A collaborative and adaptable leader with 38 years of experience, Dr. Mills is a highly accomplished executive with special expertise in Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. He cares deeply about his students and actively partners with faculty, staff, and community leaders to provide a welcoming and inclusive learning environment.

As a first-generation college student, Dr. Mills strives to help students navigate complex university processes. He often tells students how he missed his first-year orientation. Arriving at the university a week early, he lived in his van until the residence halls opened. Working part-time in the financial aid office, he started his career helping students figure out how to finance their education. Through this experience and his undergraduate internships, Dr. Mills became an ardent proponent of experiential learning and co-curricular programs.

Dr. Mills joined Sonoma State University in August 2023. He serves as the inaugural Vice President for Strategic Enrollment. In this role, Dr. Mills will partner throughout the university, region, and state to bring innovative enrollment strategies and programs to Sonoma State.

At Sacramento State, Dr. Mills served as the AVP for Enrollment Management & Student Services from 2007 to 2014, and as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Chief Enrollment Officer from 2014 to 2023. As a member of the President’s cabinet, Dr. Mills oversaw a budget of more than $86 million covering 60 departments and 450 staff and faculty. He led university committees on diversity, administrative policies, and wellness initiatives. He provided leadership for multi-million dollar construction and facility improvement projects for Student Affairs, Auxiliaries, and Athletics. He also served as a co-principle investigator on several grants including the university’s Developing Hispanic Serving Institution grant.

Dr. Mills taught a first-year seminar each fall for 18 years at Sacramento State and Cleveland State. He also taught the Student Services course in Sac State's Educational Leadership doctorate. Dr. Mills served on multiple master's and doctoral committees for graduate students.

Dr. Mills is exploring new innovations in Strategic Enrollment and Strategic Experience Management. His work developing and implementing personalized digital marketing and recruitment campaigns is on the cutting edge of work in this field. That work helps guide his efforts to mentor the next generation of leaders in higher education.