Johnny Cruz is associate vice chancellor and chief communications and marketing officer at University of California, Riverside. He leads the team responsible for brand advancement, media relations, creative services, content development, publications, executive communications, digital marketing, video production, and social media. He also temporarily served as UC Riverside's acting associate chancellor. As chief of staff in the Office of the Chancellor, he was a principal advisor to university leadership and played a key role in executing the university's strategic vision and goals. He joined UC Riverside from World Vision, where he was responsible for telling the global humanitarian organization's story through media and public relations, advocacy communications, celebrity engagement, emergency communications, promotional campaigns, and influencer relations. Before joining World Vision, he was assistant vice president for communications at the University of Arizona. In this position, he served as the university’s chief communications officer and oversaw all institutional communications, media relations, content creation, internal communications, social media, crisis communications, and executive communications. He also served in various brand management, marketing, and communications roles at the Make-A-Wish national headquarters. At Make-A-Wish America, he led the external communications division and managed national communications and marketing initiatives in English and Spanish.