Chloe Reid has been at the USC Gould School of Law for almost 18 years, and always remembers the day in January that she started, since it was her birthday.

She spent her first 10 years at USC Gould as dean of admissions, and derived great enjoyment from working with students and helping them make their dreams come true.

“Truth is, they were like an extension of my family. I’ve been to countless weddings and even watched their children grow. And now as a fundraiser, I get to see them as alumni with successful careers. It’s like I’ve come full circle with them; many still call me ‘Dean Reid,’ even though I no longer have that title.”

Chloe has now moved up to senior director of development. After a decade in her previous job, she was looking for a new challenge. She consulted with the then brand-new dean at Gould—Andrew T. Guzman (now USC Provost Guzman!)—about exploring a different position.

“He was open to it, and so was our chief development officer, Robin Maness. With their support and the belief and that I could do it, I transitioned over to the Development and Alumni Affairs office.” 

Chloe also credits her promotion to hard work, caring about what she does and doing her “absolute best.” In addition, she notes, “I played well with others in the sandbox. I was innovative and creative and always tried to make things better and more efficient. I stood up for colleagues and shared information and knowledge. And I helped students and staff along the way, by doing a lot of mentoring.”

“For my entire career after finishing law school,” she continues, “I’ve worked in legal education, primarily student affairs. I’ve always found myself working with alumni in some capacity. I’m intrigued by the work and aware that it’s all connected: alumni relations, stewardship, giving, all of it.” 

“And one more thing,” asserts Chloe. “I love my staff and co-workers at Gould, plus all the friends I’ve made across campus. My colleagues at USC are extraordinarily supportive and giving folks!”

Chloe Reid has been at the USC Gould School of Law for almost 18 years, and always remembers the day in January that she started, since it was her birthday.

She spent her first 10 years at USC Gould as dean of admissions, and derived great enjoyment from working with students and helping them make their dreams come true.

“Truth is, they were like an extension of my family. I’ve been to countless weddings and even watched their children grow. And now as a fundraiser, I get to see them as alumni with successful careers. It’s like I’ve come full circle with them; many still call me ‘Dean Reid,’ even though I no longer have that title.”

Chloe has now moved up to senior director of development. After a decade in her previous job, she was looking for a new challenge. She consulted with the then brand-new dean at Gould—Andrew T. Guzman (now USC Provost Guzman!)—about exploring a different position.

“He was open to it, and so was our chief development officer, Robin Maness. With their support and the belief and that I could do it, I transitioned over to the Development and Alumni Affairs office.” 

Chloe also credits her promotion to hard work, caring about what she does and doing her “absolute best.” In addition, she notes, “I played well with others in the sandbox. I was innovative and creative and always tried to make things better and more efficient. I stood up for colleagues and shared information and knowledge. And I helped students and staff along the way, by doing a lot of mentoring.”

“For my entire career after finishing law school,” she continues, “I’ve worked in legal education, primarily student affairs. I’ve always found myself working with alumni in some capacity. I’m intrigued by the work and aware that it’s all connected: alumni relations, stewardship, giving, all of it.” 

What does she tell fellow employees about moving up the USC ladder? “I believe you first have to have a love for higher education and the power that it has to enrich people’s lives. Second, you can’t be afraid to ask questions, so network and get to know your colleagues. Don’t confine yourself to a silo; who knows when you’ll need someone from another department or unit. And third, avail yourself of the wide variety of resources in central advancement—workshops, conferences, the great books we can check out at our advancement retreats—just to name a few.”

All told, Chloe loves her staff and co-workers at Gould, plus all the friends she’s made across campus. “My colleagues at USC are extraordinarily supportive and giving folks!”

Sabrina Espinoza currently serves as the executive director of alumni relations and annual giving for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Through events, programs and other strategies, she leverages partnerships with Viterbi constituents and alumni, here and abroad, to encourage engagement with and philanthropic support of the school. In addition, Sabrina manages the Viterbi Emerging Leaders Board and collaborates with regional boards and ambassadors to connect the alumni community.

Sabrina has been at USC for 13 years, the first 11 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), where she started in 2010 as an associate director of annual giving.

At SCA, she says, “I was able to delve into the various functions of philanthropy before being promoted to a major gift officer. I came to understand the make-up of our constituents, their needs and wants, and learned to build upon the strengths of the school. Through that, my career flourished, and I was promoted numerous times.”

