Nicole Bigley
Chapman University has named Tracy Mendoza as its next Vice President of Development and Constituent Engagement. Mendoza will join Chapman’s senior staff and University Advancement beginning October 26.
Tracy is exactly the leader Chapman needs at this moment,” said Jessica Berger, executive vice president and chief advancement officer. “She brings an extraordinary track record and a deeply authentic approach to leadership. Throughout the process I was struck by how naturally she builds trust and leads with both strategy and heart. She is an extraordinary addition to our team, and I am thrilled to welcome her to Chapman.”
At Chapman, Mendoza will lead a team of roughly 25 development professionals across major and principal gifts, annual giving, alumni engagement, parent and family engagement, corporate and foundation relations, prospect development, and legacy planning. As campaign director, she will take on direct responsibility for bringing the Inspire campaign to a successful close, and will help build the infrastructure and strategy to sustain philanthropic growth well beyond it.
Mendoza brings more than 25 years of advancement leadership to Chapman. For nearly a decade, she served as associate dean of development and external relations at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, serving as the school’s chief advancement officer and a senior advisor to the dean. In that role, she led development, alumni relations, industry engagement, research development, and board relations for the school.
As part of Annenberg’s advancement leadership team, she helped lead fundraising efforts during USC’s historic $6 billion campaign, contributing to the school’s success in exceeding its $150 million goal. Following that campaign, she increased the school’s annual fundraising by nearly 40%, generating $108 million in philanthropic support over the most recent five years.
Before that role, Mendoza held earlier leadership positions at USC Annenberg, including executive director of development and director of development for USC’s Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy. Earlier in her career, she held development roles at Portland State University and California State University, Long Beach.
Throughout the search process, I was struck by Chapman’s deep commitment to student success and the incredible momentum across the university,” Mendoza shared. “I’m excited to join President Matt Parlow, Jessica and the advancement team at such an important moment and to help build on that success, deepen engagement with the Chapman community, and create meaningful opportunities for students, faculty and programs.”
Mendoza holds an MBA from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and an MA in English from California State University, Long Beach.
