Meet the Office of Strategic Initiatives team.
Lauren Rejvani
Senior Director, Foundation Relations and Strategic Initiatives
As the Senior Director of Foundation Relations and Strategic Initiatives at Oxy, Lauren is responsible for overseeing the team that develops grant proposals, collaborates with on-campus stakeholders, including faculty, major gift officers, and college leadership, and manages funder relationships through stewardship and reporting. She has been in Los Angeles since 2017, previously worked as the Managing Director for a local community-based food justice organization, and has been in her current role at Oxy since 2023.
(323) 259-1406
rejvani@oxy.edu
Helena Lazaro
Associate Director, Foundation Relations and Strategic Initiatives
Helena develops proposals and reports for the College, supports faculty in their grant-seeking efforts, and also facilitates the College’s Foundation Relations operations. She has worked in the non-profit arena for over ten years, first came to Oxy in 2016, and has been in her current role since 2021. She was born and raised in Los Angeles to immigrant parents and, as a first-generation college student, fundraising for scholarship support is especially important to her.
(323)818-7641
hlazaro@oxy.edu
Suzanne Rivecca
Development Writer
Suzanne supports OSI with grant writing, developing proposals for individual donors, and creating internal and external collateral for fundraising purposes. She has worked in nonprofit development and fundraising since 2005, as a grant writer, communications writer, and development manager at several human services and arts/culture nonprofits in the Bay Area, raising funds from private foundations, individuals, and city and state government agencies. She has been in Los Angeles and at her current role at Oxy since March 2024.
(323) 259-4181
rivecca@oxy.edu
Dana Kotcherlakota-Benton
Development Coordinator, Strategic Initiatives
Dana provides administrative support for all OSI cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts and occasionally assists with proposal and report writing. She has worked at the College since 2021. Previously she worked at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.
(323) 259-1367
benton@oxy.edu