On August 18, 2025, Cal State LA faculty, staff, alumni, incoming students, and the surrounding community gathered together for a ceremonial Presidential Investiture to commemorate history, welcoming Dr. Berenecca Johnson Eanes.
President Eanes was initially approved by the California State University Board of Trustees in September 2023 and started at Cal State LA in January 2024, and has served the college since, according to a previous University Times report.
In her first 100 Days, Eanes conducted a Listening tour and sat with students, staff, and faculty to understand their hopes and challenges, whether that be about housing, safety, or opportunities for connections. Following that listening tour, Eanes has prepared a new strategic plan to strengthen enrollment, improve facilities, and share Cal State LA’s story far beyond its reputation as a “hidden gem” of the community.
“She was a shining star displaying her key intellect, her gift for inspiring and empowering others, her belief in the transformative power of higher education, her passion, her compassion and her heart,” CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia said of Johnson Eanes at the Investiture and Convocation Ceremony.
The August 18 ceremony wasn’t just about receiving the medallion and mace, but was also about the significance they represent to the university and the city.
“Cal State LA isn’t just a university, it’s a gateway, a bridge, a force for social mobility that changes the lives of our students,” Eanes said.
Eanes’ understanding of diversity and inclusion comes from what she’s been through. Born in Indianapolis to two teachers, Eanes grew up in a household where service and perseverance were everyday lessons.
She remembered helping her father feed lab rats for his work study job after church on Sundays, a small memory that showed her hard work. Eanes’ mother, a third-grade teacher for more than three decades, showed her leadership and quiet strength.
“Here, access and excellence are not competing goals, they are our mission,” Eanes said.
Prior to her Cal State LA presidency, she held the role as Vice President for Student Affairs at Cal State Fullerton. She then became president of York College in New York. She oversaw more than 1,100 employees and a $91 million budget.
Along the way, she kept her roots in teaching, serving as a professor of social work.
In her education, she earned degrees from Dillard University, Boston University, and Clark Atlanta University. Yet it is her lived experiences and family’s wisdom that shaped her vision for Cal State LA.
Her leadership is also deeply personal. In her office, Eanes keeps a single stalk of cotton, a reminder from her family of how far she’s come and how there’s more work to be done. “At least you’re not picking cotton,” she said, recalling her father’s words. It’s a symbol of persistence and purpose, one that grounds her every day.
Eanes shared her thoughts that without the community working together, it is not Cal State LA.
“We the staff who ignite the mind of possibility, we are the staff who care and are committed to form the heartbeat of the university,” Eanes said.
