California State University Channel Islands Presidential Search Committee to Hold Virtual Open Forum

Sept. 28, 2021 - The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees is beginning the search for a new president of California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) to succeed Erika D.  Beck, Ph.D., who became president of California State University, Northridge in January 2021.

The first meeting of the Trustees' Committee for the Selection of the President will be held in a virtual open forum from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12. During this time, the committee will outline the search process and the community will be invited to share their preferred attributes of the next president of CSUCI. Please note that campus and community members wishing to speak during the virtual open forum and address the committee are required to register in advance, and the deadline to register is Monday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. Confirmed speakers will receive details about how to participate.

CSU Trustee Wenda Fong will chair the committee. The other trustee members include Larry L. Adamson, Diego Arambula and Jack B. Clarke, Jr., as well as Trustee Chair Lillian Kimbell and CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro.

The virtual open forum will be web-streamed live and archived on the President Search website, where individuals may also provide their input via written submission.

Board policy requires the chair of the CSU trustees to appoint an Advisory Committee to the Trustees' Committee. The Advisory Committee is composed of representatives from the faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as a member of a campus advisory board, all of whom are selected by the campus's constituency groups. Also on the Advisory Committee is a vice president or academic dean from the campus, and a president of another CSU campus—both selected by the chancellor. Both committees function as one unified group.

Members of the Advisory Committee for the Selection of the President include:

• Gregory G. Wood, Ph.D., chair, Academic Senate
• Jacob Jenkins, Ph.D., associate professor (faculty representative)
• Ekin Pehlivan, Ph.D., associate professor (faculty representative)
• Renee Fuentes, Title IX administrative specialist (staff representative)
• Sergio Gutierrez Mercado III (student representative)
• Aurora Rugerio, president, CSUCI Associated Students, Inc. (student representative)
• Atticus Ford Reyes (alumni representative)
• Jeff Green (campus advisory board representative)
• Nichole Ipach, vice president for University Advancement (administration representative)
• Irene Pinkard. Ed.D. (community representative)
• David M. Rodriguez (community representative)
• Lynnette Zelezny, Ph.D., president, California State University, Bakersfield (CSU president representative)

Over the next several months, the committee will review candidates and conduct interviews.