Texas Woman’s University has named longtime nonprofit executive and community relations veteran Monica Christopher as the inaugural president of the university’s Dallas campus. She begins her role on Feb. 1.
Christopher, who has held key fundraising and relationship building posts spanning 25 years at Communities Foundation of Texas and The Dallas Morning News/WFAA, will lead the Dallas campus as it works to elevate the impact of the campus in the Dallas community.
“Monica is an exceptional innovator and collaborator with a solid track record of successful fundraising and relationship building in Dallas, which will serve Texas Woman’s well in its quest to grow the Dallas campus,” Texas Woman’s Chancellor Carine Feyten said.
“Her Dallas roots run deep, and she has an extensive background working with boards, foundations, nonprofits and corporations. With her leadership at Texas Woman’s ? Dallas and her partnership with other university and college leaders, I can see Dallas developing into even more of a destination city for those seeking higher education credentials,” Feyten added. “Monica demonstrates great passion for her work and exudes a polished, energetic professionalism.”
As president, Christopher will provide strategic leadership for the campus, which is located in the Southwestern Medical District. She will work with students, faculty, staff and key stakeholders — including alumni, community members, business and industry leaders, legislators and policymakers — to ensure Texas Woman’s is a key contributor to the higher education landscape in Dallas.
“Texas Woman’s has a distinguished history in Dallas, and I am honored and beyond thrilled to serve as the inaugural president of the Dallas campus,” Christopher said. “I look forward to working with the university’s talented faculty, staff and students to grow the campus, build on its legacy of excellence and bring greater awareness to the outstanding degree programs offered here.”
The State of Texas established Texas Woman’s University System in 2021 as its seventh university system, pushing its Dallas and Houston campuses to transform, grow and continue serving the state and its communities as the nation’s only system with a woman-focused mission. Among the system’s strategic priorities is installing leadership at both campuses. A search is currently underway for a Houston campus president.
About TWU Dallas
Texas Woman’s first established a presence in Dallas in 1954, when the nursing program was launched at Parkland Hospital. Today, the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences – Dallas Center is a 190,000-square-foot facility that sits in the heart of the Southwestern Medical District. Since then, Texas Woman’s has become a notable contributor to the healthcare workforce, graduating an average of 2,000 nursing and allied health professionals each year.
The Dallas campus also is home to the renowned Stroke Center, which provides more than 5,000 hours of clinical, neuro-rehabilitation services annually at no cost to members of the community. In addition to an MBA and graduate level Healthcare Administration programs, the Dallas campus offers upper-level undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs in nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
About Monica Christopher
Christopher is the inaugural president of Texas Woman’s Dallas campus. A seasoned fundraiser and community relations professional, she has served in key positions in both areas for the last 25 years, forging numerous successful private-public sector partnerships and amassing extensive experience in cultivating and stewarding major donors, grant making, program management, and public speaking. During her 15-year tenure at Dallas-based Communities Foundation of Texas, she rose to the level of senior vice president and chief giving and community impact officer, leading several teams in fundraising efforts that set new benchmarks in gifts and funds created. While at The Dallas Morning News/WFAA, she also held several positions over nearly 10 years in community relations aimed at building community engagement, raising brand awareness and coordinating charity events. Additional leadership roles for Christopher include involvement in the Dallas Regional Chamber, Dallas Summit, Junior League of Dallas, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, and the Women’s Auxiliary at Children’s Medical Center, among other organizations.