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6a4533ec-fe49-4bc5-81fa-25c3c4acdcc3The Long Beach-based California State University (CSU) announced today the appointment of Kathleen Chavira as assistant vice chancellor for Advocacy and State Relations, to go into effect August 1.

Chavira is currently the staff director to the Senate Education Committee in Sacramento. She advises the Senate on policy and budgetary issues coinciding with higher education, according to the release.

In the new position, Chavira will report to the Vice Chancellor of University Relations and Advancement, Garrett P. Ashley, and will head the CSU system’s Advocacy and State Relations office in Sacramento, which involves managing an eight-person staff composed of legislative advocates and policy analysts.

“Budget advocacy and state legislative affairs are vital to the operations of the university—the largest public four-year higher education system in the nation,” said Toni Molle, director of Public Affairs. “Seasoned in governmental relations, Kathleen Chavira brings decades of advocacy experience to the CSU. Working together with her CSU colleagues, Kathleen will be an effective leader and advocate in the Capitol.”

Chavira’s background in Sacramento education policy has given her a well-built presence in the Capitol, with established relationships with the Senate policy and fiscal committees, higher education community statewide, the California Department of Finance, the Governor’s Policy Unit, Assembly committees and legislative staff, according to the release.

Before serving as staff director to the Senate Education Committee, Chavira spent 12 years as their principal consultant, according to the release. Prior to her time at the Capitol, Chavira held the following leadership positions: senior associate for Governmental Relations and External Affairs for the California Postsecondary Education Commission, consultant to the Senate Appropriations Committee and district representative and casework supervisor for California State Senator Patrick Johnston.

Chavira earned a bachelor’s degree in human biology at Stanford University and a MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Asia Morris is a Long Beach native covering arts and culture for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her @hugelandmass on Twitter and Instagram and at [email protected].