Dorene C. Dominguez has served as the Chairwoman and CEO of Vanir since 2004. Continuing the legacy of her father, who founded the company in 1964, Dorene has successfully positioned Vanir as a national leader in program, project and construction management and real estate development, delivering $30.8 billion in value to clients across the United States.
In addition to leading Vanir, Dorene serves as a Trustee for the University of Notre Dame and sits on the University’s Audit and Stewardship Committees. She is also an active member of various corporate and nonprofit boards and councils, including:
- kb Home Board Member and member of the company’s Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
- Douglas Emmett, Inc. Board Member
- Aspen Institute’s Latinos and Society Program Advisory Council Member
Dorene is also the former Chairwoman of the University of Notre Dame Latino Studies Advisory Board.
An avid community supporter and sports fan, Dorene is a member of the governing group that aggressively pursued and ultimately purchased the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team in 2013. With the purchase, she became the first Latina to hold the distinction of NBA governor status.
Perhaps her greatest passion is her work with underserved students. Dorene formed The Dominguez Dream in Memory of H. Frank Dominguez 501(c)(3) public nonprofit organization in 2004. The Dominguez Dream 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. The Dominguez Dream works to transform the way students learn by partnering with school administrators, staff and teachers to identify the areas of greatest need.
Dorene graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and holds a Certificate in Corporate Governance from Harvard University. She was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration at the California State University, San Bernardino in 2023.
