Elections for 2017-2018 Staff Assembly Council Officers

Staff Assembly Council Elections

Elections are now being conducted for the 2017 – 2018 Staff Assembly Council!

Polling opens: Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 7:00am

Polling closes: Monday, June 5, 2017 at 9:00pm

Vote online through EEE Survey

Our goal is to provide expanded opportunities for your involvement in Staff Assembly and to build an organization that has a positive influence on the future of UCI in a rapidly changing workplace.

If you would like to participate in a non-elected position with Staff Assembly, email Vice Chair Nicole Bourbon or contact any committee chair. Committee descriptions and contacts are available on the Council Committees page.

Positions and Candidates

Statements have been provided by each of the candidates and are included below. Detailed information about the positions is available on the Elected Administrative Officers page.

Vice Chair

Council Communications and Special Programs Officer

CUCSA First Year Delegate

Finance Chair Elect

Candidate Statements

Vice Chair

Megan Enciso
Arts Student Affairs, Claire Trevor School of the Arts
Academic Counselor/Graduate Program Administrator
4.5 years of service
Candidate Statement:

I have witnessed great pride and joy from the staff working at UCI, and I continue to search for other ways I can contribute to this campus. As the current Education and Enrichment Co-Chair, I’ve seen first-hand how Staff Assembly is a great opportunity to connect with staff from across campus, encourage networking, and give back to all of the hard-working people. Please consider voting for me for the Staff Assembly Vice-Chair position.

Kasey Ning
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing
Director of Finance
12 years of service
Candidate Statement:

I am honored to accept the nomination to run for the office of Staff Assembly Vice Chair.

A proud UCI alumna, I have been a staff member on campus for over 12 years. Many wonderful mentors along the way have encouraged me to get involved, and more importantly, stay engaged. Such activities have made my work life more gratifying, and augmented my appreciation of the campus as a place of work, and a place to meet some great people.

As a former Staff Assembly Finance Chair, I now seek the opportunity to employ my leadership skills to contribute to the organization, to improve staff engagement, and to advocate for staff needs. Thank you for your consideration.

Council Communications and Special Programs Officer

Samantha Anderson-Mekhail
Office of Inclusive Excellence (Academic Affairs)
Program Coordinator
3 years of service
Candidate Statement:

My current position as program coordinator prepares me to take on the role of Council Communications and Special Programs Officer, as I have direct experience with coordinating events on campus. I also have experience with campus communications, working in EEE, and collaborating with colleagues to accomplish common goals. I have attended several of the events put on by Staff Assembly, and have always found them insightful and inspiring. I’d love to help contribute to the important work of Staff Assembly through is position. Thank you for your consideration!

Connie Cheng
Graduate Student Affairs, Samueli School of Engineering
Assistant Director
5 years of service

I am thrilled for the opportunity to serve as the Council Communications and Special Programs Officer for 2017-18. I graduated from UCI with my BA from the School of Social Sciences, MAT from the School of Education, and was hired as staff in 2012. I have since worked in the School of Humanities, Merage School of Business, and am currently in the Samueli School of Engineering. My appreciation for UCI, the people, the campus, and all it has to offer grows exponentially each year.

I sincerely believe that what you do beyond your daily job duties can have a significant impact on your work life and career. We are all so fortunate to have access to the many resources, events, and opportunities that UCI/UC has to offer. Since being hired in 2012, I have attended several Staff Assembly events, both as a participant and a volunteer, and was a 2015-16 recipient of the Mike Puritz Staff Assembly Career Enhancement Scholarship. Having been involved with and a beneficiary of the organization’s programs, I can speak to the positive impact Staff Assembly has had on my life at UCI and beyond.

I wish to give back to Staff Assembly and the UCI community because it has offered me so much, and believe I can make an impact if elected as Council Communications and Special Programs Officer.

Arielle Hinojosa-Garcia
School of Humanities
Graduate Counselor
4 years of service
Current Council Communications and Special Programs Officer
Candidate Statement:

This past academic year, 2016-17, I was appointed to serve as the Council Communications and Special Programs Officer as the position had been vacated before the end of the elected term of service. While I knew my time in this position would/could be relatively short, I wanted to do my best to make the most impact. One of the primary responsibilities of this position is to manage the Lunch with Leadership program which enables a small group of staff to engage with different members of our campus leadership during the course of lunch. As we have a wonderfully diverse staff population, I wanted to ensure that our guests of campus leadership were similarly represented. This year, I am proud to report that our guest cohort was 57% women, 57% people of color, and 43% at the junior level of their administrative rank. I would be happy to continue to serve in this role and continue to foster ideals of diversity and inclusion in this particular program. Thank you for your consideration.

