File Photo of former CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro.

(AP) – Dr. Joseph I Castro was named Wednesday as the new chancellor of the California State University system, becoming the first Mexican-American and native Californian to lead the nation’s largest four-year public university system.

CSU’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Castro, who is currently president of Fresno State, on the final day of its meeting Wednesday.

He will replace Chancellor Timothy White, who has held the post since 2012. White had announced he would retire in June but delayed stepping down to help steer the 23-campus system through the coronavirus pandemic.

Castro will begin his new job in January, with an annual salary of $625,000.

A seasoned university administrator, Castro has led Fresno State since 2013 and previously held various leadership positions in the University of California system, including as vice chancellor of student academic affairs and professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Lillian Kimbell, chairwoman of the board of trustees, called Castro a “passionate and effective advocate” for students, the campus and the CSU system.

“He is a leader who inspires greatness in students, faculty and in the broader community. He is the right leader for the California State University in our current circumstance and for our future,” she said in a statement.