Communications/Media Coordinator

Tom Uribes, who retired from Fresno State in 2017 after a 30-year career as a public affairs specialist, joined the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium as media and communications specialist in March 2020.

An alumnus of Fresno State (journalism/print), Uribes was a correspondent for The Fresno Bee while in college in the late 1970s and served as editor of the student newspaper La Voz de Aztlan as well as of Sentimientos Magazine, a Chicano community publication during that time.

From 1984-86, he was the editor of The Delano Record before serving as a media consultant for The Rios Company public relations firm in Fresno.

He joined the Fresno State staff in 1988 first in the University Outreach Services office and later in the University Communications office where he served as the public information officer for 20 of his 30 years on the CSU campus.  In those three decades, he served under three Fresno State presidents: Drs. Harold H. Haak, John D. Welty (founder of the CVHEC) and Joseph I. Castro.

In 2017, Uribes was honored as a Media, Communications and Journalism Fellow at the Fresno State MCJ Hall of Fame induction. In 2018, the Fresno State Chicano Alumni Club, an affiliate of the Fresno State Alumni Association, presented him its Chicano Alumni Legacy Award for his contributions as a journalist and promoting higher education in the Central California Latino community for more than 45 years. In 2019, Fresno State presented him its Bold Visionary Award during the Chicano/Latino Commencement Celebration which he helped found in 1977. He has also served on the California Chicano News Media Association Board of Directors as the Fresno Chapter representative.

At CVHEC, he serves as editor/writer for the organization’s e-newsletter; coordinates media relations and media projects including two videos produced in 2021; and chairs the CVHEC Public Information Officers/Communicators Committee comprised of representatives from each of the organization’s 28 member institutions.

CVHEC media inquiries may be directed to him at 559.348.3278 (text preferred) or cvheccommunications@mail.fresnostate.edu.