By Jennifer McConnellContributor
Frea Sladek began working for the San Diego State UniversityFoundation 31 years ago to earn enough money to buy carpet and drapesfor her home. Now, she’s in charge of the entire organization.
Sladek, an SDSU alumna, was appointed general manager of theFoundation June 9 after competing against applicants from around thenation.
She oversees all operations of the organization, which gathers anddistributes millions of dollars in donations to research andcommunity services on campus.
“Frea Sladek is a nationally-recognized research administrator andauthor,” said University President Stephen Weber in a writtenstatement. “We are fortunate to have had her as part of ourfoundation team for many years. She has more than earned her positionas leader.”
Since January 1999, Sladek served as the organization’s interimgeneral manager after Harry Albers left to pursue other interests.Now, she has said she is ready to make some changes as boss.
So far this year, Sladek has held various meetings and retreatswith campus and faculty leaders to discuss ways the organization canimprove its operations.
On Sept. 19, she held a management retreat at Mission TrailsRegional Park with the Foundation’s directors and associatedirectors.
Theresa Nakata, Foundation director of communication and publicrelations, said during the retreat, management reviewedrecommendations given to the organization in a review conducted bythe University Senate last semester.
Nakata said Sladek was concerned about communicating Foundationactivities to the university and the community.
Sladek also held an “all hands” meeting in July with theFoundation’s core staff of 170 employees. During the meeting, shediscussed new strategies and ideas including improved communications,streamlined operations and enhanced research support for SDSUfaculty.
“Traditionally the Foundation has been nose to the grindstone –get the job done; we have been low profile,” Sladek said. “We wouldlike to develop new communication strategies and implement them.”
The latest meeting Sladek attended was an SDSU Foundation Board ofDirectors retreat held on Oct. 4. There, the board discussed thechallenges and opportunities facing the organization.
The board members’ goal is to further the Foundation’s missionstatement–to improve educational, research and community services oncampus and to administer programs that will achieve this goal.
Last year, Sladek worked as the Foundation’s associate generalmanager, helping the university acquire research and communityservice grants. She partnered with 30 universities includingStanford, Ohio Tech and Georgia Tech to win a large Navy facultyservices contract. This contract has supplied more than $40 millionin research funding to SDSU. This contract also gives faculty theopportunity to research projects in a variety of fields with theNavy.
Sladek, a mother of five, has received many awards including anSDSU “Top 25 Producers” Presidential award in 1988, and has co-editeda national research education journal, Grants Magazine.
