President Conoley and her husband look back on a life of service, family
A childhood in the Bronx, a chance encounter in Austin and a lifetime of service throughout the United States eventually brought Jane Close Conoley to Cal State Long Beach, where she is about to complete a successful 11-year run as campus president.
“There’s evidence to me that when you provide support, and you notice what’s going right, and you try to stay clear in your communication and tell the truth all the time, that good things can happen,” Conoley said during a special event celebrating her career and service to The Beach.
Faculty, staff and community leaders gathered on the evening of May 8 at Carpenter Performing Arts Center to attend “A Conversation with Jane and Collie.” Collie is Conoley’s husband, himself a former psychology professor. The couple shared a retrospective of their professional and family lives, blending humor with words of affection.
Conoley arrived at The Beach in 2014, and her career has included professorships and leadership roles at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Texas A&M University, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara. Over the course of her presidency, she has advocated for pluralism and inclusive excellence.
“I want to create situations where people can be their best selves,” Conoley said.
From the Bronx to Long Beach
The conversation opened with a look back to the Conoleys’ early lives. Conoley noted that Collie’s hometown of Georgetown, Texas may have had a smaller population than the city block where she grew up in New York. Nevertheless, they met in the library at University of Texas at Austin, where Conoley also completed her Ph.D. in school psychology. Although their first date was spent onboard a catamaran that overturned, they went on to join each other in a marriage that has lasted for 49 years.
The Conoleys have written three books together and over their academic careers, they agreed to a “no whining” rule. They could take turns accepting posts anywhere, with the understanding that the other would not gripe about the location for at least three years. They moved to upstate New York when Conoley secured a position at University of Syracuse, returned to Texas, ventured to Nebraska and bounced back to Texas before finding their way to California.
They also shared a gig hosting radio shows in Nebraska and Texas, often helping callers with family and relationship queries. Conoley also shared that she started her career with the expectation of being a therapist for children but her awareness that children need healthy family and school environments inspired her to work on a different scale.
“I kind of moved in that direction, in terms of working to change systems to help people thrive,” she said.
Accomplishments and accolades
Later, the event transitioned to a time for campus and community leaders to share esteem for Conoley’s leadership. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson thanked Conoley for The Beach’s commitment to affordable campus housing via the Long Beach Housing Promise and announced Conoley can look forward to receiving a key to the city.
"Your contributions should be recognized,” Richardson said. “As you embark on this next chapter of your life, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your leadership.”
Similarly, Rep. Robert Garcia '02, '10, formerly Long Beach’s mayor, expressed his respect for Conoley’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and supportive response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Long Beach City College President Mike Muñoz '04, '05, '10, spoke highly of Conoley’s sustaining the Long Beach College Promise, which helps youths from the Long Beach City Unified School District complete a higher education.
The evening also included recorded tributes from California State University Chancellor Mildred García, Long Beach Unified Superintendent Jill Baker and, since Conoley is a Star Trek fan, actor Jonathan Frakes.
Highlights from Conoley’s term include the campus earning the Seal of Excelencia, signifying dedication to Latine students, in 2023; recognition of CSULB's status as a Doctoral University: High Research Activity; the successful No Barriers fundraising campaign and, as repeatedly mentioned during the evening, a formidable men’s volleyball team that won back-to-back national titles in 2018 and 2019. Conoley also called attention to lesser-known triumphs, such as the Moot Court team’s major victories.
The evening also included a performance by campus vocal jazz group Pacific Standard Time and the announcement of a future campus monument at Friendship Walk Plaza honoring Conoley. As revealed in a video, the artwork’s key element will be four stainless-steel columns with words declaring to students who see their reflections on the metal that "you belong here."
Conoley plans to continue serving into the summer and a search for The Beach’s next president is in progress. The Conoleys plan to retire to San Francisco.
“It’s hard to leave Long Beach, but you’ll be in my heart forever,” Conoley said.
