Melissa leads Occidental’s Institutional Advancement team, overseeing fundraising, alumni and parent engagement, advancement services, and strategic communications. She and her team play a central role in mobilizing the Oxy community to build a culture of philanthropy that grows financial resources, strengthening the Occidental Promise and advancing access, academic excellence, student success, and community impact.
With more than 15 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit advancement, Melissa previously served as Vice President of Advancement at Fort Lewis College and CEO of the FLC Foundation. There, she led record-setting fundraising efforts, doubling annual outcomes and tripling the foundation’s endowment in support of the college’s mission as a public liberal arts and Native American-Serving Institution. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at Northern Arizona University in annual and planned giving, college-based fundraising, and principal gifts.
Melissa holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and serves on the Association of Governing Boards’ Council of Foundation Leaders Advisory Board.