California State University (CSU) Chancellor Mildred García has appointed Frank Hurtarte vice chancellor of Human Resources and chief human resources officer, effective April 14, 2025.
“Frank Hurtarte has articulated an unwavering commitment to and clear vision for implementing HR strategies that foster an inclusive culture; attract and retain diverse talent; and ensure equitable opportunities for faculty, staff and students,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “He has deep experience across all HR functions and operations and, above all, brings to the position core values that are fully aligned with the CSU’s. For all of these reasons, I firmly believe that he is the ideal candidate to serve the CSU, its students and its employees in this critically important role.”
Hurtarte brings to the CSU more than two decades of experience in human resources. Most recently he served on the national leadership team at Kaiser Permanente as senior vice president of human resources and people strategy. In that role, he led HR strategy and implementation at one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems. Prior to that, he was the senior vice president of human resources to Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California and Hawaii regions from 2019 to 2023. He has also held vice president positions of human resources for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern Region and Providence Health & Services’ corporate offices.
“I have witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of higher education, and I am honored and excited to join the CSU and be a part of fulfilling its mission,” Hurtarte said. “I look forward to working across the system to help enhance the CSU’s workplace culture and strengthen its position as a model for equity-driven excellence.”
A first-generation college graduate, Hurtarte earned his bachelor’s degree in management from St. Mary College and his master’s degree in organizational development from the University of San Francisco.
As vice chancellor, Hurtarte will serve as the chief human resources officer for the CSU system and provide comprehensive operational leadership, strategy, compliance, oversight and direction for the human resources teams across the system’s 23 campuses. He will serve as the key policy advisor to the chancellor and the Board of Trustees on all personnel matters and as a vital partner to campus presidents, faculty, staff and other leaders throughout the system. He will report directly to the chancellor.
About the California State University
The California State University is the nation’s largest four-year public university system, providing transformational opportunities for upward mobility to more than 460,000 students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. More than half of CSU students are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, and more than one-quarter of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Because the CSU’s 23 universities provide a high-quality education at an incredible value, they are rated among the best in the nation for promoting social mobility in national college rankings from U.S. News & World Report, the Wall Street Journal and Washington Monthly. The CSU powers California and the nation, sending over 125,000 career-ready graduates into the workforce each year. In fact, one in every 20 Americans holding a college degree earned it at the CSU. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU newsroom.