LEADERSHIP
Supporting our mission and community
San Francisco Bay University's leadership team is dedicated to fulfilling the University’s mission of providing learners with inclusive, innovation and inspirational education for lifelong careers.
Meet the Leadership Team
President Nicholas Ladany
President Nicholas Ladany, PhD, is the 4th president of San Francisco Bay University. Dr. Ladany brings an extensive background in higher education, with over 30 years of experience working with and leading institutions nationwide. He became president in June 2023.
Before joining SFBU, Dr. Ladany served as President of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he achieved remarkable success in increasing enrollment to record levels, overseeing the development of the university’s strategic plan, and launching various diversity initiatives. Under his leadership, Oglethorpe University successfully strengthened its finances, as well as student support, retention, and graduation.
Before his tenure at Oglethorpe, Dr. Ladany held numerous prestigious positions, including Dean and Associate Provost at the University of San Diego, Dean at Santa Clara University, and professor at Lehigh University, Temple University, and the University of Maryland.
Under Dr. Ladany, SFBU is embarking on a new phase of expansion for its academic programs, curriculum and enrollment.
Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs Nelly Mangarova
Dr. Nelly Mangarova joined San Francisco Bay University in September 2016. As the University’s Chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mangarova provides academic leadership, strategic direction, management, and coordination of the academic department. She is responsible for achieving and maintaining regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges – Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
Dr. Mangarova has led the faculty and the academic team at SFBU to build a culture of innovation in compliance with the WSCUC standards and policies. An infrastructure of assessment was developed and implemented to ensure quality program operations with a focus on academic excellence and learning effectiveness. This ultimately led to a successful WSCUC accreditation for SFBU.Dr. Mangarova has 30 years of experience in higher education, with extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of instruction, curriculum development, the WSCUC accreditation process, and academic leadership.
Before arriving at SFBU, Dr. Mangarova held academic leadership positions at various other institutions, successfully developing and implementing new programs and achieving programmatic accreditations while also serving as a faculty member.
Dr. Mangarova started her career as a successful neurologist in Bulgaria before relocating to the United States and starting her academic career.
Chief Financial Officer Anne Sutardji
Focused on optimizing the financial health of the San Francisco Bay University, Anne Sutardji leads institution-wide initiatives to develop financial plans and forecasts, annual budgets and financial reporting.
Sutardji joined SFBU in May 2018, bringing 25 years of financial management experience in various industries.
Vice President for Enrollment Management John Fraire
Dr. John Fraire leads institution-wide enrollment initiatives at San Francisco Bay University. Fraire started at SFBU in August 2023, where he oversees the University’s enrollment and admissions teams.
Fraire has worked in higher education for 45 years, many of those years in strategic enrollment leadership and student affairs positions. Faire has a proven record of increasing class sizes that are accomplished and diverse while ensuring students have the support services and success as they make their way through their college journeys.
Before coming to SFBU, Fraire was a senior leader at various institutions, including California State University Monterey Bay, Northeastern Illinois University, Portland State and Washington State. Fraire has two degrees from Harvard University as well as a doctorate from Union Institute & University and a masters from Western Michigan.
Vice President for Strategy and Innovation Heather Herrera
Dr. Heather Herrera is dedicated professional higher education administrator with leadership experience in academic affairs, accreditation and assessment, degree program development (online and on campus), curriculum design, measurement instrument design, and student learning outcomes assessment. Her accreditation expertise ranges from teacher education preparation, allied health professions, human development and rehabilitation, mental health wellness, and arts professions. She has led institutional research units, built teams, and directed the project management of a variety of key initiatives. Dr. Herrera is a proven expert in strategic planning and lives to serve initiatives focused on teacher preparation, higher education access, completion, diversity, and affordability.
Prior to joining SFBU, Dr. Herrera was at the University of San Diego where she served as the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and the Assistant Dean of Assessment and Accreditation for the School of Leadership and Education Sciences. For nine years, Dr. Herrera was the Executive Director of Academic Affairs at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Dr. Herrera, who started her career in the classroom and has over 20 years of experience teaching composition and rhetoric, research methods, and comparative analysis and has a proven commitment to under-served students, is a proud first-generation college graduate who received her PhD in English Education from New York University and is a native of San Francisco.