California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White announced today the appointment of Steve Relyea as Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer of the California State University. Relyea will serve on the Chancellor’s executive leadership team, reporting directly to the Chancellor and serving as the treasurer to the Board of Trustees.

Relyea, a 30-plus year business and finance veteran from the University of California, was selected through a comprehensive national search.  He will join the CSU on May 1.  He is currently serving as the Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs at UC San Diego.

Steve Relyea

“I am delighted that Steve is joining the CSU.  He is a visionary and innovative leader, with decades of skills and experiences that will strategically strengthen the CSU to meet the needs of California going forward,” said White. “He will further the academic and student-focused mission of the CSU by providing effective and responsive leadership for our financial resources, administrative services, and information technology.  He is a champion for public higher education, and his campus-based experience is complemented by participation with many system-wide initiatives in the UC, such as chairing the task force to redesign the UC administrative framework.”

In his new post, Relyea will oversee the division of Business and Finance.  He will provide executive leadership of fiscal and fiduciary activities, lead the financial and business operations of the CSU and help develop and support long-term system-wide strategic goals.

Relyea is a seasoned UC veteran who has been working in leadership posts within the system since 1975.  He began his career serving in various leadership positions with the UC Irvine School of Medicine.  In 1979, he was named the associate dean of Administration and Planning, overseeing budget and finance, human resources, information systems, contracts and grants.  In 1983, he became UCI’s Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administrative & Business Services, assuming campus-wide responsibilities ranging from financial services and facilities management to internal audits, environmental health and safety, and more.  In 1986, he transitioned to UC San Diego as the Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs, serving as the campus’ Chief Business Officer.  In 2009, he was named Vice Chancellor of External & Business Affairs serving as the campus’ Chief Business Officer and president of the UC San Diego Foundation, responsible for raising funds and managing private funding for the university.

During his illustrious career to date, Relyea has earned numerous industry honors.  In 2009, the California Center for Sustainable Energy honored him with the Individual Achievement Award.  In 2004, he received the coveted Distinguished Business Officer of the Year from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and was entered into the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame by Paladium.  He also received USA Today’s Annual Quality Cup Award for Education.

In addition to his professional leadership responsibilities, he has remained active in the local business community and served on numerous volunteer boards including the Better Business Bureau of San Diego, the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives, EDUCAUSE and the La Jolla Playhouse to name a few.

Relyea is a product of the state’s higher education system.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from UCI and holds an MBA from UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business.

His appointment will be affirmed by the Board of Trustees at their next regularly scheduled meeting in late March.

About the California State University

The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, approximately 447,000 students and 45,000 faculty and staff. The CSU awards more than 100,000 degrees annually and since its creation in 1961 has conferred nearly 2.9 million.