July 24, 2026
Dear Members of the UC Santa Barbara Community,
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kerry Bierman as Vice Chancellor – Chief Financial Officer, effective July 1, 2026. As Vice Chancellor, Kerry will oversee the offices of Budget and Planning, Strategic Asset Management, Business and Financial Services, and Audit and Advisory Services. She will work closely with campus leadership to advise on capital planning activities, budgetary and academic planning, and strategic initiatives to ensure the prudent stewardship of financial resources across UC Santa Barbara.
Kerry brings to this role more than two decades of financial leadership experience across higher education, government, and the private sector, including nine years at UC Santa Barbara. She has a broad portfolio of financial management experience, a deep operational understanding of our university, and a strong commitment to the principles of transparency and shared governance. She will be a strategic leader and partner for our campus as we chart our path forward.
For the past year, Kerry served as our Interim Vice Chancellor – Chief Financial Officer, playing a key role in the implementation of our campus’s Financial Management Modernization (FMM) project, a transformative initiative establishing a unified financial platform using Oracle. Working with senior administrative leaders and the Academic Senate, she is leading the creation of a budget transparency website to support campus goals of openness and accountability and explain our campus budget and the steps we are taking to ensure financial stability. In addition to working with departments and colleagues across our campus, Kerry has also worked closely with UC Office of the President and has a strong understanding of systemwide policies and processes.
Kerry was previously Senior Associate Vice Chancellor in the Office of Budget and Planning, responsible for overseeing the monitoring, planning, and forecasting of campus revenues and expenditures, and driving strategic financial planning, analysis, and modeling for critical areas. Before that, she was a Divisional CFO for our campus’s Design, Facilities & Safety Services Division. She came to UC Santa Barbara from the County of Santa Barbara after holding roles as the Chief Financial Officer for the District Attorney and Community Services. Prior to moving to Santa Barbara, she was the Director of Budget and Financial Planning at Oregon Health & Science University.
I would like to thank the Search Advisory Committee co-chairs, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost David Marshall and Academic Senate Chair Rita Raley, and the committee members listed below for their dedicated efforts. I would also like to thank all of our campus colleagues who participated in the search and consultation process.
Please join me in extending our sincere appreciation to Kerry for her service in the interim role, and our warm congratulations on her appointment to this important leadership position.
Sincerely,
Dennis Assanis, Chancellor
Search Advisory Committee for Vice Chancellor – Chief Financial Officer
David Marshall, Co-Chair; Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Rita Raley, Co-Chair; Chair, Academic Senate; Professor of English
Francesco Bullo, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Barry Giesbrecht, Chair, Academic Senate Council on Planning and Budget; Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Nancy Hamill, Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and Chief Campus Counsel
Dana Mastro, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs; Professor of Communication
Michael McGrogan, Budget Director, Budget & Planning
Ann-Marie Musto, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer
Dave Valentine, Vice Chair/Secretary, Academic Senate; Distinguished Professor of Earth Science