New Cal State Northridge Chief Named

Jolene Koester, an educator known for forging strong relationships between faculty and administrators, was named president Tuesday of Cal State Northridge.

The 51-year-old provost and vice president of academic affairs at Cal State Sacramento brings a background in diversity issues and a knowledge of the California State University system to the job as head of the 27,000-student campus, the San Fernando Valley’s only four-year university.

Koester, who has spent her entire administrative career at Cal State Sacramento, will be the fourth president of Cal State Northridge and one of only three female presidents in the 23-campus system. She will replace Blenda J. Wilson, who left the university in June to head a Massachusetts educational foundation.

“I’m just thrilled to have the opportunity to work at this university,” Koester said. “I am very committed to the [California State University] and its mission, and Northridge is an exemplar of that mission of access for the students of the San Fernando Valley.”

Koester was one of two finalists after two others dropped out Friday. During final interviews Monday with the Cal State Board of Trustees, her only competition was Antoine Garibaldi, provost and chief academic officer of Howard University in Washington.

“It was the closest call that you could have,” said Cal State Chancellor Charles B. Reed.

The trustees interviewed the candidates for two hours and deliberated for an hour.

“When you added everything up,” Reed said, “Jolene had a slight advantage because of her inside knowledge of our system.”

Koester said she will visit the campus today to address faculty members and students. Her salary and starting date have not been determined.

The daughter of an auto mechanic in Plato, Minn., Koester was the first in her family to earn a college degree. Her parents worked on farms and never finished high school, yet they emphasized education for Koester and her four siblings, she said.

Koester earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in India. The experience sparked her interest in intercultural communication, a field in which she is now considered a national expert.