In February, long-standing PR Director Ligeia Polidora stepped down from her ten- year position. Now, hardly three months later, her temporary replacement, Interim PR Director Christina Holmes will leave in June.

One might wonder, what on earth we did to this poor woman to make her want to leave so soon. The $10.3 million in budget cuts that the CSU system had to take recently could easily suggest that Ms. Holmes is getting away while the getting is good.

"There’s nothing scandalous behind my leaving,” said Holmes. “My husband and I are relocating to Vancouver, Washington.”

In fact, plans of moving out of the Bay Area had been negotiated between Ms. Holmes and her husband, Colin for some time.

“As much as I love the Bay Area, it’s just getting too expensive,” said Holmes. “You have to have two steady incomes in order to live here. I don’t want to have to put my job before my family,” she said.

Of the recent budget cuts, Holmes believes that she has remained strong, despite some of the turbulent changes . While six staff positions were lost in her office due to the recent budget crisis, she said thatshe was able to maintain healthy relations with the public as well as the press.

“It was very painful and hard for everyone,” said Holmes. “I believe that these cuts are only temporary. This is California---- there’s a reason 33 million people live in this wonderful state. This budget crisis won’t last forever.”

“I believe that I have a strong work ethic,” said Holmes. “I have always liked a challenge. I had an important duty to get the message out to students about the cuts.”

Holmes, whose former position was assistant to the public relations director will be one of many positions that will be eliminated. Moreover, the Development and Public Relations offices will soon be merged, reusluting in consolidation of several positions The Public Relations senior staff writer, who is in charge of putting out all of the campus-related press releases onto SF State's web server will be reassigned to the development office. The part time, temporary staff writer position will be eliminated altogether

Holmes, who graduated from SF State with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism in 1990, spent the following 10 years as a reporter for various small newspapers, such as the Pasadena Star News and Torrence Daily Breeze, a newspaper outside Los Angeles.

“I knew I wanted to be a reporter when I was in the sixth grade, after I worked for the school paper,” said Holmes. “I love to talk to people and am naturally nosey and curious.

In 2000, Holmes found herself back in the Bay Area soon after marrying her husband.

“I discovered that journalism was not a family- friendly job and although I wanted to work with media, I also knew that I couldn’t keep up with the demands that come with writing for a daily newspaper.”

Holmes soon landed a job at the College of San Mateo as their marketing director. She soon thereafter saw an opening for assistant public relations director at SF State. Holmes applied for the job, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Holmes had several roles while maintaining the position of PR Director. Most importantly, she handled media relations. She also helped publicize stories from the College Of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to outside press.

Ariane Bicho, director of public relations for the College of Creative Arts described Ms. Holmes as smart, dedicated, professional, positive."

Bicho said that Holmes’ only perceived weak spot seems to be that “she works too hard.”

“Often as I’m leaving campus around 6 p.m or so, I see her plugging away at her computer,” said Bicho.

Adrianne Bee, editor of the SFSU magazine, called Holmes “amazing.”

“She can race to a campus protest, field a reporter's call on her cell phone, and edit a press release--all at the same time,” said Bee. “She works at a furious pace and doesn't stop long after most of us have called it a day. And this is only one of her jobs--somehow Christina also finds the time to be a devoted mom.”

Even after she is long gone from the SF State campus, Holmes has no intent of leaving the wonderful world of media. Even with a family, she still has plans to continue developing her skills in Public Relations and print media.

“I would love to stay in the public affairs realm after moving to Washington--- or start my own newspaper,” said Holmes.