Assistant Vice President of Complex, Legacy, and Principal Gifts

Pomona College (Pomona) is pleased to announce Yasmin Omer as the inaugural assistant vice president of complex, legacy, and principal gifts, effective September 22, 2025. In this newly created position reporting to Maria Watson, vice president for advancement, Omer will build and set the strategic framework and direction for a newly established complex assets and principal gifts operation. Omer will also work closely with the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, as well as other senior academic and administrative leaders across campus to generate sustainable levels of philanthropic revenue to support Pomona’s bold Strategic Vision and continued academic excellence. Omer will lead a new team responsible for principal gifts, as well as bequests, trusts, and other deferred or complex giving vehicles. She will also collaborate closely with our highly regarded Pomona Plan team, which leads efforts to secure life income gifts, primarily from friends of the College.  

Omer joins Pomona from the University of Chicago (UChicago) where she has held progressive leadership roles since 2013. Beginning as director of development for the Library, Omer significantly grew annual fundraising totals for the unit amid a university-wide campaign and worked collaboratively with fellow development leads across the schools and divisions on donor identification and cultivation. In 2019, Omer transitioned to the Division of Social Sciences where she successfully achieved record-breaking fundraising years; built and led a high-performing team of development professionals; and engaged meaningfully with the division’s dean and advisory council.  

Prior to UChicago, Omer served in major and individual giving roles at New York Public Library, New York University School of Law, and The Jewish Museum. Omer began her fundraising career in progressive development roles at WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Omer earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University.

Rachel Ellenport led this search with Nicole Poe and Rebecca Lyons.