Sandy Smith recently joined the staff of Coastal Carolina University’s Office of University Advancement as a major gifts officer.

Her duties include the development and execution of short and long-term strategies to secure leadership and major gifts in support of Coastal’s Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts and the College of Natural and Applied Sciences. She will also help identify, cultivate and solicit major and planned gifts.

Smith previously worked for the American Symphony Orchestra League in New York City as associate director of the Orchestra Leadership Academy, the first professional development program for the orchestra industry.

She began her career as a professional musician, and her administrative career began with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, where she was publicity manager and, later, associate director of planned giving.

She was also associate director of development for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where she served as manager of the 350-member volunteer group and coordinated a portion of the endowment campaign.

A graduate of the Saint Louis Conservatory, Smith earned a degree in music. She lives in Myrtle Beach with her husband, Paul, who is a financial center manager for First Federal. \