East Ventura News

The California Lutheran University Board of Regents announced today that President Lori Varlotta will step down from her role effective May 31, 2024. Dr. John Nunes, most recently pastor at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Santa Monica, CA, and former president of Concordia College New York, will serve as interim president for a two-year term beginning on June 1, 2024.

“On behalf of my Board of Regents colleagues, I extend sincere thanks to President Varlotta for her service, which leaves the university well positioned as we seek new leadership,” said Board of Regents Chair Ann Boynton. “The future holds many challenges for higher education, and thanks to President Varlotta’s work, Cal Lutheran is already moving to address several of them. During Rev. Dr. Nunes’ tenure, we will continue to build on the university’s strengths.”

Varlotta was appointed president in September 2020 and successfully steered the university through the COVID-19 pandemic. She led efforts to bring Cal Lutheran students back to campus and face-to-face learning ahead of many other California institutions. She made necessary changes to mitigate a potential financial crisis; implemented changes to align shared governance structures with university bylaws; and designed a Talent, Culture and Diversity division.

Nunes has served since 2020 on the Academic Leaders Task Force on Campus Free Expression at the Bipartisan Policy Center. The Task Force’s recommendations about fostering a campus culture of robust intellectual exchange during national polarization have been adopted by many universities.

Nunes is a senior fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy and was ordained as a Lutheran minister in 1991. He was also president and CEO of Lutheran World Relief and held an endowed professorship at Valparaiso University. He is the author of five books and numerous articles and holds degrees from Concordia College (BA), Concordia Seminary in St. Catharines (MDiv), and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (ThM and PhD). He and his wife Monique are parents to six children and grandparents to thirteen.

“God is up to great things at California Lutheran University,” said Nunes. “In a world of digitized anonymity, Cal Lutheran represents a personalized community of learning on a beautiful campus where every person matters. I see this opportunity as vocationally aligned with my gifts and I am honored to serve Cal Lutheran by helping to galvanize a uniquely talented team of regents, faculty, and staff in educating students for a global society.”

“We look forward to welcoming Dr. Nunes and his family to the California Lutheran community,” said Boynton. “His experience as a scholar, pastor, and leader makes him a natural choice for this interim role, and his embrace of the values that guide Cal Lutheran will serve him well as he works with the board to move the university forward over the next two years.”

Dr. Nunes’ appointment comes with support from Region 1 bishops and Region 2 bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.