Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues, 

As we begin the new year, I am happy to announce the appointment of three new members of the President’s Cabinet.

With Mike Sexton’s retirement, Eva Blanco Masias will join the Cabinet in her new role as vice president for enrollment management. When I announced the selection of Eva as our new vice president, I emphasized her focus on enrolling diverse and talented undergraduate students and making access and affordability a priority. As a Cabinet member, she will bring a unique perspective as we consider how our enrollment strategies, including financial aid, impact all parts of campus life. 

I am pleased that Margaret M. Russell, associate provost for diversity and inclusion and long-time professor in the School of Law, will join us on the Cabinet until the appointment of a vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. (The search for that position resumes in the fall). As a law professor and campus leader, Margaret has been an unwavering advocate for social justice on campus and beyond.

Bridget Colbert, interim general counsel, also will join the Cabinet. Bridget has served in the counsel’s office for nine years. More recently, she has led the COVID-19 legal guidance and government relations team, providing important guidance and wise counsel to decision-makers across campus. Her expertise will be invaluable as the Cabinet strategizes, among other things, how to best manage our COVID-19 environment for next year.

The Cabinet, which meets on Monday mornings, is a setting where campus leaders collaboratively work through various issues facing our campus, and are briefed on important topics to better inform their leadership. In my own decision-making and strategic thinking, I am grateful to rely on their insight, experience, and expertise. Eva, Margaret and Bridget - all of whom are leaders in their professions and know our community well - are welcome additions to the Cabinet and I look forward to working with them for the good of Santa Clara.

Sincerely,

Kevin F. O'Brien, S.J.
President