Barb Mendelson

For more than 25 years, Barb Mendelson has helped build a legacy of generosity at Washington State University. She and her husband, Joe, have been enduring advocates for WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine−though neither attended WSU. In 1996, the couple made their first gift to the college in honor of their dog Scout, who had been treated in Arizona by Dr. John Oplinger (’79 DVM). In 2010, they made another extraordinary donation to purchase a 16-slice spiral CT scanner that exponentially improved the Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s diagnostic capabilities. When their whippet, Pre, died in 2013, the Mendelsons continued their tradition of honoring their pets by making an additional gift. Barb is a certified public accountant and has been in practice since 1980. She is the current chair of Golden Gate University’s Board of Trustees and serves on the board of directors of Lourdes Senior Community in Michigan. She is also a WSU Foundation Board of Trustees emerita.