Anne Branch is the new Executive Director of the Napa Valley College Foundation.
“I am excited to lead this wonderful Foundation forward as we assist Napa Valley College fulfill its advancement needs,” said Branch, who previously lived in Napa for five years and said she is “thrilled to return to this wonderful community.”
Branch’s role is new to the community, where she will participate in community events, spreading the good word about the Foundation’s support and efforts to raise funds for a variety of needs that undergird the wide variety of education and training programs offered at Napa Valley College.
She said she hopes to formally launch a new Viticulture and Winery Technology Education Center Capital Campaign in the fall, so that the college can continue to serve students in the wine and agriculture industries that are such important aspects of the Napa Valley.
Branch offers a wealth of experience working with nonprofit organizations. Focusing her career on strategic planning, major gifts, events and alumni relations, she has held senior positions in higher education and social service organizations such as the University of Southern California, University of California Santa Barbara, Braille Institute, and Hathaway Services.
With more than 20 years of development experience, Branch has raised more than $50 million for a variety of nonprofits. She began her development career at her alma mater, USC, where she earned a BA in International Relations. As Associate Director of Prospect Research during USC’s $640 million capital campaign, she found that serving in that capacity allowed her to gain a thorough grounding in development.
She’s honed those fundraising skills to lead the Napa Valley College Foundation, where she will combine her passion for student success.
“I enjoy fundraising because it provides the opportunity to create relationships that have a lasting and fruitful impact in the community,” she said.
Branch said she looks forward to meeting members of the community and showing how they can make a difference in their own backyard.
“Developing a stronger culture of giving to the college will benefit to the planned Viticulture and Winery Technology Education Center and provide critical knowledge and viticulture education in the 21st century,” she said. “Napa Valley is a world-class wine region that deserves a world-class wine school.”
Bill Hardy, this year’s NVCF President said, “The Foundation’s role as an independent 501 (c) 3 is dependent on the generosity of people in the Valley, who believe, as we do, that the college is central to the success of Napa Valley through support of its students and programs. We are delighted to have Anne join us to lead the charge.”
Branch holds a global MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Bay, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Strategic Business Planning from USC. She also spent a year at the Sorbonne University of Paris, and speaks French and German.
