Dear Campus Community,
I am pleased to announce that Bryan Sapp will join our senior leadership team as our new chief of staff and assistant vice chancellor for strategy (AVCS).
In this dual role, Bryan will serve as a vital strategic advisor and operational leader, directly supporting the Office of the Chancellor in advancing our university’s mission, vision, and core strategic priorities. As a key member of the executive team, he will be instrumental in coordinating strategic initiatives and working closely with the University Coordinating Council and the campus commissions.
Bryan brings extensive experience in executive advising, strategic leadership, and policy development within complex organizational environments. Most recently, he served as chief of staff for legislative affairs at the California Department of Transportation, where he advised executive leadership on legislative strategy, stakeholder engagement, and policy development. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a strong ability to build partnerships and foster collaboration across diverse groups.
His professional experiences also include serving as a senior legislative affairs representative for the California Department of Education, where he worked on issues affecting public higher education, student financial aid programs, and statewide education policy. As a director at Lighthouse Public Affairs, Bryan guided higher education clients on strategic growth, government relations, and advocacy initiatives.
Bryan holds a masters of arts in Public Policy and Administration from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a bachelors of arts in Business Management from the University of San Francisco.
Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Bryan as he steps into this role on June 29. His expertise and vision will be invaluable as we navigate our strategic pathway forward.
I would like to extend a special thank you to Jason Davis, chief information officer, who chaired the search advisory committee, as well as committee members Mackenzie Feeny (Staff Senate representative), Dakota Kath (student government representative), Lin Xiu (Faculty Senate representative), and Brianna Menning (Office of the President). Supported by Jean Neibauer, the committee did an exceptional job reviewing nearly 100 highly qualified applicants.
Best,
Charles Nies, Chancellor