Notable business leader Dorene C. Dominguez will be the inaugural speaker at Cal State San Bernardino’s newly created Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series, an annual event to be held each October.

Dominguez, chairwoman and CEO of Vanir Construction Management and the Vanir Group of Companies, Inc., will discuss “The Impact of Women Entrepreneurs” on Monday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m. in the Santos Manuel Student Union Theater.

“The Distinguished Lecture Series will showcase visionary leaders and influential voices from diverse fields who are redefining the boundaries of knowledge and inspiring generations to come,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales.

“These lectures not only celebrate the achievements of our speakers, but also provide a vibrant forum for insightful conversations, community engagement and discovery,” Morales said. “We are delighted that Ms. Dominguez, whose roots are in San Bernardino, is returning to campus to share her expertise and to celebrate what we envision will be a longstanding tradition.”

A native of San Bernardino, Dominguez has been the chairwoman and CEO of Vanir Construction Management and the Vanir Group of Companies, Inc. since 2004. The companies were founded in 1964 by her father, H. Frank Dominguez, in San Bernardino. Under her leadership, Dominguez has successfully positioned Vanir as a national leader in program, project and construction management, and real estate development, delivering nearly $26 billion in value to clients across the United States. Headquartered in Sacramento, the firm has 22 offices nationwide.

Dominguez founded The Dominguez Dream 501(c)3 in memory of her late father in February 2004. The organization is committed to empowering children in underserved communities to achieve their full potential through literacy, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math), social-emotional learning and parent engagement programs. Among the 12 schools receiving steadfast support from The Dominguez Dream is the H. Frank Dominguez Elementary School in San Bernardino, which opened its doors in 2014.

An active member of various community improvement projects, boards and commissions, Dominguez currently serves on the board of directors for Douglas Emmett, KB Home, and the Aspen Institute’s Latinos and Society Program Advisory Board. She also serves on the board of trustees for the University of Notre Dame and is the former chair of the advisory council of the university’s Institute for Latino Studies. She serves as a board member of PRIDE Industries, which helps people with disabilities retain jobs and independent lifestyles.

Dominguez is the first and only Latina to be a governor of an NBA team and is a shareholder of the Sacramento Kings.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Inland Empire Hispanic Leadership Council’s Legend Award in 2015, the Cardinal’s Award in 2019 and the 2022 Angel Award from the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders. In 2016, she was honored as Hispanic Lifestyle’s Latina of Influence and in 2020 was named one of America’s Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas by the Association of Latino Professionals.

Dominguez graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in finance and holds a certificate in Corporate Governance from Harvard University. In 2023, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by CSUSB.

The Presidential Distinguished Lecture Series is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Office of University Advancement at (909) 537-5004.