Cal State San Marcos has announced the appointment of Edward Mills as interim chief enrollment officer.

Mills’ first day on the job is July 28. He is replacing Kathryn McFarland, who in August will conclude her one-year term as CSUSM’s interim associate vice president of Enrollment Management Services.

The interim chief enrollment officer position will report to the office of President Ellen Neufeldt.

“I’m excited to join President Neufeldt and the team at CSUSM,” Mills said. “I’m honored for the opportunity to build upon the institution’s track record of success.”

Mills brings to CSUSM nearly 40 years of experience in enrollment management and student affairs. His career includes serving as vice president for student affairs and chief enrollment officer at Sacramento State, where he led transformative initiatives to enhance student success and institutional growth.

Most recently, he was brought on at Sonoma State on a special two-year assignment to support the university with its enrollment turnaround. Under his leadership, enrollment grew for the first time in a decade. Before his time at Sacramento State, he served as the vice provost for enrollment and student services at Cleveland State University. 

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Mills, a national expert in enrollment, to our team,” Neufeldt said. “As a first-generation college graduate, Dr. Mills embodies a deep commitment to access and student achievement, values that resonate with our mission at CSUSM. His extensive experience and leadership will be instrumental as we continue to advance our enrollment objectives and support student success.”

Mills will serve in an interim role only. A national search will be conducted for any permanent enrollment leadership position at CSUSM.

Mills holds a bachelor’s degree in health science from Kansas State, a master’s in counselor education and student personnel from Penn State and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and human resources studies from Colorado State.