“My career,” she adds, “has operated at the intersection of opportunity and intent. I’ve always strived to excel by being prepared—constantly learning and absorbing knowledge from mentors, colleagues and friends so I can do better each day.”

“It may sound cliché,” Sabrina continues, “but there’s something so meaningful about working at USC: the students, faculty, alumni and staff, plus the university’s rich history. Yes, there’s nothing like walking across campus on Game Day, but from my perspective as an alum and employee, USC is also about lifelong friends I met in the classroom, and colleagues across campus who are always excited and passionate about their work. This is what inspires me every day.”

Sabrina Espinoza currently serves as the executive director of alumni relations and annual giving for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. Through events, programs and other strategies, she leverages partnerships with Viterbi constituents and alumni, here and abroad, to encourage engagement with and philanthropic support of the school. In addition, Sabrina manages the Viterbi Emerging Leaders Board and collaborates with regional boards and ambassadors to connect the alumni community.

Sabrina has been at USC for 13 years, the first 11 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), where she started in 2010 as an associate director of annual giving.

At SCA, she says, “I was able to delve into the various functions of philanthropy before being promoted to a major gift officer. I came to understand the make-up of our constituents, their needs and wants, and learned to build upon the strengths of the school. Through that, my career flourished, and I was promoted numerous times.”

Sabrina concluded her stint at SCA as a senior director of development, focusing on major gift strategies for scholarship and student support initiatives. She then accepted a position as the executive director of corporate and foundation relations at her alma mater, the USC Price School of Public Policy.

“Because of my years at SCA, I was a bit of a chameleon,” she says. “I understood annual giving, alumni relations, major giving and corporate/foundation relations, which gave me different perspectives and allowed me to grow.”

“My career,” she adds, “has operated at the intersection of opportunity and intent. I’ve always strived to excel by being prepared—constantly learning and absorbing knowledge from mentors, colleagues and friends so I can do better each day. When I’m prepared and an opportunity arises, I know I can seize it and thrive. As they say, ‘Stay ready, so you don’t have to getready.’”

As proof, Sabrina cites the master’s degree she earned in nonprofit leadership and management from USC Price prior to accepting her current position at Viterbi. The degree made her want to give back to others and create a community where people could be their best, authentic selves. “I also had a great mentor back at Cinema, who helped me reevaluate my goals and frame the legacy that I wanted to share, at USC and in my life in general,” she says.

“It may sound cliché,” Sabrina continues, “but there’s something so meaningful about working at USC: the students, faculty, alumni and staff, plus the university’s rich history. Yes, there’s nothing like walking across campus on Game Day, but from my perspective as an alum and employee, USC is also about lifelong friends I met in the classroom, and colleagues across campus who are always excited and passionate about their work. This is what inspires me every day.”

At Viterbi, Sabrina feels she’s come back to her roots—engaging alumni and providing them with the resources they need to be successful on their journey beyond the classroom. “When they go out into the world, they represent USC,” she says, “and it’s great to be back in that space that I really missed.”

All told, says Sabrina, “USC is a place to meet amazing people and build strong relationships.” She advises colleagues to “connect with their counterparts across campus for support, networking and friendship” and to invest in professional development, be it conferences, workshops, learning from others or continuing one’s education. “Learn as much as you can, and take it all in. You never know how it will serve you now or in the future.”

Christiana Simpson serves as the senior specialized recruiter for University Advancement. She brings more than 20 years of broad experience to the role, in areas such as recruitment, onboarding, and retention.

What does a specialized recruiter do?

I collaborate with advancement department heads and senior management to understand each department’s current and future staffing needs—and then I help develop a plan to ensure that the department attracts the right talent in the right roles. 

So what happens behind the scenes?

Lots of little things. Job analysis and description, marketing efforts to attract the best candidates, interview coordination, compliance, and much more—as well as keeping track of recruitment metrics to make sure we’re achieving our goals.

What are the advantages to having a dedicated expert in this role?

Because I have a wide view of advancement’s overall talent needs, I can help managers make more strategic hiring decisions. A candidate may not be a perfect fit for the position they applied for but may be ideal for a different role. So we can find and place the best people, whether they’re referrals, external candidates, or internal candidates.

What qualities do you look for in a job candidate?

Candidates who are curious, flexible, self-motivated, and who thrive in a collaborative team environment always stand out. People who understand the importance of building and developing relationships are also highly valued. Those skills will take you very far no matter what role you’re in. Prior advancement experience is not always required.