Diane Mendenhall

Diane Mendenhall rejoined the Nebraska Athletics Department in August of 2014 after six successful years as the Nebraska Alumni Association Executive Director.

Mendenhall serves as the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Ticketing, Premium Seating & Strategic Engagement. She directs all donations associated with tickets, ticket marketing and sales, premium seating - 106 suites and hospitality spaces, and engagement events. These operations generate over 70 million dollars annually for Athletics. Mendenhall also assists the director of athletics with internal and external strategic engagement and serves as liaison to the Chancellor's Office, NU President’s Office & Nebraska Alumni Association, as well as has administrative oversight of the Men’s and Women’s Tennis programs.

As executive director of the 25,000-member Nebraska Alumni Association (NAA), Mendenhall worked closely with the university administration, athletics department, University of Nebraska Foundation, campus community and alumni chapters around the country to encourage the active participation of alumni and friends with the university and increase the collaboration within the university community. Mendenhall was also a member of the Chancellor’s Senior Administrative Team.

Under Mendenhall’s leadership, the NAA adopted a university-focused mission and increased collaboration across campus and in the community. Since 2008, the NAA grew lifetime membership to an all-time high; expanded the chapters and groups program from 59 to nearly 90; increased Scarlet Guard (student alumni) from less than 100 to more than 1,400; increased outreach to alumni through several communications initiatives, including redesigns of Nebraska Magazine, Good NUz, and huskeralum.org; introduced new programs to connect and serve alumni, including alumni career services, Football Fridays and the Young Alumni Academy; and launched the Nebraska Legends Scholarship Program to help recruit more than 600 students to attend UNL in the first three years of the program.

The NAA also strengthened its financial position. Total assets grew by more than 38 percent. Approximately $3 million was invested in the Wick Alumni Center and the Nebraska Champions Club, and the Association partnered with the University to manage the new Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center.

In 2000, Mendenhall joined the University of Nebraska Athletics Department and for four seasons served as director of operations for Nebraska volleyball. The team compiled a record of 128-9, with three Big XII Championships, two Final Fours and one National Championship.  In 2004, Mendenhall was named associate director of development for the athletics department and later was promoted to assistant athletics director for development. Promoted again in 2006, Mendenhall was named assistant athletics director for development and ticketing as she successfully blended the operation of two departments. She served as the IMG/Husker Sports Network radio color analyst for Nebraska Volleyball from 2001-2016.

Prior to Nebraska, Mendenhall was a national consultant for an employment communications company, as well as a volleyball coach at the collegiate and high school level. An accomplished speaker, Mendenhall has presented throughout the country and internationally and continues to speak on empowerment, presence, leadership and various topics.

A native of Ogallala, Neb., Mendenhall earned her a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. She was a four-year starter for the Jayhawk volleyball team and a team captain as a senior. Mendenhall and her husband, Rich have a daughter, Ally and son-in-law Adam Money.