Dear Spartans,

As President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life.” Unfortunately, its inevitability makes it no less easy to process, especially when it means losing a great leader on our campus. After nearly five years of service to our university, Lisa Millora, PhD, will be leaving San José State to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer at San Francisco Bay University, a small entrepreneurial university in Fremont.

Since arriving at SJSU in January 2019, Lisa has served both as Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Institutional Affairs. In my time here, many have expressed appreciation for Lisa’s focus on leading with excellence. Among Lisa’s many accomplishments at SJSU:

• Led a group of administrative leaders for the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic 
• Assumed oversight of University Personnel as well as the Title IX and Gender Equity Office, reaffirming the university’s commitment to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment
• Created the Community and Government Relations team to deepen partnerships yielding close to $20 million in revenue for institutional priorities
• Held a one-year temporary assignment to oversee the Division of University Advancement and the Tower Foundation

Lisa’s last day on our campus will be Friday, December 1, which gives us another six weeks to take advantage of her talents and her deep institutional knowledge. Until then, please join me in thanking Lisa for her work here at San José State University, and congratulating her on this great new opportunity.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cynthia Teniente-Matson
President
(She/Her/Ella)