Preston Allen

President | M.S., Education Administration

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan by way of Arroyo Grande, Preston Allen brings to the table 30 years of professional experience and community engagement in SLO County.

As the Executive Director of University Housing at Cal Poly, Allen managed a community of 8,300 students living in on-campus residence halls, apartments, and agricultural housing. With his extensive experience in financial management, he successfully supervised the on-campus housing program, spearheading projects worth more than $600 million while maintaining a budget exceeding $45 million.

With a knack for building strong City-University relationships, he excelled in campus planning as interim Vice President for the Student Affairs Division. Recognized for his effective working relationships with administrators, staff, students, and local officials, Preston now brings his strategic planning expertise and relationship building skills to his community work with R.A.C.E. Matters.

FUN FACTS:

  • Preston received a college art scholarship that he parlayed into an award winning photography hobby.

  • He is a music lover who owns over 400 LPs and 300 CDs.