Denise Giesbers
Denise Giesbers is a higher education leader, military and veteran services director, and business consultant based in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. She specializes in supporting transfer students, military-connected individuals, and veterans through transitional periods in education and career pathways. In her current work with Pacific University, she focuses on program leadership, student engagement, community outreach, and strategic development across higher education and veteran support services. Her professional approach centers on building inclusive systems that connect institutions, communities, and individuals with meaningful resources and long-term support.
With more than two decades of experience in higher education, Denise has held multiple leadership roles at Pacific University, where she has directed programs in orientation, transfer student services, Greek life, and veteran support. She has led large-scale institutional initiatives, including the development of a Veterans Resource Center, COVID-era student engagement systems, and redesigned orientation and family support programs. Her work has consistently emphasized retention, accessibility, and student success, while also strengthening cross-campus collaboration, crisis response systems, and community-integrated programming. She is widely recognized for her ability to manage complex operations, lead teams, and implement innovative solutions under changing institutional demands.
Beyond higher education, Denise is a consultant, artist, health and wellness coach, and entrepreneur involved in creative design, photography, and community-based initiatives. She is a co-founder and active contributor to veteran and community advocacy efforts, including work with the Community Military Veteran Alliance of Oregon, where she supports education, outreach, and storytelling initiatives such as “People Who Serve and Support.” She also serves as an executive producer and project lead on documentary projects highlighting veterans and military families. Across all of her work, Denise’s guiding philosophy is rooted in walking alongside people through transition, strengthening community connections, and creating spaces where individuals and families feel supported, informed, and empowered.
• VA S.A.V.E.
• MHFA Instructor - Veterans specific
• MHFA Instructor Training
• QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Instructor
• Studio Home Dimensions Instructor
• Onestroke Painting Instructor Level 2
• Onestroke Painting Instructor Level 1
• Certified Health Coach
• Pacific University - BA
• Bonita C. Jacobs Transfer Champion Award - Inaugural Recipient
• Dedication to Students Award
• Feature Story in People Magazine “Half Their Size” Issue
• Scouts of America
• AHEPPP - Association of Higher Education Parent/Family Program Professionals
• NODA - National Orientation Directors Association
• NISTS - National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students
• Alpha Kappa Delta Sorority
• Order of the Eastern Star
• Community Military Veteran Alliance of Oregon (CMV Alliance)
• Alpha Kappa Delta Sorority
• Boy Scouts of America, Cascade Pacific Council
• Banks Elementary School
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success primarily to my parents and the environment I grew up in, particularly being raised in a family-owned business where I witnessed the connection between service and entrepreneurship. I was also shaped by a strong community of extended family and caregivers who reinforced the importance of support, empathy, and collective effort. These early experiences instilled in me a lasting belief in giving back, engaging with my community, and creating opportunities for others to discover their own ability to contribute and make a meaningful impact beyond themselves.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came early in my career from a Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management who saw potential in me that I had not yet recognized in myself and consistently used both challenges and support as opportunities for my growth. Looking back, I now understand how intentionally she helped shape my development over my 28-year career, along with another mentor whose guidance I still carry with me today. From both of them, I learned the lasting importance of investing in others and believing in their potential before they fully see it themselves, a principle I continue to live by in the belief that my role is to believe in people until they are able to believe in themselves.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this field is to follow your heart and not allow others to place you in a box. When you hear “no,” don’t take it as a final answer—often it simply means there is more information needed or another opportunity waiting to be explored. Seek out strong mentors who will support your growth and help you navigate your path. There may be times when your confidence and competence make others uncomfortable, but do not let that deter you from your goals or your next steps. Stay grounded in your purpose, continue to pursue your dreams, and remember that your potential is not limited—the sky truly is the limit.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life center on service, community, and giving of myself to others. These principles were deeply shaped by my upbringing in a family-owned business, where I witnessed firsthand how service and business are interconnected, as well as by the strong community of grandparents, adopted grandmothers, and extended family who helped raise and influence me. Those early experiences instilled in me a belief in the power of collective support and connection, and the importance of creating opportunities for others to participate and contribute, even if they have not had prior exposure to them. I also believe strongly that while our past is part of our story, it does not define our future—rather, we have the ability to learn from it, grow beyond it, and actively shape what comes next.