Adam Day is that rare person who truly loves what he does. “I’m probably too committed to my job,” concedes Day, the Chief Administrative Officer of San Diego County’s
Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
“I love helping people and solving problems; I think that’s the best way to summarize who I am and what I’ve done in my professional career.”
Now Day has the opportunity to share his leadership expertise on an even greater scale: In May 2018, he began his tenure as chairman of the
California State University Board of Trustees, the governing body for the country's largest system of public higher education. He assumes the position at a pivotal time: “The marketplace and the workforce are changing and evolving, so the role of higher education is to make sure that students are prepared for that future economy," notes Day.
Having spent decades building partnerships at the local, state and national level, Day is ideally positioned to take the CSU to new heights. “Adam came to us with substantial experience in government,” says Cody Martinez, Tribal Chairman of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. “The relationships he has and has built up over his career have enabled Sycuan to set itself apart from other tribes.”
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Leading the CSU to the Future
“Education,” Day has said, “is in my blood.” With a campus president for a father (San Diego State University president Thomas Day, who served for nearly two decades) and a professor of education as a grandfather, it might have seemed inevitable for the 1991 San Diego State alumnus to combine his love of service with ensuring more students earn a college degree.
“College isn’t necessarily for everybody, but everyone should have the opportunity if they want it,” he says. “So I’m a true believer — especially for first-generation students — of showing them what opportunities are available to them and helping them achieve their dreams.”
As Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Day wants to ensure the CSU's value is grounded and relevant, both to the nearly half a million current students and the more than three million alumni.
“I think it’s important to challenge ourselves to make sure that that degree means something to students in a very tangible way,” explains Day. “We need to be nimble enough to modify our curriculum, programs or degrees to serve where this country and this globe is going, while also making sure our students have the basic underpinnings of a degree.”
And while the CSU may have its challenges, Day is nothing if not optimistic, especially when he sees the unprecedented range on the current board. “We have a diversity of background and opinion and each and every one of the [trustees] are actively engaged and all care deeply about the success of the CSU,” says Day.
“I’m very excited about the future.”
Day assumes the role of chair of the CSU Board of Trustees from Rebecca Eisen (shown at left). “Becky’s been a phenomenal leader,” he says. “She brought me in from the first day that she became chair and had me become an actively involved vice chair … She’s really set the bar for me.”
“I had a great time on campus,” recalls Day, who graduated from SDSU in 1991. “I’ll never forget Dr. [George] Bergstrom in the Institute on World Affairs. I did an externship with him and he was inviting foreign dignitaries and military leaders from around the globe to offer lectures to the class. He did a great job, but a lot of professors and staff left a mark on me and very positive memories.”
Day, shown here with Senator Ted Kennedy, studied political science at San Diego State and now directs government, public and community relations on behalf of the Sycuan Tribe of the Kumeyaay Nation, including annual charitable gifts of millions of dollars. “When people hear about the Sycuan Tribe and its progressive business thinking and entrepreneurship, people hold it in high esteem, so I’m honored to be part of that.”
In November 2017, San Diego State dedicated the Thomas B. and Anne K. Day Quad, part of the campus’s Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Complex. Named in honor of Day’s parents, the event included Adam’s siblings as well as (from left to right) San Diego mayor and SDSU alumnus Kevin Faulconer; interim campus president Sally Roush; Adam Day, and Thomas Day.
“Family is front and center and always my number-one priority,” says Day. Shown from left to right: Adam, Thomas, Hans Christian, Mackenzie, Suzi (Adam’s wife), Annelise, and Addison
Day would like to see student well-being become an even greater focus during his time as chair: “I have a strong desire to put a spotlight on mental and behavioral health, so that will be my signature issue to bring attention to,” he notes. “There’s a huge demand for more services and different types of services and therapies, not just for our students but also our faculty and staff.”
As Chief Administrative Officer of the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a tribe indigenous to San Diego County, Day has built long-standing relationships with local, state and national leaders, including (from left) Jerry Sanders, former mayor of San Diego, and California Governor Jerry Brown.
Day is the youngest of nine children born to Thomas and Anne Day. His father served as president of San Diego State University from 1978 to 1999 and his maternal grandfather was a professor of education at the University of Notre Dame. Says Day, “I’m a true believer in showing students what opportunities are available to them and helping them achieve their dreams.”
“The CSU is the largest institution of higher education in the world, and it’s the Board’s job to oversee the system,” explains Day, who was appointed to the Board in 2014. “It’s a complex organization and we rely upon experts and their staff — starting with the chancellor and the campus presidents — to carry out the Board’s policy.”
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