NSF Regional HSI Conference on Servingness

Dr. Soraya M. Coley is the sixth president of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). An accomplished educator and administrator with four decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Coley is the first woman and first African American scholar to be named president of Cal Poly Pomona. She has ushered in a new era of strategic leadership for the campus, establishing a vision for Cal Poly Pomona as a model for an inclusive polytechnic university that helps anyone who dreams of success achieve it. 

As president, Dr. Coley leads an institution with nearly 30,000 students and nearly 2,700 faculty and staff. Under her leadership, Cal Poly Pomona has continued to grow its legacy as the most diverse polytechnic university in the country and as a national leader in promoting social and economic mobility. Under her tenure since 2015, enrollment and graduation rates have reached historic levels. 

Coley came to Cal Poly Pomona from California State University, Bakersfield, where she was the provost and vice president for academic affairs from 2005 to 2014. In addition, she served as interim vice president for university advancement from 2011 to 2012. She has also held positions at California State University, Fullerton, the National Center for Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, and Alliant International University.

In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Dr. Coley to the California Future of Work Commission, which was charged with making recommendations to the Governor and Legislature regarding the kinds of jobs Californians could have in the decades to come, the impact of technology, methods of promoting better job quality, modernizing worker safety net protections, and readying the state’s workforce for the jobs of the future through lifelong learning.

Dr. Coley is a member of the American Council on Education Women’s Network. In 2023, Dr. Coley received the American Council on Education Donna Shavlik Award, which honors an individual who demonstrates a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education through leadership, career development and mentoring. She is a former member of the board of directors for Children and Family Futures as well as the Kern County Schools’ “Ready to Start” program. In 2000, she was recognized as “One of Ten Women Making a Difference” by Orange County Metro Magazine.  

Coley earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. She completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in social planning and social research from Bryn Mawr College where she was recognized as a distinguished alumna.

She is married to Ron Coley, who served two decades of active duty as a pilot in the Marine Corps, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After his military service, Mr. Coley enjoyed a distinguished career in public service and higher education administration, including six years as a Senior County Administrator in Orange County, California, and multiple senior positions at the University of California.

Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes was appointed by the CSU Board of Trustees to serve as president of Cal State LA. Her tenure began January 8, 2024. Eanes is Cal State LA’s ninth president and the first woman to serve in the position.

Eanes previously served as president of York College, City University of New York, where she provided strategic leadership and counsel to approximately 1,100 faculty, staff and administrators, while overseeing a $91 million budget, including endowments, fundraising and centrally administered resources. Eanes had also served as a professor in the Department of Social Work since 2019.

Her appointment as president of Cal State LA marked a return to the CSU for Eanes, who previously served as vice president for Student Affairs at California State University, Fullerton (2012 to 2019), where she delivered leadership and oversight for myriad student success programs, as well as new campus infrastructure and the university’s strategic plan.

Eanes earned a bachelor’s degree in public health from Dillard University; a master’s degree in social work from Boston University; and her doctorate in social work from Clark Atlanta University.

Dr. Marilyn Flores, was unanimously selected to serve as Superintendent/President of Río Hondo College by the Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2022. From July 2020 to December 2021, Dr. Marilyn Flores served as Interim President of Santa Ana College. During her leadership, student enrollment increased as she continued to develop community-based partnerships, engage in philanthropic work, and cultivate an environment to ensure student success during the pandemic. Prior to serving as the Interim President, Flores served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santiago Canyon College since 2016. As Vice President of Academic Affairs at Santiago Canyon College, she oversaw four academic divisions with over 100 full time, over 200 part time faculty and approximately 25 classified staff. She also served as the Chief Instructional Officer (CIO) and the Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO). Formerly, Dr. Flores held the position of Dean, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences and Library at Santiago Canyon College. Prior to joining the Rancho Santiago Community College District, she served as Dean, Arts, Letters and Social Sciences at Las Positas College, after holding various administrative positions at Riverside City College from 2004 to 2012.

As a seasoned educational leader having served for over 20 years in California community colleges and more than 25 years working in multiple educational settings, Dr. Flores has provided oversight of academic and student service programs and budgets, has overseen design, delivery, staffing, supervision, and evaluation of educational programs, and ensured compliance and recommended policy for instructional and support services. Her responsibilities have also included quality, integrity, and administration of instructional programs and coordinating and facilitating the development and implementation of redesigned and articulated curriculum.

Dr. Flores’ commitment to providing equitable and excellent educational opportunities for students is evident in her long-standing career in community college academia and leadership as an Interim President, Vice President, Dean, Associate Dean, Program Director, Consultant and Researcher. She has been honored as Educator of the Year at the Inland Empire Hispanic Image Awards and received a Hispanic Border Leadership Institute Doctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Riverside. She is a proud first-generation college student and second language learner who attributes her success to the educational system.

Dr. Flores earned a Ph.D. in Institutional Leadership and Policy Studies at University of California, Riverside. She earned a Master of Arts Degree in Education with a Bilingual Cross-Cultural Language in Academic Development (BCLAD) teaching credential at University of California, Los Angeles, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education and Spanish from the University of California, Riverside.