."