Vice President of Development and Constituent Engagement

Chapman University has named Tracy Mendoza as its next Vice President of Development and Constituent Engagement, effective October 26, 2026. Reporting to Executive Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Jessica Berger, 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 the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC), 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, Mendoza 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 percent, 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.

Mendoza holds an MBA from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a master’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach.

Rachel Ellenport led this search with Nicole Poe and Megan Gorman.