By Veronica Morley, Sonia Lemus and Marilu Cisneros  

Runner Staff

  As the first female president in the history of CSU Bakersfield, Lynnette Zelezny is excited to be the face of the institution.

  “It’s amazing,” Zelezny said. “I feel very humbled that my face and name are part of a really historical moment in leadership.”

  Zelezny, 61, the fifth president in CSUB history will begin her term in June. She will be succeeding current president, Dr. Horace Mitchell.

  Zelezny will earn a yearly salary of $313,044 with an annual housing allowance of $50,000 and a monthly auto allowance of $1,000. This is the same compensation Dr. Mitchell earned during the past year.

  A native of Dallas, Texas, Zelezny has lived in Fresno for the past 30 years.

  She has three children, all of whom have moved out of the house. She and her husband John are currently looking for a home in Bakersfield before her term begins.

  Zelezny earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from CSU Humboldt in 1979 and her master’s in 1981.

  She went on to earn her Ph. D. in psychology form Claremont Graduate University in 1998.

  Currently serving as the provost and vice president of academic affairs at CSU Fresno, a position she has held since 2014, Zelezny began her career at Fresno State in 1988 as a psychology lecturer.

  A passion of Zelezny is to serve others.

  “I love the work I do because I think it is incredibly meaningful to reach out to others and help them,” Zelezny said.

  She also enjoys working with young people, an experience she describes as something that energizes her everyday. 

  Zelezny said that she had not originally applied for the position, but that she was nominated by the trustees’ committee.

  From the various nominations she received, CSUB was her top choice. Furthermore, she denied every other nomination to be a president at other universities.

  “Bakersfield was my top choice, it was the only place that I was looking at. I serve the Central Valley, I love everything about the Central Valley,” said Zelezny.

  She also said that she is very eager to be following in Mitchell’s footsteps, and that he has been an amazing leader for CSUB.

  Zelezny plans to be very engaged with the student body and provided some examples of how she currently engages with students at Fresno State.

  “I wouldn’t want this job if I couldn’t meet with students,” said Zelezny when asked if she planned to be engaged with the student body. 

  “I plan occasions where we have pizza with the provost. There is no agenda, I just want to meet with them. I guarantee you will see me out and about with students.”
  Fresno State’s Associated Students, Inc. Vice President of Finance, Cam Patterson, spoke about Zelezny’s commitment to Fresno State and the students.

“Zelezny was really great, she was always involved and interested in the students and what their concerns were. For ASI we meet every Wednesday, and she would drop by to almost every meeting and listen to the students,” Patterson said.

  Blake Zante, the ASI president of Fresno State, is saddened by Zelezny’s departure but also understands what kind of opportunity she has at CSUB.

  “If you ask anyone on campus, they would they’re sad she’s leaving but happy because she has this opportunity,” Zante said. “I think it speaks a lot to her character.”

  Zelezny also said she was certain she would help CSUB increase its graduation rates, with the help of faculty.

“I am pretty confident that with the faculty and the staff, we have all of the talent to make that goal [of increasing graduation rates] happen,” said Zelezny.

  Zelezny also spoke about the importance of having a diverse student body.

  “It is very important as a hispanic serving institution having a faculty and administrative body that represents our student body,” said Zelezny. “I want very much to make sure that students have leaders in front of them that look like them.”

  Zelezny is excited about coming to CSUB this June.

  “I am eager to move to the community of Bakersfield,” she said.   “To meet alumni and potential new friends. I think the search committee picked someone that is enthusiastic and a very caring leader.”