Ray Toenniessen Named New Executive Director of D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families

SYRACUSE, NY, UNITED STATES, November 10, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Syracuse University today announced the appointment of Ray Toenniessen as the new executive director of the D'Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF). Toenniessen, a U.S. Army veteran and a 2006 graduate of Syracuse University, will succeed J. Michael Haynie, who founded the IVMF in 2011 and served as its executive director until becoming the university's 13th Chancellor earlier this year.

Toenniessen, who most recently served as deputy executive director, has been a key figure in the IVMF's growth and development. Since its inception, the D'Aniello IVMF has expanded from a new university initiative into one of the nation's leading organizations dedicated to advancing the lives of service members, veterans, and their families. Toenniessen will now oversee the Institute's global portfolio of programs, research, partnerships, and policy initiatives, while guiding its continued growth and impact.

Toenniessen's connection to Syracuse University and its commitment to veterans began well before the founding of the IVMF. In 2010, he returned to Syracuse to help lead veteran entrepreneurship programs at the Whitman School of Management, working alongside Haynie to expand opportunities for veterans pursuing business ownership. When the D'Aniello IVMF was established in 2011, Toenniessen became one of its early leaders, serving as national managing director of entrepreneurship programs. Over the next 15 years, he held a series of increasingly senior positions, including program development, external relations, fundraising, institutional strategy, and operations. He was appointed deputy executive director in November 2024, assuming responsibility for the Institute's day-to-day leadership and strategic execution.

Throughout his tenure, Toenniessen has played a central role in expanding the D'Aniello IVMF's national reach, developing partnerships across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, and strengthening its ability to deliver programs and services to military-connected individuals and families nationwide. Today, the Institute's work spans career preparation and employment, entrepreneurship, community-based services, applied research, policy, and higher education, serving more than 235,000 service members, veterans, and military family members since its founding.

As executive director, Toenniessen will focus on expanding the D'Aniello Institute's reach and impact, strengthening the connection between research and practice, and building partnerships that create meaningful opportunities for veterans and military families. His leadership will also emphasize innovation, organizational effectiveness, and ensuring the IVMF continues to respond to the changing needs of the communities it serves.

In addition to his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University, Toenniessen holds a Master of Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. He was selected as a 2025 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a national leadership development program that brings together accomplished leaders from the nonprofit, public, private, and military sectors.