Board of Trustees

Alexandria Dempsey ’09

A photo of Alexandria Dempsey ’09, a person with long brown hair and a tan jacket.

BA, MBA, San Francisco, CA

Alexandria Dempsey ’09 is a marketing leader in the hospitality industry with a passion for bringing concepts to life through compelling brand storytelling, marketing strategy, and programming. She is the Vice President & Managing Director at af&co., an award-winning lifestyle marketing and media relations agency headquartered in San Francisco.

With an MBA in Food and Wine from the University of Bologna in Italy, Alexandria has a deep understanding of both the practical and the creative sides of the hospitality industry. She started her career over 17 years ago at Food Network, creating brand extensions including a line of wine, national food festivals, and restaurants at airports and sports stadiums across the country. Since then, she’s worked both in-house and for agencies, representing iconic brands such as Marriott, Caviar, and Google, along with celebrity chefs, independent restaurants, hotel groups, and food and beverage products, on everything from go-to-market launch strategies to naming and brand design.

My six-word story

“Do it right. Make it nice.”

Alexandria is also deeply involved in hunger relief efforts, bringing her expertise and compassion to No Kid Hungry’s Taste of the Nation events. She was the San Francisco Auction Chair from 2018–2020 and served on the Los Angeles Committee from 2024–2025. Additionally, Alexandria has volunteered with Dress for Success, serving on the Stretch for Success committee from 2019–2020 and as a lead fundraiser for the women’s empowerment efforts.

Since graduating, Alexandria has remained committed to the Vassar community. From 2010–2013, she was Programming Chair of the Vassar Club of New York. She was the Vassar Club of the Bay Area President from 2013–2023 and served as the Class Engagement Committee Chair for the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College (AAVC) from 2020–2024. She is currently an AAVC Trustee.

Alexandria is energized by traveling and experiencing restaurants wherever she goes, finding inspiration in local art and live music.