President and Professor Emeritus, California State University, Sacramento – Sacramento, California; President Emeritus, California State University, San Marcos –San Marcos, California
In 2012, the Mexican government recognized Alex Gonzalez with the Ohtli Award, its highest honor for leaders of Mexican descent. It recognized his efforts to pave the way for and improve the well-being of new generations of Mexicans in California.
He was appointed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Student Aid Commission and served six years as a commissioner for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the accrediting agency for higher education institutions in California and Hawaii. He also was appointed by then-President George W....
Former Director, Center for Studies in Higher Education and Chancellor Emeritus, UC Santa Cruz
George R. Blumenthal served as Director of the Center for Studies in Higher Education from 2019 until 2023. He continues his involvement with CSHE as Affiliated Faculty and as a member of the ELA Advisory Board.
Blumenthal was UC Santa Cruz's 10th chancellor. He joined the campus in 1972 as a faculty member in astronomy and astrophysics and was named chancellor on September 19, 2007, after serving as acting chancellor for 14 months.
The Blumenthal era has been marked by a commitment to ensuring that the doors of opportunity at UC Santa Cruz are open to all:
President Emerita, Antioch University – Seattle, Washington; Former President, Diné College – Tsaile, Arizona
Chosen as president of Antioch University Seattle, Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet became the first Native American woman to ascend to the presidency of an accredited university outside the tribal colleges. Prior to her presidency in Seattle from 2007 to 2013, Dr. Manuelito-Kerkvliet served as the first woman president of Diné College, a tribal college with 8 campuses located on the Navajo reservation situated in Arizona and New Mexico.
Dr. Manuelito-Kerkvliet is the great, great granddaughter of Navajo Chief Manuelito. She is born into the Towering House and...
Distinguished Faculty, Higher Education Leadership California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California; Former Chancellor, Coast Community College District – Costa Mesa, California
Dr. Ding-Jo H. Currie’s career includes 30-plus years in the California Community College system with eight additional years in the California State University system. Ding-Jo retired in 2011 from Coast Community College District where she served as Chancellor. She also served as President of Coastline Community College prior to her Chancellor role. Currently, Ding-Jo is serving as Distinguished Faculty at CSU Fullerton and devotes herself in full-time leadership development work.
Having served in many key national leadership roles such as, Board Chair of...
Chancellor Emerita (2019), University of California, Merced – Merced, California; Former President, Georgia College and State University – Milledgeville, Georgia
Dorothy J. Leland was appointed the third chancellor of the University of California, Merced on May 18, 2011. An accomplished institution builder, Leland is playing a significant role in providing educational and economic opportunity to one of the fastest-growing regions of the state as she leads the next major phase of development for the newest University of California campus.
Chancellor Leland has paved the path for the largest public-private partnership in higher education, known as the Merced 2020 Project. The unprecedented $1.3 billion expansion will nearly...
CEO/Principal, Signature Solutions Corporate Results Executive Coach & Strategic Planner Former Executive Vice Chancellor of Strategic Planning, Partnership and Advancement, Peralta Community College District – Oakland, California
Elñora Tena Webb is an Executive Coach and strategic planner, leading a leadership firm, Signature Solutions Corporate Results. Previously, she served as an higher education executive, working with teams of faculty and staff to secure over $50 million in grants and gifts integral to building the enrollment and student success capacity of institutions. She was the Executive Vice Chancellor for the Peralta Community College District, and at its flagship institution, Laney College, she served as President from 2010-2016, Vice President of Instruction (Academic Affairs) from 2005-...
President Emeritus, California State University, Bakersfield - Bakersfield, California; Vice Chancellor- Business Affairs Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley – Berkeley, California
Dr. Horace Mitchell became the fourth President of California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) in July 2004 after thirty-six years of experience in higher education. Under Dr. Mitchell’s leadership, the university achieved national recognition for its efforts to extend the excellence and diversity of the faculty and academic programs, enhance the quality of the student experience and strengthen community engagement. He also was a professor of psychology with teaching and research interests in the areas of identity construction, multicultural psychology and psychological...
Professor Emerita, Comparative Women's Studies, Spelman College - Atlanta, Georgia; Former Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Spelman College; Founding Executive Leadership Academy Alumni
Johnnella E. Butler, Professor Emerita Comparative Women’s Studies, Spelman College, served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Spelman from 2005-2014. Prior to Spelman, Dr. Butler held appointments at the University of Washington, Seattle as Professor of American Ethnic Studies with appointments in English and Women’s Studies, and Associate Dean and Associate Vice Provost of the Graduate School. At the UW, she prepared 25 Ph.D. students in African American and American Ethnic literary studies. Prior to the UW, Dr. Butler held faculty and administrative...
Associate Dean and Director, Native American Cultural Center, Stanford University – Stanford, California
Karen Biestman is the Associate Dean and Director of Stanford’s Native American Cultural Center, with teaching appointments at both Berkeley and Stanford Law Schools, and Stanford’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Previously, she taught at Berkeley in Native American or American Studies since 1983, and held Student Affairs appointments on both campuses, with a year hiatus to serve as Director of Indian Education for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX, in San Francisco.
Her expertise includes Federal Indian Law, Environmental...
Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley – Berkeley, California; Former Director, Media, Arts, and Culture, Ford Foundation
Margaret B. Wilkerson is a scholar, theatre director, experienced administrator and educational activist who devoted her life and career to social justice and equity in education and philanthropy. She is Professor Emerita at the University of California at Berkeley having returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after retiring from the Ford Foundation in New York City. At Ford, she was Director of Media, Arts and Culture, with programmatic responsibilities for the Foundation’s grantmaking in the U.S., Africa and the Middle East, Russia, Asia, and Latin America, after serving...