Jennifer Camano
Interview by Ashley Pearlstein
Jennifer Camano is an inspirational Tucson businesswoman, an avid fundraiser, a devoted mother of two and a self-proclaimed foodie. With years of fundraising experience under her belt, Camano carries out her duties of raising and managing donated money at University of Arizona Presents extremely well.
Describe your job at Univeristy of Arizona Presents.
I am primarily responsible for raising contributed income. I am a fundraiser, so its all the major gifts, grants, incline donations, and a lot of cash and noncash gifts. I am responsible for managing contributed revenue to the budget. I am in a senior management position that requires me to have a public face, so I get to spread the message of all the wonderful things we do here in Southern Arizona.
What is UA Presents?
We are the professional performing arts presenter bringing the world’s finest theater, dance, classical, jazz, and world music to the communities of Southern Arizona.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Connecting with people who like to support the arts. I am a good people person. I like connecting with people and helping them kind of put their dreams into practice. If they really feel passionate about education, then I make that connection into education for them through the arts by bringing artists into schools. People donate because they are passionate about it.
What was your job like at the Children’s Museum of Tucson?
I pretty much did the same thing I do now. I was responsible for raising about 55 percent of the budget through contributed income like grants, major gifts, annual fund, etc.
What is your view on the enhancement of arts in Tucson?
I think the arts are crucial to our life. Without it, we have less meaning, less context, less connection to others. It adds a component to our lives that enriches us on levels that are hard to articulate. There are a lot of reasons for the arts and they also have a strong economic impact that we cant ignore. Arts add elements to our own lives in a very personal way that I think deepens the quality of life.
What is your outlook on fundraising? How did you get so involved with it?
I started fundraising at City High School downtown when I worked there and it happened in a serendipitous way. I was doing community partnerships and I found that in order to make a lot of those community partnerships happen, they needed funding. I oversaw grants and broadened that to become a development director. Fundraising is so much more than raising money. People who are capable of giving large gifts do it because they are impassioned by it. I am like a happiness broker.
What are some of your hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
I practice yoga, spend a lot of time with my two daughters, and I love to travel and go to restaurants. I’m a total foodie. I also practice daily meditation, and I like reading and gabbing on the phone [laughs].
What is a favorite place of yours in Tucson?
I really like The Dish; it is one of my favorite restaurants. I also like King Fisher. Also the Catalina State Park, because I like to hike. Another favorite place of mine is my yoga mat.
Describe your family. Do you have any pets?
I have two daughters, Francesca is 11 and Zoe is 15. We also have a pug named Pagoda after the "Royal Tenenbaums." He is mostly known around here as the “little man,” though.
Describe a woman who inspires you and why.
There really are so many women who have inspired me throughout the year: it is hard to choose just one. From the moment of my birth until now, my maternal grandmother has made a huge impact on my life. Though she is no longer alive, her life continues to inspire me to keep improving myself through education, work, travel, artistic pursuits, spirituality and connection with others.
