Dear Colleagues,

Andrew JonesI write to announce that I have appointed CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Andrew Jones to serve as acting president of Cal State Long Beach, succeeding President Jane Close Conoley upon her retirement after more than a decade of dedicated service. His appointment will be effective August 25, 2025, and will continue until the national search for the university’s next regularly appointed president is completed. He will not be a candidate for this position.

EVC Jones has served the CSU with distinction for more than 25 years, ably leading the CSU’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) since his appointment as general counsel in January 2018. In this role, EVC Jones has also served as the secretary of the CSU Board of Trustees – one of the five statutory officers of the board – and has contributed his expertise to many issues of board governance and leadership over the years. Prior to serving as general counsel, he served as deputy general counsel, the team leader for the OGC’s Business & Finance Team and counsel for various CSU campuses, including serving for almost 10 years as counsel for CSULB. For 15 years, he served as assistant secretary of the Board of Trustees before being appointed secretary. He also served for almost a year as the CSU’s interim vice chancellor of Systemwide Human Resources.

Under EVC Jones’ leadership, the OGC has consistently stepped up when needed most. He played a pivotal role in helping the CSU system navigate uncharted legal waters during the COVID-19 pandemic, advised the Board of Trustees during critical leadership transitions, provided guidance and direction for managing campus protests and geopolitical unrest, and equipped all 22 CSU universities with tools to respond to unprecedented challenges to higher education under the federal administration.

EVC Jones is a proud alumnus of Cal State Long Beach, where he earned his bachelor’s degree before going on to earn his Juris Doctor at the University of California, Davis. He is honored to have the opportunity to serve the institution that gave him his start.

I have every confidence that EVC Jones’ breadth and depth of experience – and his demonstrated commitment to the CSU’s student-centered mission – make him ideally suited to lead Cal State Long Beach through this time of transition.

Please be assured that the Board and I remain optimistic and are united in our resolve to identify a truly outstanding leader to serve as this extraordinary university’s next president. The search for a campus president is among my most important responsibilities as chancellor, as it is for our Board of Trustees. It is a responsibility that we take very seriously, and our expectations are extremely high. We are moving forward with an unwavering commitment to identify the next, best leader for the extended Cal State Long Beach community.

Thank you for all that you do for The Beach and the students we serve. I wish you the very best for the new academic year!

Warmly,

Mildred García, Ed.D.
Chancellor