Jolene Koester

Jolene Koester is the California State University’s interim chancellor. Most recently, Koester served as president of the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) from 2000 until 2011, where she led the campus through a period of unprecedented growth, drove dramatic improvements in student success, and helped solidify its position as the intellectual and cultural hub of Greater Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley. Prior to her presidency, Koester served as provost of the California State University, Sacramento. During her 17-year career at the Sacramento campus, she also served as an associate professor, professor, department chair, assistant vice president, associate vice president, and vice president for academic affairs. Koester’s prior experience in higher education also includes service at the University of Missouri and the University of Minnesota. After retiring from CSUN in 2011, Koester began serving as a senior consultant for AASCU Consulting, working with university presidents and chancellors to enhance student success through improved strategic planning, change management, enhanced communications, and team building. Koester earned a Ph.D. and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin.