After a nationwide search, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Samuel Alexander "Alex" Najera as UC Riverside’s next Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Human Resources Officer.

 

Najera is not new to UCR. He previously supported the campus in various human resources roles, including Director of Employee and Labor Relations and Interim Associate Vice Chancellor. Most recently, he worked at Inland Empire Utilities Agency and as Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Co-Chief Diversity Officer at California State University—San Bernardino (CSUSB).

 

Najera has also worked in human resource positions for the City of Indio and County of Riverside after first serving as an Admissions Counselor & Recruiter for CSUSB. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history from UC Berkeley and his Master’s in Public Administration at CSUSB.

 

Najera brings to UCR experience and depth of knowledge in leadership and organizational development, human resource policy and practice, recruitment, and employee and labor relations in university and government institutions. I look forward to his leadership of the human resources organization and his advisement as a member of my team. His first day at UCR will be October 10.

 

Thank you to the members of the search advisory committee for their diligence in supporting this successful search. Their names are listed below.

 

I also want to thank and congratulate John Stephen Henderson, who has served as Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources. John Stephen will be assuming the role of Associate Vice President, Total Rewards at the UC Office of the President, effective October 1.