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Dear Campus Community,

I hope you will join me and the family, friends, and colleagues who treasured their relationships with him, and continue to feel his enduring impact, in remembering and paying tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Mario A. Perez, Vice President of University Advancement, during a special event at the Green Music Center next month.

A celebration of life for Mario, who passed away suddenly on March 27, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 in Weill Hall. Event details can be found here.

Though I knew and worked with Mario for only a few months, after joining Sonoma State in January I was immediately awed by his passion for supporting students, his collegiality and collaboration, his keen perception and instincts about issues, his positivity and good humor, and especially his love for his family and friends. He was as warm, thoughtful, intelligent, funny, and compassionate as anyone I have had the privilege of working with in the CSU. This is not an opinion I alone hold, as many others at SSU who knew him longer can attest.

”Having the opportunity to be mentored by Mario this past year has been one of the most impactful elements of my time here at Sonoma State,” said Vanessa Mendoza, Associated Students vice president. “From our very first conversations, Mario would speak with such pride about his family, particularly his daughters, and the life he had built to get him to this point in his career. It was clear that his background and the challenges he had navigated shaped not only his perspective, but the care and intentionality he brought to every interaction.

”In our monthly meetings we would talk about recent campus happenings but would always end up sharing more personal stories about family and his life experiences. In one of my first meetings with him we bonded over our own feelings of imposter syndrome; being able to share that with him gave me a sense of validation and reminded me these experiences weren’t isolating, but shared and meaningful in a way that helped me grow more confidently in my place on campus. In more formal settings, Mario would always make an effort for the student voice to be heard and would create space to acknowledge the students in the room.

“His presence on campus went far beyond his role and will continue to leave a lasting impact on the culture and future of Sonoma State. Mario was more than my liaison, but a life mentor who always had advice to give about my future, and I will forever cherish the conversations and guidance he gave.”

After a diverse range of professional experiences — from an internship with his beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, to the Oakland Raiders, the public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State L.A., and the University of La Verne, his alma mater — Mario arrived at Sonoma State in February 2020, one month before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. He was immediately challenged to build relations with a University Advancement staff he only briefly saw in person before remote work set in, and to run point on an essentially contact-less Commencement ceremony in his role as co-chair of the Commencement Logistics Committee.

Tiffany O’Neil, assistant vice president for alumni relations, marketing, and university engagement, worked with Mario from the beginning and said he was more than up to the task.

”Mario’s radiant energy and deep commitment to the work of Advancement in higher education were truly inspiring,” Tiffany said. “He brought passion and purpose to everything he did, and his unwavering dedication to advocating for others left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of working with him.

”Sonoma State University is stronger because of his leadership, and his genuine connections across our campus community will continue to be felt for years to come.”

Mario also built enduring relationships outside of campus, with Sonoma State supporters and community leaders throughout the North Bay and beyond, by personalizing the university through in-person, consistent contact, conversations, and community engagement. “Mario was an incredible human being who made you feel like family. He was a true warrior who represented Sonoma State University with the utmost professionalism and respect,” said Marcela Piedra, Rohnert Park city manager, who serves on the SSU Foundation Board of Directors, where Mario was CEO. “Mario was instrumental in the development of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Sonoma State University and the cities of Rohnert Park and Cotati back in 2025. He was a visionary who knew our three entities were stronger together.

”Our community has lost a tremendous leader and higher education advocate.”

Perhaps most of all, Mario will be remembered for the friendships he built everywhere he went. His presence and personality are felt and missed daily.

”Mario was much more than a co-worker. He and I often talked during the evenings, discussing our similar upbringings, families, especially our children, and our mutual love for baseball — him the Dodgers and me, my beloved Giants,” said Gerald Jones, SSU vice president for student affairs. “We’d needle one another endlessly about the better team, albeit him more so recently because of their championship rings and sheer dominance over the Giants. One thing is for certain, we always ended our calls with laughter, which made that day’s challenges just a little bit lighter. 

“I know that we will all miss Mario dearly, having our own special stories and moments about how he brightened our days with his warmth, big smile, and infectious laughter. I also know that Mario would expect each of us to continue our work to uplift this university. Mario believed in Sonoma State so much, but even more so, he believed in the importance of the work you all are doing to help move the university forward.”

Please join the many people Mario embraced as family and friends when we celebrate this special man on May 19.