Tessa Espinoza

French Hospital Medical Center Foundation

Tessa Espinoza serves as Chief Philanthropy Officer for French Hospital Hospital Medical Center Foundation. Tessa comes to the foundation with more than 19 years of experience in management and nearly 16 years as a successful leader at Cal Poly State University, a mission-driven, non-profit educational organization. While there, Tessa worked in various capacities including external affairs, marketing and communications, business operations, program development, and fundraising.

Most recently, Tessa served as the Senior Director of External Relations and Director of Development for Student Affairs at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where she was responsible for leading major gift campaigns for all divisional fundraising activities; including, capital campaign strategy, corporate and individual donor prospecting, and large-scale campus and regional engagement events. Her most recent efforts resulted in closing millions of dollars in gifts supporting Cal Poly’s basic needs initiatives including the Cal Poly Food Pantry, emergency grants for students in crisis, and substance abuse prevention programs.

Tessa graduated from Cal Poly with her undergraduate degree in social sciences and her master's degree in education. She has supported and volunteered with several local non-profit organizations including most recently as a board director for Lumina Alliance, serving survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, and is an alumna of Leadership San Luis Obispo, Class 28. She has over 10 years of experience directing a philanthropic volunteer advisory board and is Certified in Plus Delta Disciplines of Frontline Fundraising for Major Gift Officers.

Under Tessa's leadership, French Hospital Medical Center Foundation will continue to focus on their capital campaign, large-scale fundraising events, annual giving strategy, donor cultivation and stewardship, and supporting the foundation's Board of Directors.

In addition to her role leading the French Hospital Medical Center Foundation, Tessa is engaged with local non-profit organizations, the local school district, the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy and the Association of Fundraising Professionals as a member of the local chapter. Tessa and her husband, Roberto, reside in San Luis Obispo with their two children.