Grace Fiorenza Hermes

Senior Director of Development
409-960-9727
gfiorenza@lsufoundation.org

Grace Hermes began her career at the LSU Foundation in June 2017, when she was hired to help pilot the Foundation’s first mid-level officer program. Grace now serves as a senior director of development and one of the Foundation’s inaugural flagship fundraisers, advancing strategic philanthropic priorities across all LSU academic units. Grace’s favorite part of her job is hearing all the amazing stories from alumni — from career achievements and unforgettable professors to personal milestones and everything in between. She considers it a true privilege to help them stay engaged and make a difference at LSU.

MY LSU

Why did you choose to build a career with the LSU Foundation?
As a student who did not attend LSU due to financial barriers, I’m very proud to have a career in which I get to play a part in removing the same barriers that I had for students who deserve to be here, especially those from out of state!

What does a typical day look like for you?
While every day looks different, my goal is always to engage with an alum or donor, whether that’s setting up visits, expressing gratitude, sharing good news, or connecting them with opportunities to contribute to LSU’s success.

Tell us about your favorite work win or moment when you truly felt the impact of your work.
One of my favorite work moments each year is reading student reflections on our scholarship impact reports. Hearing directly from recipients about how these funds helped them study abroad, stay in school, or chase a dream always moves me. Their words always serve as a reminder of how special this work is and what an honor it is to help remove barriers and create life-changing opportunities. 

Where is your favorite place on campus?
Anywhere beneath the canopies of oak trees, which is just about everywhere on campus. Even after 10+ years here, I still find myself stopping to take pictures.