In celebration of their accomplishments in their respective fields and their service and support of the university, Cal State Fullerton isrecognizing five Distinguished Alumni on Feb. 28, as the 2026 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Award recipients.
When Peter Mitchell began college at Cal State Fullerton in the late 1980s to study political science, he was looking not only for a strong education but also for a sense of community.
What Mitchell found at CSUF was a training ground that set him up for career success as a political consultant and entrepreneur. More importantly, he found a brotherhood through university Greek life that taught him what it means to be a leader.
Now, as president and CEO of PM Consulting, Inc. and founder and managing partner of Springboard Ventures, Mitchell is a top nonpartisan political consultant in California and a venture capitalist. Additionally, he serves on the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors and represents Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity both locally and nationally.
For his strong alumni support of both the fraternity and CSUF, as well as his contributions to the political consulting and venture capital landscape, Mitchell has been named a 2026 CSUF Vision & Visionaries Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.
The son of Greek immigrants, Mitchell was born in the San Fernando Valley and relocated to Orange County in 1974. As a resident of Anaheim, Fullerton and Buena Park, CSUF was in his backyard, and after graduating from Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, it was an obvious choice for him to become a Titan.
Mitchell chose to pursue political science and immediately got connected with SAE. When several personal challenges arose during his time as a student, it was his Titan family and his fraternity brotherhood that provided the support he needed.
“I stayed close by, and it was a great education,” said Mitchell of his decision to attend CSUF. “It really changed my life because I also became a proud member of the SAE fraternity. That gave me a huge group of brothers around me. I learned leadership, and I learned how to communicate better. I owe my life to Cal State Fullerton.”
Mitchell’s career trajectory began when he volunteered on a local political campaign. He discovered a passion for public service across party lines and went on to work in political consulting, focusing on people rather than politics.
“I really like to serve people, and I love to solve problems,” Mitchell said. “My mom was a Kennedy Democrat, and my dad was a Nixon Republican. I learned to like both sides and to like people and not demonize.”
Mitchell connected with the California Association of Realtors, rising quickly to lead the organization’s statewide political operation at a young age. Under his leadership, the association’s political program grew into one of the most influential in California, shifting from a largely Republican base to a more moderate and bipartisan approach.
After leaving the California Association of Realtors in 2002, Mitchell worked for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the union and top political entity representing 26,000 state prison guards. From there, he started PM Consulting and manages campaigns and public affairs efforts at the city, county, state and federal levels.
Mitchell’s entrepreneurial spirit led him into venture capital, and he has spent the past decade investing in a wide range of asset classes, including clean energy, technology, private equity, real estate, finance and insurance. Through Springboard Ventures, he helps launch new companies while also scaling existing ones, with a focus on solving real-world problems.
Mitchell credits his time at CSUF for making the college pathway accessible and for giving him the confidence he needed to create his own path forward.
“You got a world-class education, and it was something you can afford,” Mitchell said. “If it wasn’t for Cal State Fullerton, I wouldn’t have been educated and met SAE. And if it wasn’t for SAE, I really wouldn’t be anybody.”
Mitchell was instrumental in helping to reinstate his Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at CSUF following a 20-year hiatus. He currently serves as the local chapter alumni adviser and the Board of Governors liaison to CSUF’s Greek life community. Nationally, he is a member of the SAE Foundation Board of Trustees.
As a member of the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors, Mitchell serves on the executive committee and as co-chair of the advocacy committee. It’s a role he knows can have a direct impact on improving the lives of Titan students.
“We’re raising a lot of money and doing a lot of good,” said Mitchell of the foundation. “I know higher education can unlock and give people access to things and equalize the playing field for their whole life.”
As someone who prefers to be behind the scenes, Mitchell’s selection as a Vision & Visionaries Award honoree came as a surprise. But his love for people and the CSUF community has inspired him to use this recognition as an opportunity to make a difference for his alma mater.
“Being a Titan means being a high performer, a high achiever, but somebody that’s also low key and a person that is humble,” Mitchell said. “It’s a person that not just meets but exceeds their goals because they’re a winner.”