CUCSA First Year Delegate

Dziyana M. Aydin
SOM – Financial Administration
Senior Contract and Grant Analyst
1 year, 3 months of service
Candidate Statement:

I believe that through continued engagement and collaboration with UCI leaders, as well as organizations, and departments, we can find solutions that contribute to institutional efficacy while promoting a safe and welcoming culture and climate at UCI for all. I previously served on Personal and Professional Development Staff Council Committee at the University of Vermont for almost a year and found the experience priceless, thus would like get involved with UCI Staff Assembly as the CUCSA First Year Delegate and help with issues affecting staff at a UC campus.

Arielle Hinojosa-Garcia
School of Humanities
Graduate Counselor
4 years of service
Current Council Communications and Special Programs Officer
Candidate Statement:

During my four years on UCI’s main campus, I have been actively working toward becoming a more effective staff member in order to better serve our community. In the course of pursuing this mission, I was selected as a participant in the Diversity Development Program and the Mediation Program. In this past academic year, 2016-17, I was appointed as the Council Communications and Special Programs Officer for Staff Assembly. In this role, I have been in charge of managing the Lunch with Leadership program which enables a small group of staff to engage with different members of our campus leadership during the course of lunch. I have been extremely grateful to have the opportunity to interact and converse with all staff and members of leadership who have participated this year.

I am accepting the nomination for the CUCSA First Year Delegate position as I now feel I have a well-rounded understanding of the offices and services our campus has to offer and, in communication with my fellow peers, where our campus can continue to develop and grow. I recently had the opportunity to converse with current CUCSA delegates across the UC system while volunteering at the Winter 2017 CUCSA meeting hosted here at UCI. I am eager to get involved and continue the valuable work already being done towards finding solutions to empower the staff experience for UCI staff, and all UC staff for that matter, as our institution at large is moving towards a unified model of organization. As an alumna of UCI, I would be honored to be your First Year Delegate at the UC wide arena. Thank you for your consideration.

Stephane A. Muller, EdD
Division of Continuing Education
Business Programs Department Director
9 years of service
Candidate Statement:

Having worked in higher education for the last 17 years in 8 countries around the world, before settling down in California, I possess an inherent sense of diversity, multiculturalism and deep understanding of the University of California since 2008 as an instructor and a program director at UCLA Extension. I joined UCI Division of Continuing Education 3 years ago as the Director of the Business Programs Department and really enjoy our staff assembly, its representation and activities.

I understand and value the impact of staff satisfaction and integration in the workplace. It would be an honor to represent you as the first year delegate of the CUCSA. I possess broad knowledge of our UC system, staff issues at UCI and always incorporate the different perspectives of the stakeholders.

I am interested in serving because the Staff Assembly mission is directly in line with why I chose to work for the University of California. I would like to serve as a voice for our staff community and engage in discourse on important issues that are affecting us.

Finance Chair Elect

Madelaine Afable
School of Social Ecology, Dean’s Office
Sr. Financial Analyst
8 years of service
Candidate Statement:

As a candidate for the Staff Assembly Finance Chair Elect, I am confident that my 4 years served in financial management and budget planning will be beneficial to adequately plan for events and benefits relative to staff within the Staff Assembly’s limited funding sources. Most importantly, I feel that the passion I possess for staff needs will help to create a strong voice for the campus community.

Kara McClyde
Kara McClyde
Ayala School Dean’s Office
Principal Finance Analyst
6 years of service
Candidate Statement:

Working as an Anteater for over six years, I recognize the value of Staff Assembly and how crucial it is to promoting the interests of staff. I currently am a member of the Staff Appreciation Committee and feel fortunate to participate in this and many other wonderful programs offered by Staff Assembly. Many of these programs and events cannot happen without fiscal responsibility. As a Principal Finance Analyst in the Ayala School of Biological Sciences, I have extensive knowledge of UCI policies and procedures, budget preparation, and standard accounting practices. If selected for the Finance Chair – Elect position, I will utilize that knowledge to help UCI Staff Assembly achieve its goals. Zot! Zot! Zot!

Jake Vo
School of Medicine- Dean Office
Financial Analyst
4 years of service
Candidate Statement:

I am delighted to be nominated as a candidate for the Staff Assembly Finance Chair—Elect position. If I am elected, my goals are to contribute my experience and add my competencies to those of the UCI Staff Council Members, particularly, the Finance Chair (Second Year). Using my current experience as a Financial Analyst, I am dedicated to contributing to the development of reimbursement policies, as well as maintaining accounting records to ensure that the receipt and disbursement of funds are accurately executed. To this, I bring to bear a strong knowledge of UC Irvine reimbursement policies and procedures pertaining to standard accounting practices. Furthermore, my experiences with the UC Irvine financial system and its budget preparation processes would be an asset to UC Irvine Staff Assembly.

I consider myself a curious, emphatic, pragmatic and profound individual when it comes to safeguarding the public funds and trusts—the duty that is entrusted to me by you, the voters.

I believe my varied experiences address the mission and duty of the Staff Assembly Finance Chair- Elect position in important ways. I hope you will fully consider my candidacy for this position.