Diane Mendenhall serves the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s as the Associate to the Chancellor for External Engagement and a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet. She is in her 19th year at Nebraska, having worked as an administrative leader with Husker Athletics and the Nebraska Alumni Association.

As the Associate to the Chancellor for External Engagement, Mendenhall directs university external affairs for the Chancellor, coordinating the strategy and implementation of external activities involving the Chancellor — and in-part senior leadership team — with the Nebraska Alumni Association, University of Nebraska Foundation, Nebraska Athletics, civic, community, and philanthropic organizations. She also co-leads the University’s 2019 Sesquicentennial Celebration.

Mendenhall most recently served as a Senior Associate Athletics Director with the Huskers, overseeing donations-ticketing, premium seating and strategic engagement where she directed communication/marketing, events and revenue generation. She also assisted the athletics director in internal and external strategic engagement, as well as oversight of the men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s basketball programs.

Prior to returning to athletics, she served as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Alumni Association. Under her leadership, she restructured and redirected the organization to a university-focused mission and increased collaboration and engagement across campus, the state and nation.

Before the NAA, she was tapped to come to Nebraska in 2000, by the newly named head volleyball coach, John Cook, as the first Director of Operations for Nebraska volleyball. 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. She was also the radio color analyst for Nebraska Volleyball for 16 years.

A native of Ogallala, Neb., Mendenhall is an alumna of the University of Kansas where she was a four-year starter for the Jayhawk volleyball team and a team captain as a senior.