Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval to Keynote 2026 INNOVATORS by Design Conference

What does it take to create more opportunities across the Central Valley?

It takes strong educational pathways. It takes employers and workforce organizations working together. And, increasingly, it takes partnerships that connect communities and institutions across the region.

Those connections will be at the center of the conversation when Fresno State President Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval joins the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County as the keynote speaker for the 2026 INNOVATORS by Design Conference, taking place October 7 at the Visalia Convention Center.

Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval will deliver the keynote presentation, “Strengthening the Valley Together: Expanding Opportunity Through Partnership,” exploring how education, workforce development, and regional collaboration can expand opportunity and help build a stronger future for the Central Valley.

A Conversation About the Future of the Valley

Following his keynote, Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval will be joined by College of the Sequoias President Dr. Brent Calvin for a conversation about the opportunities ahead for our region.

Together, the two education leaders will explore Fresno State’s role as the Valley’s university, the importance of expanding access to higher education in the South Valley, and the opportunities created when educational institutions, workforce organizations, industry, and community partners work together.

The conversation will look beyond any single institution or program to consider a larger question: How can we create stronger connections between education, careers, and economic opportunity for people throughout the Central Valley?

“Creating greater opportunity in the Central Valley requires us to work across organizations toward a shared vision for our region,” said Jennie C. Bautista, Executive Director of the WIB. “Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval has been a strong voice for the Valley and for the role education can play in transforming lives and communities. We are honored to have him join us for this important conversation and to explore how stronger partnerships can help create more pathways to education, quality careers, and economic mobility for the people we serve.”

A Central Valley Story

For Dr. Jiménez-Sandoval, the future of the Valley is also personal.

A proud son of the Central Valley, he emigrated from Mexico at age 10 and grew up working on his family’s small farm in Fowler. He went on to build a career in higher education and has served Fresno State for more than two decades. In 2021, he became the University’s ninth president.

Under his leadership, Fresno State has continued to strengthen its role as an educational, research, and community partner for the region. The University earned the No. 2 position in Washington Monthly’s 2025 national university rankings, and its current five-year strategic plan emphasizes student success, research, community partnership, and inclusive excellence.

His experience and perspective will help set the stage for a conference focused on what can happen when organizations move beyond individual programs and work together to address the opportunities and challenges facing our region.

Bringing the Workforce Community Together

The annual INNOVATORS by Design Conference brings together workforce professionals, educators, employers, community partners, and intermediary organizations to exchange ideas and explore strategies for strengthening the systems that connect people to opportunity.

The conference provides an opportunity to learn from one another, explore new approaches to career pathways and business engagement, and build stronger relationships across organizations.

It also includes the WIB’s annual update and celebrates the work taking place throughout Tulare County’s workforce system—while creating space to think about where we go next.

This year’s keynote and conversation reflect that purpose: bringing different perspectives together around a shared goal of creating more opportunities for the people and communities of the Central Valley.

Join the Conversation. Registration is now open.

• INNOVATORS by Design 2026

• October 7, 2026

• 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Visalia Convention Center

Whether you work in workforce development, education, business, economic development, or community services—or simply care about the future of opportunity in the Central Valley—we invite you to join the conversation.

Register today at www.tularewib.org/ibd.