Dear Friends and Colleagues:
I am excited and energized to be starting my first day of service as President of California State University, Bakersfield. I feel extraordinarily privileged to be following in the footsteps of President Horace Mitchell, who has been a transformational leader at CSU Bakersfield and throughout the CSU system. He has earned our respect and the respect of so many people throughout the country during his 50 years of dedication to higher education. I want to thank Dr. Mitchell for his inspiring leadership and his tremendous support during the transition.
My husband John and I will be settling into our new home in Bakersfield this week, and we are looking forward to being involved in this dynamic community. Your warm welcome during our recent visits has been joyful. We feel so fortunate to be part of this special community.
I’m honored to serve alongside you with a shared commitment to and passion for the success of our deserving students. I am inspired and proud of the work that CSUB is doing to ensure that all students feel that they belong, and with hard work they have an opportunity for a top education that will lead to social mobility, a key measure of the transformative power of a CSUB education, and a driver of economic development and a high quality of life. Our number one priority will continue to be to provide our students with a meaningful, engaged education that prepares them to lead and serve our communities and lift the region’s economy.
I will be spending my first 100 days listening and learning. I am committed to listening to you to hear about our strengths and opportunities for growth. I want to hear your thoughts about where we should invest our time and resources in the future as we begin our journey to CSUB's bright and promising next chapter. Together, leveraging our strong foundation, we will build a shared strategic vision for CSUB.
I am grateful to each of you for all that you do to serve our students and look foward to working with you as we move forward.
These are exciting times to be part of CSUB! I’m so proud to be joining the team.
Go Runners!
Warmest regards,
Lynnette
