After a national search, Cal State San Bernardino has named Robert J. Nava as its new vice president for the Division of University Advancement. Nava has spent 33 years in higher education advancement leadership roles, including 18 years in the inland region.
Nava, currently the vice president for university advancement at San Francisco State University, will formally join the Coyote family on Nov. 13 and begin serving in his new role on Jan. 2, 2019. He will replace Ron Fremont, who is retiring from the university in December after serving 35 years in the California State University system, including six years as vice president of advancement at CSUSB.
“I look forward to working with Robert. His accomplishments in higher education advancement over the course of his career have greatly enhanced university and college programs to ultimately benefit students,” said CSUSB President Tomás D. Morales. “Robert’s dedication and enthusiasm aligns with my longtime belief that our role as educators is to ensure our students come first.”
Nava’s administrative portfolio at San Francisco State includes development, alumni relations, governmental and community relations, advancement services, strategic communications and marketing, protocol and special events, and the San Francisco State Foundation. He led the university through all phases of a $150 million comprehensive campaign, which is expected to go public and exceed its goal over the next year.
Prior to San Francisco State, Nava served for five years as the associate vice president for Institutional Advancement at the University of Texas, El Paso, providing leadership and management covering the full spectrum of development, and alumni and constituent relations.
He also enjoyed a long and distinguished tenure at UC Riverside. During his tenure there, Nava assumed a variety of senior leadership roles on campus including assistant vice chancellor for principal gifts, interim vice chancellor and assistant vice chancellor for community and governmental relations. He and his wife, Cathy, still maintain their home in Riverside.
Nava earned his Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice at the University of Texas at El Paso.