Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro announced today that Paula Castadio of Fresno, president and CEO of ValleyPBS, is the new vice president for the Division of University Advancement, effective Aug. 1.
Castadio will report to Castro and serve as a member of his Cabinet. She will lead a staff of 60 in the division, which includes development, advancement services, alumni relations, communications and integrated marketing.
“I am very pleased that Paula Castadio will be our next vice president for University Advancement,” Castro said. “Her passionate commitment to our missions, extensive professional experience in development and communications and intimate knowledge of the Central Valley make her the ideal choice for this key leadership position at this important time.”
Castadio, a Fresno State alumna, has been CEO at ValleyPBS since 2003. She directs a staff of 33 plus 27 bilingual independent contractors teaching parent education and manages a $3.8 million budget. She began her career with the station in 1994 as development director and was promoted to station manager in 2000.
Under Castadio’s leadership, ValleyPBS won 12 PBS Development Awards and five national production awards. She serves on the PBS national board of directors, Pacific Mountain Network executive council and is a member of California Public Television. She has held several national leadership roles, including the PBS Kids Nutrition Guidelines Task Force and chairof the PBS Diversity Committee.
She is a member of the Rotary Club of Fresno, the Fresno Business Council’s Executive Board, the James Irvine Foundation New Leadership Network, Strive and The Children’s Movement advisory teams. She was named among the “Top Ten Business and Professional Women” of Fresno County in 2006.
“As a proud Fresno State graduate, I am honored to be appointed vice president for University Advancement. My 25-year career in public media has been dedicated to offering quality educational opportunities for our region. I’m excited to work in partnership with Dr. Castro, our alumni and the dedicated faculty and staff in advancing higher education and student achievement for our greater community.”
Before joining ValleyPBS, Castadio worked in corporate development for five years at Valley Public Radio.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from Fresno State and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is married to Richard Castadio.
She will succeed Dr. Peter N. Smits, who is retiring June 30 after 20 years at Fresno State. Under Smits’ leadership, the Division of University Advancement completed the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign in 2013, raising $214.2 million.
