Belen Vargas
Board Member
Board Service: 2021 – Present
Belen Vargas is Associate Vice President for Operations and Chief Mission Officer at Cal State LA, her alma mater. In this role, Belen leads and manages community partnerships and initiatives that fall within the President’s Office. A first-generation college student, she grew up in East Los Angeles and received her B.A. in Communication from Cal State LA, and a J.D. from USC Gould School of Law. She joined the University in 2019 after serving almost twenty years at the Weingart Foundation, where she assumed the role of Senior Vice President. Prior to philanthropy, she worked in the Los Angeles nonprofit sector for almost a decade, providing greater resources and access to individuals and communities that have been historically underrepresented and underserved. Throughout her career, Belen has been guided by her commitment to advancing racial, social and economic justice, particularly in low-income communities of color. Belen serves on the Boards of New Village Girls Academy and InnerCity Struggle. She is also an Advisory Council Member at Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School, and Cal State LA’s BioSpace.