New CFO happy about returning to CSU

By Mark Muckenfuss

Melissa Jarnagin has seen both sides of California’s university systems and feels she’s back where she belongs. 

Jarnagin was recently hired as Cal State Monterey Bay’s chief financial officer and vice president of Administration and Finance. The Redmond, Washington, native spent 15 years in finance at CSU Channel Islands before taking a job as CFO for housing at UC Santa Barbara. The difference in size and culture between the two schools was significant, she said. 

“I knew shortly after the pandemic that I wanted to come back to the CSU,” Jarnagin said, adding she is happy to have landed at CSUMB.

“It felt really good, kind of sliding back in and having it be the way I remembered,” she said. “The people are great, and it’s so welcoming here. I already feel like this is home for me.”

A product of Portland State University, Jarnagin earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management there in 2007. She subsequently worked as a financial analyst for the Oregon Graduate Institute, a private school with 400 students that is no longer in operation. 

Being an accountant, she said, “is what I’ve wanted to do as long as I can remember.”

Her experience, she believes, will help her tackle some of the financial issues facing CSUMB. The first one she is focused on is the budget for the coming year and budget transparency. She wants the campus community to continue to feel it is a part of the process, something President Vanya Quiñones has worked toward during her tenure.

“I admire the way Vanya has turned the university around [in] her first three years,” Jarnagin said.  

Beyond the budget, she said, "As we grow our institution strategically, we are focused on the need for more student housing to support a residential living experience that supports student belonging."

She will be looking for community partnerships to create more housing availability. 

“We’re on the coast and housing is expensive,” she said. “We want to make sure we have safe, comfortable and affordable housing, including options for faculty and staff, which is critical for attracting and retaining talent.”

She’s also trying to learn more about CSUMB.

“I’m just working on understanding the culture here and getting to know my team,” she said. 

Jarnagin said she thinks the Monterey area is a perfect place in which to re-engage with her love for road cycling. Meanwhile, she is adapting to the cold summer weather and feeling grateful that she and her husband, Tim – the couple has two adult children – are living in a similar coastal environment to the one they enjoyed while she was at CSUCI. She particularly likes the fact that, like Ventura County, Monterey County is also an agricultural region that offers freshly grown local produce. 

She smiled and said, “I didn’t have to give up my strawberries.”