Dear Campus Community,

Johnny Cruz has announced that he will step down from his position as interim vice chancellor for University Advancement and chief communications and marketing officer, effective September 2, to become the chief communications and marketing officer at the University of Arizona.

Since joining UC Riverside in 2018, Johnny has made significant contributions across both his primary and interim leadership roles. He played a key role in the university’s institutional rebranding, offered steady crisis communications leadership, and served as acting associate chancellor at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, he has led University Advancement on an interim basis.

His efforts to elevate UCR’s national profile contributed to our admission to the Association of American Universities in 2023. Johnny’s track record of success reflects his deep expertise in communications and his ability to build and guide effective teams.

The responsibility for determining next steps in filling leadership roles in both University Advancement and University Relations will fall to Chancellor Hu when he begins his tenure next week.

Please join me in thanking Johnny for his many contributions to UCR.