CVHEC launches Higher Education Summit
sponsorship campaign for 25th anniversary
Regional partners invited to support milestone event set for April 23, 2027
(OCT. 13, 2026) — The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) has launched a sponsorship campaign for its 2027 Central Valley Higher Education Summit inviting businesses, foundations and community partners to help support the region’s premier annual gathering of higher education leaders as the consortium observes its 25th anniversary next year.
The milestone summit is scheduled for April 23, 2027, at The Grand 1401 in downtown Fresno, with a welcome reception planned for the preceding evening, April 22.
And for the first time, the summit will include a modest registration fee, Dr. Benjamín Durán, CVHEC executive director announced, “helping us keep this convening sustainable for years to come.
He said details, including member and student rates, will be shared when registration opens in January.
For a quarter-century, CVHEC has worked to strengthen collaboration among the Central Valley’s colleges and universities, advocate for higher education and advance educational equity and student success.
Duran said the annual summit has become an important forum for bringing together college and university presidents and chancellors, policymakers, educators, philanthropic organizations and community partners to address challenges and opportunities affecting the region.
“Reaching our 25th anniversary is an important milestone for CVHEC and the higher education community we represent,” Durán said. “The summit reflects what we have worked toward for 25 years: bringing people together across institutions and sectors to develop solutions that expand educational opportunities and improve student success. We invite our partners to help us make this anniversary gathering especially meaningful.”
CVHEC represents 28 public and private colleges, universities and community college districts serving more than 250,000 students across the Central Valley’s 10-county region.
Ángel Ramírez, CVHEC associate director, who coordinates the summit and sponsorship campaign, said as CVHEC marks its 25th anniversary, the consortium is inviting regional partners to celebrate its history while helping shape the next chapter of higher education collaboration and student success throughout the Central Valley.
The 2027 sponsorship campaign builds on the positive response to the consortium’s introduction of sponsorship opportunities for its 2026 summit, Ramírez explained.
“That support helped expand participation and strengthen the event’s ability to convene higher education leaders and community partners around shared regional priorities,” Ramírez said.
He noted the anniversary sponsorships create an opportunity for organizations to invest in the future of higher education while connecting with influential regional and statewide leaders.
“CVHEC’s summit has grown into a valuable space for collaboration, fresh ideas and conversations that often lead to meaningful action for our students and communities,” Ramírez said. “As we celebrate 25 years, we want to bring even more partners into this work. Sponsorships help us deliver a high-quality event, recognize organizations committed to our region and ensure student voices remain part of the conversation.”
The 2027 sponsorship package offers several levels of participation, beginning with the Founding Summit Partner tier that honors the consortium’s original and sole sponsor for the summit, College Futures Foundation, a long-standing partner whose support has helped sustain and strengthen both CVHEC as an organization and the annual summit over time.
The “Sponsorship Opportunities” levels provide three categories of participation: Signature Sponsor ($7,500); Alignment Sponsor ($5,000); and Access Partner ($2,500).
Signature Sponsorships come in three exclusive categories (only one sponsorship available in each category): Reception Sponsor, Breakfast Sponsor and Lunch Sponsor.
Access Partner sponsorships specifically help bring students to the summit by supporting travel expenses, stipends and complimentary registration for participating students (panelists) and a chaperone or guest. The broader sponsorship program also provides recognition through event materials, the summit website, on-screen acknowledgments and social media. See breakdown of each package.
The 2027 summit is expected to draw approximately 150 to 200 participants, including higher education executives, system leaders, faculty, staff, policymakers, external partners and philanthropic representatives.
Organizations interested in sponsorship opportunities or additional information are encouraged to contact Ramírez at angelr@mail.fresnostate.edu or 559.278.0576.
