UC Irvine Hires Long Beach Fund-Raiser

Jerry Mandel, vice president for university relations and development at Cal State Long Beach, has been named vice chancellor of university advancement at UCI, officials announced Friday.

Mandel, an Irvine resident, will be in charge of fund-raising efforts and community relations for the university. He will begin his duties May 22.

He will replace Kathy Jones, who resigned last summer to take a similar position at Georgetown University.

Increasing the university’s private fund raising will be Mandel’s top priority in his new position, he said.

“When I look at UCI, I see one of the top research universities in the area . . . but a university also that needs to raise a considerable amount of money from philanthropy,” Mandel said. “Everyone in Orange County needs to realize what an outstanding university UCI is.”

During his seven years at Long Beach, Mandel raised more than $84 million, increasing annual fund raising from $6 million to $20 million, said Karen Newell Young, a UCI spokeswoman.

“He’s done an excellent job at Cal State, and he’ll be wonderful at UCI,” Young said.