This year’s California State University, San Bernardino President’s Distinguished Lecture will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 5-7 p.m. at the Indian Wells Theater on the Palm Desert Campus, 37500 Cook St., Palm Desert. The speaker will be Nachhattar S. Chandi, owner of the Chandi Group USA. 

The event is free with limited seating; RSVP is not required. Parking is complimentary in designated spaces at the Palm Desert Campus.

“This is only the second President’s Distinguished Lecture that CSUSB has offered,” said President Tomás D. Morales. “I am honored that such a significant business and community leader as Nachhattar Chandi has consented to speak to our students, our university community, and the larger community which we serve.”

Morales added, “As I said at our inaugural lecture back in October 2023, our diversity is our strength, both here at CSUSB and in the Inland Empire.”

“Individuals like Mr. Chandi exemplify, for our students, the power of persistence and hard work,” said Robert Nava, CSUSB vice president for University Advancement and executive director of CSUSB’s Philanthropic Foundation. “His story is particularly important for our richly diverse student community, most of whom are the first in their family to attend college.”

The Chandi Group is an industry leader specializing in multi-unit franchise operations and real estate development. While gas stations are clearly the roots of the company’s successful business model, over the past several years, Chandi Group USA has expanded development beyond gas stations and quick-serve restaurants, and currently holds several million square feet of fully entitled retail, commercial, multi-family and hospitality space planned for development.

Born and raised a farmer’s son in a small village in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, Chandi learned the value of hard work from a very early age. He would walk several miles daily to receive his schooling under a tree. Over the years, he became fascinated by the opportunities he heard about in a distant country called the United States of America. In 1991, when he was just 20 years old, Chandi moved to the US, determined to make a better life for himself and his family.

From India to Indio, he hit the ground running and obtained a job at a small gas station called White’s Black Gold Gasoline. Chandi worked long hours to keep the business thriving. In just 3 short years, he went from pumping gas and fixing tires to buying the gas station and converting it into his first ARCO AMPM franchise.

After several years of primarily working as an owner-operator, Chandi developed a passion for real estate development. He now spearheads multiple projects currently in various stages of development. They range in location from the Coachella Valley (greater Palm Springs area) and extend into the Inland Empire and even further north into Central California.

Under his leadership, Chandi Group USA has also expanded to include an in-house construction company, Black Gold Builders Group, and a professional, licensed architectural, engineering and land survey team, Black Gold Engineering, Inc. Chandi Group USA is an industry leader specializing in multi-unit franchise operations and real estate development.

The goal of CSUSB’s Distinguished Lecture Series is to showcase visionary leaders and influential voices from diverse fields who are redefining the boundaries of knowledge and inspiring generations to come. These lectures are intended not only to celebrate the achievements of our speakers, but also to provide a vibrant forum for insightful conversations and discovery. The event is an opportunity to engage the local community with the university.

CSUSB’s intention is to provide an education which extends beyond the classroom.  “This is why it is extremely important to have individuals with professional experience come to campus to enrich our academic offerings,” said Morales. 

The inaugural President’s Distinguished Lecture was delivered in October 2023 by Dorene C. Dominguez, a spring 2023 recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the California State University and Cal State San Bernardino.

About the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus: The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is dedicated to providing a transformative educational experience in the Coachella Valley. With a focus on academic excellence and community engagement, the campus offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs designed to meet the diverse needs of its students and the region.

For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the Office of Marketing and Communications at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the PDC website at www.csusb.edu/pdc.