Biography

Specializing in change management, Rhasheema Sanders brings more than 15 years of experience in change management, communications and journalism to her current role as PCMO Associate Director, Change Management for the California State University system’s 23 campuses - the nation's largest public university system.

Rhasheema, a California native, has lived in 6 states and enjoys basking in the sunshine and wonderful year-round weather. She is a leader and change maker with a proven ability to and passion for making a positive impact. She is passionate about learning, teaching and problem-solving to advance change. Those same passions led her to the California State University System and higher education.

Rhasheema started her career as a professional journalist, specializing in business and technology, where she excelled at reporting on these topics in a clear and concise manner. After earning her bachelors degree in journalism from Howard University, she later shifted from journalism and completed a master’s degree program at Northwestern University to gain a more holistic view of public and private sector organizations. After graduate school, Rhasheema entered the management consulting field which built upon the skills she gained in business reporting and developed additional skills in advancing organizational change and addressing technology related challenges through communications and change management.

Currently, Rhasheema is the PCMO Associate Director of Change Management within the Project and Change Management Office at California State University Chancellor’s Office, where she joined in February 2016. While she still considers herself new to higher education, she enjoys taking advantage of opportunities to grow and to learn about the field from other professionals.

She holds global project management and change management certifications from the Project Management Institute, Prosci and the Association of Change Management Professionals. She annually attends and speaks at conferences and events for higher education and change management professionals.

In 2018, she was selected as a Fellow in the 2018 Educause Leading Change Institute. In 2020, Rhasheema participated in the Educause Management Institute, a program she would highly recommend to any new IT managers.