Valerie “Val” Otten took over as senior vice chancellor for Advancement on March 30, 2020. Otten comes to DU from the California Institute of Technology, where she worked for the past 10 years as a senior advancement executive. Otten also has worked at the University of California Santa Barbara, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
In her new role at DU, Otten oversees all University development and advancement operations, as well as global engagement and career and professional development. A member of the chancellor’s cabinet who reports directly to Chancellor Jeremy Haefner, she is responsible for developing and strategically growing the advancement organization, including recruiting and retaining exceptional advancement staff.
“I’m delighted to join the University of Denver community,” says Otten, who holds an MA in public communications from American University and a BA in communications from Virginia Tech. “I look forward to deepening the engagement of alumni, parents and friends, further developing the advancement organization and raising the necessary resources to fund the University’s highest campaign priorities.”
Val is joined in Denver by her husband, Jim, and their two children, Sydney and Nick.
