LEADERSHIP
Supporting our mission and community
San Francisco Bay University's leadership team is dedicated to fulfilling the University’s mission of providing learners with inclusive, innovation and inspirational education for lifelong careers.
Meet the Leadership Team
President Nicholas Ladany
President Nicholas Ladany, PhD, is the 4th president of San Francisco Bay University. Dr. Ladany brings an extensive background in higher education, with over 30 years of experience working with and leading institutions nationwide. He became president in June 2023.
Before joining SFBU, Dr. Ladany served as President of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he achieved remarkable success in increasing enrollment to record levels, overseeing the development of the university’s strategic plan, and launching various diversity initiatives. Under his leadership, Oglethorpe University successfully strengthened its finances, as well as student support, retention, and graduation.
Before his tenure at Oglethorpe, Dr. Ladany held numerous prestigious positions, including Dean and Associate Provost at the University of San Diego, Dean at Santa Clara University, and professor at Lehigh University, Temple University, and the University of Maryland.
Under Dr. Ladany, SFBU is embarking on a new phase of expansion for its academic programs, curriculum and enrollment.
Vice President for Strategy and Innovation Heather Herrera
Dr. Heather Herrera is dedicated professional higher education administrator with leadership experience in academic affairs, accreditation and assessment, degree program development (online and on campus), curriculum design, measurement instrument design, and student learning outcomes assessment. Her accreditation expertise ranges from teacher education preparation, allied health professions, human development and rehabilitation, mental health wellness, and arts professions. She has led institutional research units, built teams, and directed the project management of a variety of key initiatives. Dr. Herrera is a proven expert in strategic planning and lives to serve initiatives focused on teacher preparation, higher education access, completion, diversity, and affordability.
Prior to joining SFBU, Dr. Herrera was at the University of San Diego where she served as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and the Assistant Dean of Assessment and Accreditation for the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. For nine years, Dr. Herrera was the Executive Director of Academic Affairs at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Dr. Herrera, who started her career in the classroom and has over 20 years of experience teaching composition and rhetoric, research methods, and comparative analysis and has a proven commitment to under-served students, is a proud first-generation college graduate who received her PhD in English Education from New York University and is a native of San Francisco.
Interim VP of Marketing and Communications Jamie Ceman
Originally from the Midwest, Jamie’s career includes e-business consulting in the private sector and e-commerce marketing for two national brands before entering higher education in the University of Wisconsin System. She has won numerous professional awards, including being an honoree of the 2022 PRNews Top Women and recognition from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (Hermes and MarCom Awards) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence. In fact, Jamie and her team at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh were the first-ever winners of the American Marketing Association’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year Team Award, making her a two-time winner of AMA’s Higher Education Marketer of the Year.
An alumna of the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, Jamie earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in management information systems. She also holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University and is currently a doctoral candidate in leadership and organizational change at the University of Southern California (USC).
Interim Finance Leader Jenna Stone
Jenna brings 22 years of higher education experience to her role leading the SFBU finance team. A deeply mission-centered higher ed professional, Jenna combines expertise in budget and financial analysis with a deep understanding of the academic enterprise. Her work has spanned financial planning and analysis, forecasting and modeling, budget model redesign, capital and deferred maintenance planning, policy and process improvement, grants and contracts, sponsored programs, and university advancement. She has worked with a variety of institutions across the sector, from a small liberal arts college to a leading flagship public university. At every kind of institution, Jenna's passion is to connect financial data and systems with mission, values, and strategic priorities.
Jenna holds a Master of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from St. Mary's University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Lawrence University of Wisconsin. She was named a 2022 Fellow by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. In 2017 she received the Staff Diversity & Inclusion Champion award at Lawrence University, and is an advocate for the role of higher ed business officers in advancing institutional goals for strengthening equity and inclusion and improving student outcomes.
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Millora
Dr. Lisa Millora serves as San Francisco Bay University’s Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She joined SFBU in January 2024 and provides leadership for various university operations.
Guided by her belief in the power of higher education to contribute to the public good, Dr. Millora brings to SFBU her passion for addressing equity issues and advancing social justice initiatives through leadership and advocacy with campus constituents, local communities, and other external stakeholders.
She brings over 20 years of experience in student affairs, strategic planning, operations, and external relations. Additionally, she brings experience leading teams responsible for community and government relations, marketing and communications, human resources, and Title IX. Most recently. Dr. Millora held various leadership roles at San José State University, including Interim VP for University Advancement, Vice President for Strategy and Institutional Affairs, and Chief of Staff at San José University.
Dr. Millora earned master’s and doctoral degrees in education with a focus on higher education and organizational change from UCLA, along with a master’s degree in higher education administration and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College.
Vice President of Business Incubation and Acceleration Syed Ijaz
Syed Ijaz, who joined San Francisco Bay University in January 2024, serves as Vice President of Business Incubation and Acceleration at the University. Ijaz, who has a passion for developing future entrepreneurs, has 20+ years of experience as a leader in the Silicon Valley tech sector. Ijaz's keen sense of adapting to changing market trends has played a vital role in improving the profitability and operational efficiency of the companies he's helped lead.
Ijaz, who holds a bachelor's in engineering, a master's in electrical engineering, and an MBA, previously served as a board of trustees member for SFBU. In addition to his professional passions, Ijaz also enjoys tennis and volunteers at Kaiser and the United States Tennis Association.
Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Stephanie L. Krusemark
Dr. Stephanie L. Krusemark serves as San Francisco Bay University's Vice President of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, helping to lead the university’s mission to guide more students on the path to lifelong personal and professional success.
Dr. Krusemark has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and brings with her a passion and dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion and student success. She comes to SFBU from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, where she served as Vice President of Enrollment Management since 2020.
As the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, Dr. Krusemark oversees Admissions, Student Affairs, Student Success, and Health & Wellness, providing wraparound support to students throughout their time at SFBU.
Dr. Krusemark received her doctorate in higher education from the University of Denver, specializing in issues of diversity and higher learning. While at Iliff School of Theology, Dr. Krusemark helped grow the school’s new student enrollment and create new student scholarships.
She centers her commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice in her approach to strategic enrollment, which led her to leadership roles at Naropa University, Prescott College, Santa Clara University and Trinity Washington University. She served as the first Vice President of University Relations for Mentor Collective, where she served as a strategic thought partner for more than 70 colleges and universities to close the achievement gap by leveraging peer and alumni mentorship. She is a member of the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).