As Fresno State Foundation was run recklessly, director’s state pay was highest on campus

Former Fresno State vice president Deborah Adishian-Astone received a substantial pay raise and took home more in state pay than anyone on campus in 2024, the year the Fresno State Foundation that she led was rife with governance and operational weaknesses that left it vulnerable to malfeasance and fraud, according to a critical CSU report released this month.

A review by the California State University that generated a 32-page report found 46 areas in need of remediation action at the non-profit auxiliary, which manages more than $315 million in donor gifts and university endowments, as well as post-grant awards and programs. The review, which looked at fiscal year 2024, found issues in budget and financial practices, indirect cost recovery, endowment management and internal controls, among others.

The CSU found no instances of fraud in its review, which examined operations during the 2024 fiscal year. That time period covers July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, according to Fresno State. Adishian-Astone retired from Fresno State at the end of 2024.

Adishian-Astone’s total pay in fiscal year 2024 amounted to $461,319, which included $97,213 in ‘other pay,’ a one-time cashout from paid excess vacation, holiday or sick leave. She retired at the end of 2024. Her base pay was $364,107, which represented an 18.4% increase over fiscal year 2023, according to a database of state employees salaries that is maintained by the Sacramento Bee. That pay raise was not a one-time increase. It included 5% from systemwide general salary increases in 2023 and 2024 and an 8% equity increase that went into effect in 2023, according to the university.

With the one-time cashout, Adishian-Astone was the highest paid, non-president administrator anywhere within the 23 campus, Cal-State system, the nation’s largest 4-year public university. Her total pay for fiscal 2024 was greater than Fresno State president Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval.

Jiménez-Sandoval, who was in his third year as president over the period of the review, was paid $446,580 in fiscal 2024. The CSU board of trustees in November approved sizable raises for campus presidents along with increased housing allowances, performance bonuses and deferred compensation for some, even though campuses across the system are facing budget cuts and layoffs. The Fresno State president will now be paid $523,617, a 17.3% increase.

The pay increases for presidents and high-ranking administrators coupled with the critical review of the Foundation by CSU Audit and Advisory Services have rankled faculty and employees at a time when budgets are under stress due to state cuts.

“Fresno State’s failed administrative oversight on university finances and exorbitant pay to administrators is not a surprise,” said Vang Vang, Fresno State librarian and California Faculty Association statewide treasurer, in a statement to The Fresno Bee.

“This is just one of many administrations’ attempts to treat the university like a business rather than a public education system. I love working at Fresno state — its mission, values, and the differences we can make for our students and communities. So, I hope what the auditor discovered and recommended will be implemented. It’s not too late. Fresno State deserves better, and our members will continue to push for transparency and accountability to ensure our students know how their money is being spent.”

Adishian-Astone, who is now working for San José State as a special assistant to the president, has not responded to requests for comment from The Bee about the CSU review or for this article. Fresno State released a copy of the CSU review on Jan. 9 and other than releasing a written statement, Jiménez-Sandoval has not responded to requests for further comment.

Here is a list of the other highest paid at Fresno State in fiscal 2024

• Former football coach Jeff Tedford had the third-highest state salary at Fresno State at $390,634 — with total pay at $1.8 million, which included supplemental compensation through the university’s Athletic Corporation, performance bonuses and benefits.
• Kent Willis, the university’s former vice president of student affairs, ranked fourth at $380,133 including a one-time cashout of benefits. Willis left the university in 2024.
• Provost Xuanning Fu was fifth at $333,844.
• Vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer Bao Johri ranked sixth at $287,767 and vice president for university advancement Brady Cook ranked ninth at $275,883.
• The other three spots in the top 10 were held by athletics coaches — former women’s basketball coach Jaime White ranked seventh at $285,975, former basketball coach Justin Hutson ranked eighth at $273,804 and former football defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle ranked 10th at $263,834.

The Fresno State Foundation, according to the CSU report, had a number of issues that run contrary to industry best practices.

It lacked an adequate system to oversee its 22 operating and investment accounts — seven of those accounts were balanced and reconciled only once per year, at year-end close. That, according to the CSU report, increased the risk of fraud or the misappropriation of funds.

The review also found that the Foundation had the same person at times both preparing and approving wire transfers and other payments, some from scholarship and trust accounts, that ranged from $2.2 million to as much as $5.3 million.

This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 2:40 PM.