Joseph L. Subbiondo, President
Joseph L. Subbiondo, president of CIIS since June 1999, has an accomplished background in both administration and academics. He brings a distinguished thirty-year history of achievement in higher education, including appointments on several international academic committees, and he has been active on numerous accreditation teams for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Institute’s accrediting body. Mr. Subbiondo has published extensively on the history of linguistics, among his specialties the study of the relation between English words and the evolution of consciousness. Prior to coming to CIIS, he served as dean of the School of Liberal Arts at St. Mary’s College of California; vice president for academic affairs at the University of the Pacific; dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University; and as tenured faculty at several universities.

See a bibliography of President Subbiondo's published works.

Shirley Strong, Dean of Students, Institute Disability Officer
Shirley Strong has been engaged in education, philanthropy, community building, and social action for nearly 30 years. Her academic experience includes service as faculty member, academic counselor, and administrator at a variety of colleges and universities including the University of New Mexico, San Francisco State University, California State University – Hayward, and Mills College. Shirley has spent the past 13 years as the Executive Director of Project Change, a Tide Center organization founded by the Levi Strauss Foundation, that develops and supports multi-racial community coalitions, partnerships, and alliances in local community building programs. In 1993, she was appointed director of the Project Change Anti-Racism Initiative which is now a partner in the national joint anti-racism venture with Claremont Graduate University's Institute for Democratic Renewal, where she is a senior fellow. Shirley holds a master's degree in educational psychology/counseling from the University of Illinois, and she has studied in the doctoral program in organization and leadership at the University of San Francisco.

Visit the Dean of Students Office web page.

Michelle Eng, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Michelle Eng holds bachelor's and master's degrees in English Literature from the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Prior to joining CIIS, she was Assistant Dean of Students at Chaminade University of Honolulu, and has served as an adjunct faculty member teaching writing, ESL, and literature at TransPacific Hawaii College, Chaminade University, and the University of Hawaii for the past eight years.

Visit the Bachelor's Completion Program web page.

Dorotea Reyna, Director of Development
Since March 2004, Dorotea Reyna has served as Director of Development.  Prior to coming to the Institute, she was a fundraiser for Dominican University of California, the University of California at San Francisco, and the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.  Dorotea received a Bachelor's Degree in English from Stanford University (1980), and a Master's Degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin (1984).  In 2001 Dorotea's play "Goddesses" was performed at Dominican University of California, the Live Oak Theater, Mills College, and live on KPFA.  Her daughter Miranda is a full-time flamenco student in Seville, Spain. 

Read more information about CIIS's Development Office.

Michelle Coleman, Director of Human Resources
Michelle Coleman came to CIIS from the American Automobile Association (AAA) of Northern California, Nevada, and Utah, where she served for 2 years as the HR Strategic Business Partner for the Division of the Chief Financial Officer and 2 years as Program Manager in Corporate Affairs.  Michelle has also worked as the Director of Diversity Training and Development at Charles Schwab & Company and as Assistant Vice President for HR at Bank of America.  She is active in numerous organizations focused on community service and spirituality, and was initially attracted to CIIS by the appeal of its mission and Seven Ideals. Michelle is a graduate of the University of San Francisco with a BS in Organizational Behavior.

Scott Ciliberti, Director of Information Technology Services
Scott Ciliberti came to CIIS as a systems analyst in May of 1999 and became Director of IT Services in April of 2001.  Hailing from Philadelphia, he moved to San Francisco after completing his B.S. in Business Administration at New York Institute of Technology just outside of Manhattan. Previous to college, he held various management positions in the restaurant industry.

Learn about computing and technology resources at CIIS.

Marisol Nealon, Director of Financial Aid
Marisol Nealon began her academic career at the University of California, San Francisco, in 2003. In late 2004, she moved to Golden Gate University where she advanced her career from Records and Registration to Financial Aid. Prior to joining academia, Marisol was an advocate of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library for six years where she actively promoted the San Francisco Public Library Annual Book sales and solicited donors to assist Project Read, the library's adult literacy program. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, she completed her undergraduate and graduate work at Golden Gate University in San Francisco. She is completing a degree in Film Production at the Community College of San Francisco.

Visit the Financial Aid web page.

Dan Gurler, Registrar
Prior to joining CIIS in June of 2007, Dan Gurler held several administrative positions at Golden Gate University, ultimately as the Associate Registrar. He also earned his MBA from Golden Gate University. A Midwest native, Dan received his bachelor’s degree in theatre and English from the University of Iowa.

Visit the Registrar's Office web page.

Lise Dyckman, Library Director
Lise M. Dyckman joined the CIIS Library in the summer of 2001. Prior to that she worked in both large university libraries (New York University and UC Berkeley), smaller college libraries (Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges), taught at Baruch College/CUNY, and worked with library services for teaching hospitals, non-profit organizations, and experiential education programs. Her pre-librarian work life included creating social history programs and exhibits. She holds an MLIS from Drexel and a BA/MA in American Culture/Museum Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Visit the Laurance S. Rockefeller Library website.

Karim Baer, Director of Public Programs
Karim Baer became the Director of Public Programs in the fall of 2004. He has worked in a variety of fields including human resources, social work, and business management. Prior to coming to CIIS, Karim was the Director of 7th Heaven Body Awareness, a center in Berkeley specializing in yoga and other contemplative arts. Karim is also an alumnus of Naropa University. He envisions programs integrating body, heart, and mind in relation to service in the world.

Visit the Visit the Public Programs website.

CIIS Board of Trustees

CIIS Council of Sages