San Diego State announced on March 16 that Adrienne Vargas will now be serving as the Vice President for University Relations and Development and the President and CEO of The Campanile Foundation, according to a campus-wide email.
According to the email, Vargas has been involved in the world of fundraising and philanthropy for quite some time. She has been a member of URAD since 2017 and has filled the interim Vice President role since November 2018. Before coming to SDSU, she was on the executive leadership team of The San Diego Foundation and was the Chief Giving Officer and Vice President for Charitable Giving and Donor Relations.
Vargas previously served as the interim for all three positions until she was appointed to the permanent roles by a search committee made up of SDSU professors, faculty and administration members.
Vargas has been working on a strategic shift of the way the university handles philanthropy to increase major gifts to the university.
“This strategic shift has strongly benefited the university’s ability to relationship build and secure donations specifically benefiting students and faculty,” the email said. “During fiscal year 2019 alone, Adrienne led a highly productive team to raise $65 million in gifts, representing a 16% increase over fiscal year 2018.”
Vargas’s accomplishments also include previously securing a $15 million donation from San Diego philanthropist Dianne L. Bashor for the construction of the university’s new Mission Valley stadium while serving as interim President and CEO of The Campanile Foundation.
Vargas said she is excited for her new role.
“I am excited to build upon SDSU’s historical success and to take advantage of the tremendous excitement and momentum generated by a new president and the Mission Valley project,” she said in the email.
