Director of Development, Arts

Pomona College (Pomona) announced the appointment of Kathleen LaManna as the Director of Development, Arts effective November 18, 2024. As the leading development officer for Pomona’s Benton Museum of Art (Benton) and the college’s academic arts departments and initiatives, LaManna will drive philanthropic support for the Benton’s operations, faculty and student support, and Pomona’s overarching success by engaging and soliciting a broad spectrum of prospective alumni, families, donors, community leaders, and external constituents.

LaManna is a highly creative, strategic, and collaborative professional who brings a passion for the arts coupled with a track record as a successful major gifts fundraiser. Following her undergraduate education in art history at Scripps College, LaManna began her professional career in positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Huntington Library. From 2016 to 2020, LaManna held annual giving and major gift officer roles at Caltech during the $3 billion Breakthrough campaign. Currently the director of annual giving at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, LaManna has reinvigorated the university’s donor pipeline, re-established giving circles, and doubled annual revenues while personally managing a major gift portfolio. 

LaManna earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Scripps College and a Master of Arts degree in Art History from John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. 

Rachel Ellenport led this search with Christina Garrison and Megan Gorman.