Appointment of Frances Teves as Vice President for University Advancement

Dear Campus Community, I am pleased to share that Frances Teves has been appointed as Vice President for University Advancement, a role which also includes service as the Chief Executive Officer for the CPP Philanthropic Foundation. Her appointment follows a national search which identified several impressive candidates to lead Cal Poly Pomona’s philanthropic efforts. Bringing a distinctive set of skills and experience in relationship building, operational excellence, collaboration, strategic thinking and demonstrating a deep commitment to student success and our institutional mission, Ms. Teves emerged as a dynamic choice.

Ms. Teves has served as interim vice president for University Advancement since March 2023. Under her leadership and in partnership with deans and campus leaders, the university has achieved ambitious fundraising goals with more than 80% of our annual target achieved before the end of the third quarter. Additional accomplishments led by Ms. Teves over the past year include:

Launched an “Advancement Academy” for deans and campus leaders to become steeped in the holistic nature of advancement work and to increase awareness of available tools and resources;
Convened a Leadership Advisory Day for members of the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation Board of Directors and the College-Based Advisory Boards that stimulated dialog on philanthropic opportunities among participants and renewed a sense of purpose, affiliation and connection to the university;
Initiated four cross-functional working groups of personnel within the division to articulate and advance strategic and operational priorities;
Strengthened relationships and campus engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Board.

Since joining Cal Poly Pomona in 2017, Ms. Teves has led government and external affairs activities for the campus, during which time she secured more than $20 million in federal congressional funding to develop and revitalize campus laboratories, $1 million to re-establish a CPP hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in downtown Pomona, and worked in collaboration with three other CSU agricultural campuses to secure $75 million in state support for initiatives across the four partner institutions. Through a range of roles with progressively greater responsibilities, most recently as Associate Vice President for Government and External Affairs, she served as CPP’s primary legislative liaison to local, county, state and federal officials. In this office, she has built and led a team of advocates to effectively communicate the social and economic impact of the university and strengthening relationships with government offices, agencies and organizations. Further underscoring the breadth of her institutional leadership, in 2019 Ms. Teves led the university’s pandemic response efforts as the coordinator of the Safer Return Task Force, working across multiple dimensions of CPP to address public health guidelines and requirements.

Ms. Teves has over 25 years of professional experience in non-profit and higher education institutions, including 20 years of service to the CSU, primarily in University Advancement. Prior to joining our campus, she served as the chief of operations for University Advancement at California State University, Fullerton. She managed the Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors and oversaw a number of presidential initiatives. In recognition of her deep expertise in local, state and federal advocacy as vice president, Ms. Teves will retain oversight of Government and External Affairs and that office will move from the Office of the President to University Advancement, further enhancing our “total resource” approach to philanthropic support.

Ms. Teves holds a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of Southern California and a BA in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton. Among her leadership and service roles, she is a member of the Executive Committee for both the Los Angeles Economic Development Committee and the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership and serves as a board member for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. I am thrilled that Ms. Teves will continue to contribute her leadership and vision to Cal Poly Pomona and the championing of our polytechnic excellence.

I want to thank the members of the search committee for their excellent work and give special recognition to Dean Margie Ferree Jones of the Collins College of Hospitality Management for her service as chair. The role of philanthropy is more important than ever in accelerating the momentum of the university in helping anyone who dreams of success achieve it – the committee understood and embraced this principle and led the campus in conducting a successful search. I also want to acknowledge Diane Miller, chair of the Philanthropic Board for her steadfast leadership during the search process. I am grateful for the many campus stakeholders who provided input, demonstrating deep investment in Cal Poly Pomona’s future success in advancement.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Teves on her appointment and working collaboratively with her and the Division of University Advancement to further strengthen and expand our philanthropic reach.

Sincerely, Soraya M. Coley, Ph.D.
President

Search Committee Members

Margie Ferree Jones (Chair) Dean, Collins College of Hospitality Management
Aaron Fox, Associate Professor, Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture
Bharti Sharma, Associate Professor, College of Science
Dave Kopplin, Professor, College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Diana Saldana, Interim Director Business Operations, Academic Affairs
Emilee Acosta, ASI Officer of Sustainability & Transportation
Jillian Cannons, Associate Professor, College of Science
Marsha Pranata, ASI Senator, College of Environmental Design
Meihua Koo, Professor, College of Business Administration
Melissa Riordan, Executive Director Alumni and External Relations
Nicole Hawkes, Vice President and Chief of Staff, Office of the President
Victor Okhuysen, Professor, College of Engineering
Saccara Lim (admin. support), Executive Assistant, Office of the President