California State University, San Bernardino announced today that Paul C. Granillo will receive a CSU Trustee-Nominated Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (L.H.D.) at its Spring Commencement, scheduled for May 17.

A CSUSB alumnus, Granillo has served as president and CEO of the Inland Empire Economic Partnership (IEEP) since 2010. During that time, IEEP has become one of the most recognized statewide organizations focused on galvanizing cross-sector leadership to build a stronger regional economy through a triple bottom-line framework.

IEEP has a strong policy focus and works in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and locally to ensure both San Bernardino and Riverside counties’ issues are well represented. Granillo has also put a special focus on leadership training for the next generation of the Inland Empire’s public and private sector leaders.

Granillo sits on many national and statewide boards, including UnidosUS (formally The National Council of La Raza), the Regional Economic Association Leaders of California, the Campaign for College Opportunity and the Leadership Council of the Public Policy Institute of California. He is a board member and past chair of Mobility 21, a coalition that brings together public, business and community stakeholders to pursue regional solutions to the transportation challenges facing Southern California. He also serves on the board and is past chair of the California Stewardship Network, which develops innovative regional solutions to the state’s most pressing economic, environmental and community challenges.

He has also served as past chair of the California Economic Summit (CES) and is a member of its Steering Committee. In 2018, Granillo was named Regional Steward of the Year by CES for his work on behalf of businesses and residents of the Inland Empire. He was also honored for that work by the California State Legislature.

Additionally, he serves on the Southern California Association of Governments Global Land Use and Economics Committee, the Leonard Transportation Center at CSUSB, Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, on the Board of Trustees of the Riverside Art Museum and was board president for the opening of the Cheech Center for Chicano Art, is a past board member of the Campaign for College Opportunity and is an emeritus member of the CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation Board.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Granillo. “After my family, the education and experiences that I received and participated in at CSUSB are directly responsible for allowing me as a first-generation college graduate to have had the career and life I have been privileged to lead.”

“Conferring an honorary doctorate upon Paul, a CSUSB alumnus, in recognition of his profound impact and dedicated service as a leader in the IE nonprofit and business community to the people of our region and our state would be a great honor for CSUSB,” stated university President Tomás D. Morales.

A native of the Inland Empire, Granillo was born and raised in Redlands. He received a bachelor of arts in history from California State University, San Bernardino, a Master of Divinity from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.