California State University, Los Angeles has appointed Elena Stern as the new Associate Vice President for the Office of Communications and Public Affairs.
In this capacity, Stern oversees the management of university relations and communications programs, as well as media relations, publications, strategic communications, marketing and branding for the entire university.
Working with recently named Cal State L.A. President William A. Covino and his cabinet, she will spearhead a communications strategy and rebranding campaign that will align the image of the University with the new president’s vision for community engagement, service and the public good. Under her leadership, the Communications and Public Affairs team will build broader and more consistent awareness of Cal State L.A. both internally and externally through enhanced university, alumni and public relations, advertising, marketing materials and media outreach.
Stern most recently led communications and marketing for L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation’s largest publicly-operated health plan. Previously, Stern headed communications and external affairs for Para Los Niños, a nonprofit organization that helps to enable academic success and social well-being for children. She was a senior executive of the Los Angeles Public Affairs team for Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications firm, where she also headed the firm’s West Coast Hispanic practice. In addition, Stern served in leadership positions for several high profile statewide and local elected officials, including former California Assembly Speaker and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Stern earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She also attended Cal State L.A. as an International Program student in Spain.
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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 230,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to the Honors College for high-achieving students. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu
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