Douglas Freer, vice president for administration and finance, and chief financial officer at California State University, San Bernardino, has been appointed chair of the California State University Chief Administrators/Business Officers (CABO) group, which reviews current issues affecting the system and advises the CSU chief financial officer and senior human resources officer.

Freer, who joined Cal State San Bernardino in 2014 after serving 24 years at Cal Poly Pomona, began his tenure as chair of the CABO group on July 1. The CABO group is composed of vice presidents/chief financial officers from the 23 CSU campuses. The group considers state-wide higher education operational impacts across multiple subject matters, including: the state support budget, capital design and construction, investment, human resources, risk management, insurance and financial reporting.

“I am happy to officially appoint you as chair of CABO effective July 1, 2020, for fiscal year 2020-21,” wrote CSU Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Steve Relyea in an appointment letter to Freer. “I am confident your sound advice and input on the CABO agenda and discussions will continue to benefit the group.”

Cal State San Bernardino President Tomás Morales said he was delighted at Freer’s appointment, but was not surprised.

“Doug is a tremendous asset to CSUSB in moving our campus forward with his dedicated and forward-thinking leadership in administration and finance that includes directing and leading a number of areas, including the university’s budget, construction projects and public safety,” Morales said. “His leadership reflects an enthusiastic advocacy and support for our students and student services, and I know he will serve the system well in this new role.”

“It is always an honor to be asked to take on a leadership role for the CSU system, which has been my home professionally for over 30 years.” Freer said. “My CABO colleagues are incredibly dedicated to student success and efficient operations on their respective campuses.”

Freer’s responsibilities at CSUSB include leading human resources, budget and accounting, facilities management, capital planning and construction, campus auxiliaries, procurement, risk and threat management, audit services, police, parking, and emergency services.

Freer’s success in higher education is directly attributed to his ability to simultaneously implement aggressive enrollment management, student success, business, and capital planning strategies that significantly broaden the appeal of the university to state-wide, national, and international student populations. 

In total, he has led more than $650 million in capital expansion projects that have dramatically transformed the campuses he has served and improved student engagement.

In addition to his responsibilities at CSUSB, Freer has been regularly selected for CSU systemwide leadership opportunities, most recently serving as chair of the CSU Graduation Initiative Enrollment Management Task Force from 2015-17 and chair of the CSU Student Affairs Council from 2012-14.

Freer has been recognized with the Scott Goodnight Award for outstanding performance by a vice president by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (Region VI), the Excellence in Educational Administration award from the Inland Valley News, and the American College Personnel Association, along with Diverse Issues in Higher Education, named his organization as one of the “Top 30 Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs.”

Freer holds an Ed.D. in educational leadership from UCLA, an MBA in management from Cal State Long Beach, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Adelphi University in New York. 

For a digital image of Douglas Freer and for more information, contact the CSUSB Office of Strategic Communication at (909) 537-5007 and visit the Inside CSUSB news site.