Theresa Nakata

As Vice President, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Theresa provides strategic leadership for The San Diego Foundation to increase awareness and engagement, build brand equity and trust, and generate traffic for fund and partnership development.

Theresa oversees the development, management, and implementation of marketing strategies and plans, and positions The Foundation as the lead regional community foundation focused on charitable giving and community impact. Her oversight includes organizational advocacy, and policy engagement, as well as public relations, advertising, digital marketing, events, brand management, market research and community relations. She serves on the Executive Team.

Prior to joining The Foundation, Theresa served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Pierce Education Properties, L.P. where she was responsible for business development, sales, market research, community relations, public relations and advertising for corporate as well as PEP’s multi-million-dollar student housing portfolio, and management and real estate development divisions.

Prior to this, Theresa was the Senior Communications Advisor at San Diego State University Research Foundation where she promoted faculty and staff research initiatives and led the community relations strategy on the city of San Diego College Community Redevelopment Projects abutting the SDSU campus.

Theresa has also served as the national Public Relations Manager for P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Corporate, as Director of Marketing of the Downtown Tempe Community business district, and as a communications professional for Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and marketing from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, and a master’s in business administration degree in marketing from Arizona State University.