The Board of Managers of the University’s Alumni Association named Jenifer Andrasko, a 2000 Darden alumna, as its next president and CEO on April 22. Andrakso will serve as the Association’s first female president since its founding in 1838.
She formerly served 10 years of active duty as a U.S. Navy pilot and mission commander where she was deployed to various missions including ones to Iraq and Kosovo. She has also served as a NATO officer.
Andrasko currently works with Bain & Co., a global consulting firm and lives with her husband and three children in Charlottesville.
Andrasko was considered among 114 candidates. According to Meredith Jenkins, the Alumni Association’s vice chair and head of the board’s search committee, she stood out for her unique leadership experience and personal qualities.
“She throughout the process showed a high level of energy and enthusiasm about the position,” Jenkins said. “And as she learned more about the position, I think she got very interested in both the challenges and the opportunities that lie ahead.”
After the search process, the Alumni Association reached out to Andrasko offering her the position. Andrasko said she was excited to take on the role as the University undergoes various changes.
“The University, I think, is at an inflection point,” Andrasko said. “I have experience and passion around transformation and leading an organization through change.”
She pointed to the bicentennial and changing demographics within the alumni base as among these important changes.
Andrasko said she recognizes some challenges in taking on the role of president during transformative times. She mentioned the diversity of opinions among the 225,000 alumni around the world she will represent.
“I have the distinct pleasure but also the challenge of representing those individuals,” she said.
Andrasko said some of her goals as president include “increasing engagement with the entire alumni population” and “providing them with information, programming, services that they find extremely interesting and relevant.”
As the first female president of the Alumni Association, Andrasko said she was honored by the amount of support and congratulations she received from other female alumni.
“I now have an opportunity to be a role model for a lot of young women who I think see this as a huge step for the University, and I’m really excited and really proud of that,” Andrasko said.
Jenkins said having a female president will be “exciting” for the Association.
“As the female population of the University alumni base grows, I think it’s really exciting to have her involved, have her perspective, and have her be the first female lead of the Alumni Association,” Jenkins said.
During her time as a Darden student, Andrasko received the Jefferson Graduate Fellowship, a merit-based award given to students who display high levels of achievement and prospects. She was also a member of the Raven Society and a student representative to the Honor Committee.
Andrasko received her Master’s degree in strategic planning from the Naval Post-Graduate School in 2000 and her B.A. cum laude in Political Science from Duke University in 1999.
Tom Faulders, the current president, has served in his position for 11 years and announced his retirement in November. Andrasko will succeed him, taking office this July.
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