Presidential Search
In Search of the Next President of Sonoma State University
The California State University Board of Trustees has launched a nationwide search for the next president of Sonoma State University.
Following CSU policy, the Chair of the CSU Board of Trustees, Jack B. Clarke, Jr., appointed a Trustees Committee for the selection of the president. 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 university's constituency groups per their selection criteria. 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 in consultation with the board chair. Both committees function as one unified group in the search process.
Questions & Nominations
To submit questions or nominations, please email [email protected]
Presidential Search Open Forum
The Presidential Search Open Forum was held from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, May 5, 2025 in the Student Center ballrooms.
View the Open Forum recording here:
Presidential Search Committee
Mildred García
Chancellor
Jack B. Clarke, Jr.
Chair, Board of Trustees
Mark Ghilarducci
Trustee and Chair, Search Committee
Jean Picker Firstenberg
Trustee
Julia Lopez
Trustee
Darlene Yee-Melichar
Trustee
Cathy Sandeen
Cal State East Bay, CSU President Representative
Gerald Jones
Administration Representative
Gillian Estes
Staff Representative
Ajay Gehlawat
Chair, Academic Senate
Allison Ford
Faculty Representative
Sean Place
Faculty Representative
Madelyn Boyd
Student Representative
Jazmin Olvera Lara
Student Representative
Allyssa Perez Concepcion
Alumni Representative
Robert U’Ren
President’s Advisory Board Representative
Henry Hansel
Community Representative
Ali Pourghadir
Community Representative
Search Consultants
The SP&A Executive Search firm has been retained to conduct the Presidential Search. SP&A specializes in and is exclusively dedicated to serving the higher education and non-profit sectors.