Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Ankerson announced Jan. 29 that she has selected Jordan Gonzales, senior director of alumni engagement with the Nebraska Alumni Association, as chief of staff. The appointment is effective Feb. 2.
Ankerson chose Gonzales to replace Josh Davis, who left the university to become senior vice provost and chief of staff at Penn State.
In the role, Gonzales will serve as a strategic adviser to the chancellor, providing executive-level support in advancing institutional priorities, managing complex initiatives, and enhancing organizational effectiveness and communication.
“Jordan’s experience implementing award-winning and nationally-recognized alumni programs, strategic vision and planning, proven ability to build consensus, deep institutional knowledge, coupled with strong relationships across campus position him well,” Ankerson said. “I am enthusiastic about Jordan’s strong communication and leadership, and his ability to energize others in positive collaborative experiences.”
Gonzales joins the Office of the Chancellor after more than a decade with the Alumni Association. He most recently served as chief of staff and senior director of alumni engagement.
From 2024 to 2025, Gonzales was president of UNL’s Staff Senate. During that time, he launched the Task Force on Workplace Culture and Engagement, a two-year initiative focused on improving the workplace experience for university employees. He also served on the Academic Planning Committee in 2023 as vice president of staff senate.
He has extensive experience working collaboratively with shared governance partners, including the Faculty Senate, Association of Students of the University of Nebraska and Graduate Student Association.
A fourth-generation Nebraskan from Morrill, Gonzales earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is currently a doctoral candidate in educational administration at UNL. He lives in Omaha with his wife, Ellen, and their two sons, Graham and Lincoln.
