Berkeley, California, September 7, 2016 – Jared Scherer has been named Chief Program Officer of the Cal Alumni Association (CAA), UC Berkeley’s alumni association.
Jared Scherer comes to CAA with more than 15 years of experience in community engagement, volunteer and program management, development, and student affairs. Scherer’s career has many ties to Bay Area nonprofits and the UC Berkeley community, but his path began at CAA, where he advised student group programs and mentored student leaders and volunteers. He went on to serve as a Greek Affairs and Student Group Advisor for UC Berkeley.
Scherer’s work at higher education, social service, and cultural institutions has included tenures as Director of New Student Orientation and Assistant Director of Student Activities at Stanford University, where he led the annual orientation program for incoming students, and as Director of Special Events and Director of Development and Marketing at Project Open Hand, a nonprofit food-service provider for the sick and elderly, where he was responsible for a 100% increase in year-over-year event revenues. Most recently, as Project Manager of Donor Services and Events at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Scherer provided leadership and guidance for strategic fundraising initiatives including the SFMOMA’s Modern Ball.
Scherer holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Brandeis University and a Master of Education in higher education and student affairs administration from The University of Vermont.
“We’re tremendously excited for Jared to come on board and be a driving force in the expansion of CAA programming that supports current and future alumni,” said CAA Executive Director Cloey Hewlett ’76, J.D. ’79. She added, “CAA represents a diverse alumni community, and our mission is to maintain the community’s ties to campus, to current students, and to one another. This is no small task, and I believe Jared has the skills, experience, and Cal spirit necessary to ensure each of our alumni stays connected to our alma mater in a meaningful way, for life.”
As Chief Program Officer, Scherer will play a central role in launching CAA’s new Alumni Engagement Expansion initiative, a three-year strategic plan to invest in staffing and programming with the goal of increasing the number of engaged Cal alumni. He will lead a growing team that advises CAA’s 90-plus Alumni Chapters, provides career development resources through The Berkeley Network, coordinates student recruitment volunteer opportunities through the YES Berkeley! program, facilitates opportunities to support campus legislative agenda through Cal Advocacy, and produces engaging alumni events alongside a wide variety of campus partners.
“With the decline in public support for higher education in California, it is critical that CAA continues to play a role in serving and building a strong and connected alumni community that in turn comes together to support our alma mater,” Hewlett explained. “Our goal is to equip our alumni to be a strong, unwavering voice for Cal.”
Founded in 1872, the Cal Alumni Association represents the entire UC Berkeley alumni community. CAA is a self-funded, non-profit organization which exists to serve and support the University of California, Berkeley through an array of programs and services, including scholarships, legislative advocacy, student–alumni engagement, career development, innovative programming, and the award-winning California magazine. Learn more about CAA’s programs at alumni.berkeley.edu/community.
Photo Credit: Scott Saraceno
