LISA MCPHERON

• Advancement Leadership: Lead Pathways of Hope’s annual fund, generating over $500,000 in philanthropic support. Delivered the organization’s strongest year-end giving and Giving Tuesday in its history. Reversed a two-year decline in Giving Day performance, driving renewed donor engagement and revenue growth.
• Marketing and Communications: Oversee the development and execution of strategic marketing initiatives to advance Pathways' mission. Manage the organization’s social media presence, newsletters, and Annual Report to engage supporters and increase visibility. Currently leading a brand refresh and website redesign project, both underway in 2025.
• Event Planning: Plan and execute major fundraising and outreach events, including Look Who’s Dancing, Pathways' signature gala, and the annual Holiday Community Program, which provides toys and food to more than 500 children from the Fullerton School District.
• Donor Relations: Cultivate and maintain relationships with individual donors, corporate partners, and foundations.
• Volunteer Program Oversight: Supervise and support a coordinator who recruits and trains about 600 volunteers throughout the year.
• Data Management and Analysis: Utilize Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge donor management database to track contributions, analyze fundraising performance, and report on progress toward goals.
• Team Management: Lead and mentor the advancement team, promoting a collaborative environment and encouraging professional development. Manage two full-time staff.
• Board Relations: Attend board meetings to report on advancement efforts and outcomes.

• Led, researched, planned and wrote on behalf of the university president, including speeches and talking points, campus announcements, emails, articles for the Orange County Register, position briefings, policy-related letters, letters of recommendations, donor appreciation letters, video, and social media content.
• Worked closely with and served as a delegate for the chief of staff ensuring the president was prepared for all events.
• Worked with the CSU Chancellor’s Office, university’s communications teams and chief of staff to ensure messaging was aligned with the CSU mission, president’s vision and CSUF brand.
• Developed and disseminated messaging for issues management and crisis communication and worked discreetly on sensitive assignments with sound judgment maintaining the trust and confidence of the university president, senior leadership and staff.
• Maintained editorial content on the Office of the President website and social media.

Overall Summary: Served on the college’s executive team and managed external and internal communications for the college. Managed five classified professionals, three independent contractors, and multiple marketing contracts with a department budget of approximately $200,000.

• Marketing: Led development of award-winning bi-lingual marketing campaigns to address enrollment declines.
• Internal Communications: Managed websites, email marketing, video newsletters, social media, and a mobile app to build community awareness.
• Event Planning: Expertise in logistics and communications for events, such as Convocation, Commencement, Investitures, ground breakings, ribbons cuttings and staff appreciation events.
• Government and Community Relations: Collaborated with elected officials, community groups and industry partners to support students. Impactful partnerships include: Disney Aspire and Love Fullerton.
• Executive Communications: Prepared talking points, speeches, emails, letters, official memos, articles, and media inquiries on behalf of the president.
• Media Relations: Acted as spokesperson, wrote and edited press releases, and handled media inquiries, including crisis TV interviews.
• Website and Mobile App Development: Managed the development and maintenance of accessible web and mobile platforms.
• Social Media Management: Administered social media platforms reaching about 84,000 people across multiple platforms.
• Print and Video Production: Managed print publications and produced award-winning promotional videos.
• Fundraising/Development: Led annual Fullerton College Night at Angel Stadium and supported major fundraising events, such as the Fullerton College Foundation gala.
• Crisis Communications: Led emergency communication efforts using mass text, voicemail, email, and social media.
• Campaigning: During non-work hours - I assisted the Measure J campaign which successfully passed by voters in November 2014, creating $574 million for NOCCCD’s facility needs.
• High School Outreach: Managed student ambassadors for outreach and campus tours.
• College and District Service: Served as the president of the NOCCCD District Management Association and on the district-wide COVID-19 student task force. Other appointed committee memberships included: the Institutional Integrity Committee, District Consultation Committee, President’s Advisory Council and the Sustainability Committee. I was also a resource member on the Accreditation Steering Committee.
• COVID-19 Leadership: I oversaw equity-focused communications, virtual events, and provided data-informed recommendations to the executive team and task forces on policies and procedures including the development of contact tracing protocols, campus return procedures, and streamlined health screening processes using technology-driven solutions.
• Facilities and Switchboard Management: Managed staff responsible for processing facility reservations/rentals and the college’s main switchboard. External rentals generated more than $100,000 in annual revenue for the college.

• Served on the college’s leadership team, creating all communications and alumni programs.
• Supported a board of advisors and helped raise over $15 million for a capital campaign.
• Produced award-winning video magazines and marketing materials with fundraising and friend-raising objectives.
• Served on the annual gala planning committee, which would raise about $550,000 each year.
• Developed and led an all-volunteer alumni board and all alumni programs.
• Developed the merchandising and marketing for Cal Poly Pomona’s wine.

• Fostered collaboration among 14 CSU campuses and industry leaders through events and programs.
• Led communications, including annual reports, newsletters, white papers, and press releases.
• (concurrent assignment)

• Edited and wrote for the university’s online news magazine, electronic marquees, and alumni newsletter.
• Handled crisis communications and media relations.

• Reported on crime, public safety, education, and higher education.

• Worked on the Copy Desk and later reported on various topics including education and government.