Don W. Kassing
President, San Jose State University
As president of San José State University, Don W. Kassing heads the oldest and one of the largest universities in the 23-campus California State University system. Appointed in 2004, Kassing has moved the university forward in several key areas. Under his leadership, the campus is engaged in university-wide strategic planning, with the goal of making San José State University a university of choice by 2010.As president and in his former role as vice president for administration and finance, Kassing led the development, construction and successful opening of two major campus facilities: the award-winning Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, based on a first-of-its-kind and highly successful partnership with the city of San José; and Campus Village, a state-of-the-art residence complex for students, faculty and staff, the largest such project in the California State University system, and the focus of a renewed sense of community on the campus.
Before his appointment to the presidency, Kassing had served for more than a decade as vice president for administration and finance and as chief financial officer. As CFO, he was responsible for all business and financial affairs of the university. His previous 18 years in higher education included service as vice president for university relations and administrative services at Murray State University, in Kentucky, and vice president for development and public affairs at Western State College of Colorado. He also served for two years as president of the Granite City Campus of the Belleville Area College, Belleville, Illinois. Before that, he worked for 11 years in private industry, including eight years in corporate finance and operations management for Brown Group, Inc., and three years with General Motors Corporation.