Calen Ouellette
Calen Ouellette, an award-winning nonprofit executive with more than 25 years of leadership and philanthropy experience spanning higher education, healthcare, and social advocacy, has been named president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. He will begin serving in his new role on August 10.
“The applicant pool for this position was particularly strong, and the fact that Calen emerged as our top candidate should provide supporters of this organization with a sense of his talent and record of accomplishment,” said Foundation Board Chair Pamela Gann. “Calen has made a career of combining strategic vision and innovative fundraising practices to help institutions achieve transformational results. I am confident the Scholarship Foundation will be in very good hands under his leadership.”
Mr. Ouellette began his career at Porter Novelli Communications in Los Angeles, where he led marketing, communications, and public relations efforts for major consumer and healthcare brands. Following a stint at CarryOn Communication in Los Angeles and New York, he went on to work in various capacities for the University of Southern California (USC) starting in 2005, serving most recently as chief administrative officer. Additional roles included chief development officer and senior executive director for external relations and student life, among others. At USC, Mr. Ouellette executed a record-breaking $115 million fundraising campaign for the School of Dentistry and was responsible for annual fundraising exceeding $10 million. His largest solicited and secured gift was $35 million, leading to the school’s rebranding as the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry in honor of the eponymous benefactor and alumnus. Mr. Ouellette also contributed significantly to USC’s $8 billion fundraising initiative, one of the largest and most successful donation campaigns in higher education history.
Mr. Ouellette subsequently held the title of chief advancement officer at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where he helped advance an expansive mission delivering healthcare, housing, youth development, senior services, food security, and other life-changing resources. He currently serves as CEO of the Clark College Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization supporting the largest public higher-education institution in Southwest Washington.
Mr. Ouellette’s work has been recognized nationally, including recent recognition by CASE Currents for pioneering philanthropic strategies that challenge traditional approaches to charitable giving and donor engagement.
He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Washington State University.
Mr. Ouellette’s appointment caps a nationwide search conducted by Blair Search Partners. He will succeed Tim Dougherty, who has led the Scholarship Foundation as interim president and chief executive officer since March.
“I am committed to expanding educational opportunities for students throughout Santa Barbara County while strengthening the Foundation’s role as one of the nation’s premier scholarship organizations. I believe philanthropy is most powerful when it removes barriers, inspires generosity, and creates opportunities that change lives,” said Mr. Ouellette. “I look forward to partnering with students, donors, volunteers, educators, community leaders, and local educational institutions to help shape an even stronger future for the region.”