Melissa Effron Hayek

Melissa Effron Hayek directs Women & Philanthropy at UCLA, an engagement program that encourages philanthropic and leadership opportunities for women supporters. In this role, she creates and implements events, develops communication and outreach strategies, and interacts with donors and prospective members. In 2014, twenty years after its inception, she helped guide a significant shift in the program. The organization’s structure and onboarding model were transformed, altering how women are brought into membership and enhancing engagement with the campus to make it an even more dynamic experience for both the members and the university. There are currently close to 2,000 women in the group.

An alumna of UCLA, Melissa gladly returned to campus in 2012 to oversee the Women & Philanthropy program.

Previously, Melissa was the Director of Community Services at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles where she coordinated women’s, young professionals, and regional volunteer groups that put on fundraising events and managed educational and outreach programs.