Staff Assembly Council Elections
Elections are now being conducted for the 2019 – 2020 Staff Assembly Council!
Polling opens: Friday, May 31, 2019 at 7:00am
Polling closes: Friday, June 7, 2019 at 5:00pm
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 Megan Enciso or Chair Kasey Ning.
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 Chair Elect
CUCSA First Year Delegate
CUCSA Second Year Delegate
Finance Chair Elect
Candidate Statements
Vice Chair
Connie Cheng
Master of Software Engineering (Department of Informatics)
Program Director
Years of service: 7
Candidate Statement:
Since 2017, I have been actively involved with Staff Assembly as the Council Communications and Special Programs Chair. During my two-year term, I organized a total of 10 Lunch with Leadership events, and more recently collaborated with Human Resources and the Empowered to Make a Difference Campaign to pilot two lunch panel events, which were met with positive feedback.
Through my participation in Staff Assembly, I have had ample opportunities to meet staff across campus and build invaluable relationships, leading to a more enriching experience as a UCI staff member. If elected as Vice Chair, I will use the three-year term to continue to learn about UC/UCI and network with staff in order to advocate for and bring relevant programming to staff.
Council Communications and Special Programs Chair Elect
CrystalRae Lugo-Shearer
UCIPD
Clery Act Compliance Program Manager
Years of service: 15
Candidate Statement:
Hello and thank you for the opportunity to be of service. The past 15 years I’ve served in a variety of roles in Student Affairs (Student Housing, Student Government & Student Media, and Student Life & Leadership) and now in the Division of Finance and Administration. My experience in building relationships with campus partners, communication, and program development align well with the Council Communications & Special Programs Chair Elect role. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues in an effort to promote an engaging and positive staff culture at UCI.
Karissa Sorenson
School of Social Sciences
Director, Social Sciences Academic Resource Center (SSARC)
Years of service: 3 years, 10 months
Candidate Statement:
Like you, I value inclusion, support, and community. I am grateful I can practice these values beyond my daily job responsibilities though the resources and activities provided by Staff Assembly. Serving as the Council Communications and Special Programs Chair Elect will allow me to dedicate a greater level of service and leadership at the University.
Since joining UCI in July 2015, I have continuously strived to engage in meaningful opportunities on campus, while building connections with colleagues across all departments. Previously as an Honors Advisor for the Campuswide Honors Program and now as the Director of the Social Sciences Academic Resource Center in the School of Social Sciences, I’ve had the pleasure to organize and manage a variety of events that include students, staff, faculty, and campus partners.
Every year I participate in Staff Assembly programs such as the annual Staff Appreciation Picnic, “Take 15” service opportunity, UC Career Series workshops, Holiday Helping Hands, and Lunch with Leadership. In addition, I enjoy serving as a Wellness Ambassador since the program’s inception, supporting students through Chican@/Latina@ Staff Association’s mentoring program, and have successfully completed the Diversity Development Program offered through the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
It is through these experiences that I have met the most inspiring individuals on campus. As your Council Communications and Special Programs Chair Elect, I believe I can help foster a staff-centered culture, strengthen existing bridges of communication, and recommend programming that is truly reflective of our needs as employees of UCI.
Thank you for voting and considering me for the Council Communications and Special Programs Chair Elect position!
CUCSA First Year Delegate
Patricia Anderson
Center for Educational Partnerships
Assistant Director
Years of service: 29
Candidate Statement:
With over 29 years of service, I feel I can be a strong voice for staff as CUCSA First Year Delegate. Those who know me know that I am an outspoken advocate for staff equity, particularly, gender pay equity and staff salary pay increases, relative to faculty salary pay increases. That faculty salary considerations are prioritized significantly higher than staff is detrimental to staff morale and retention. I would like to advocate for the UCI staff to achieve greater equity on the campus. Being a part of the UC workforce is a point of pride for me and I would be even more proud to serve on CUCSA representing the staff deserving of a supportive and equitable workplace environment.
Lou Gill
Student Housing
Director, Mesa Court Housing
Years of service: 19
Candidate Statement:
I know, as a 19-year staff member, that UCI has excellent staff who are the back bone of the university. I currently manage a unit with 68 full time staff at all levels and I highlight their accomplishments and try to mitigate the challenges they face. I would welcome the opportunity to advocate for UCI staff on a broader campus level as the CUCSA First Year Delegate. My most recent involvement as a staff advocate was serving a two-year term on the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Staff. Please consider voting for me and allowing me to be a voice for staff.
CUCSA Second Year Delegate
John Bodenschatz
School of Humanities
Director of Finance
Years of service: 20
Candidate Statement:
I am honored to have been nominated for the opportunity to serve as the CUCSA Second Year Delegate. If elected, I look forward to continuing to learn about the concerns and aspirations of my fellow staff members and to communicating with and advocating for them on a system-wide platform. During my time at UCI I have benefited from an environment of growth and support, and I am dedicated to better highlighting the staff community and opportunities on campus. I have served for one year as the CUCSA First Year Delegate, on the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Staff subcommittee for staff development, and I was instrumental in creating the UCI staff member video series (Staff Videos): goo.gl/tQ2mnD. Thank you for considering me for this role.
Finance Chair Elect
Kimberly Ang
Department of Surgery, School of Medicine
Finance Manager
Years of service: 3
Candidate Statement:
I am honored and excited to be nominated as a candidate for the Staff Assembly Finance Chair Elect position. I joined UCI 3 years ago as an Assistant Admin Analyst with responsibilities in Finance, HR, and Academic Affairs. A year and a half later, I accepted a position as a Senior Finance Analyst for Surgery serving as fiscal officer for multiple accounts, and managing the department budget and faculty compensation. I was then promoted to Finance Manager and have taken higher level responsibilities, working more closely with our CAO and Chair. I look forward to having the opportunity to contribute to the institution and share any skills I have in the role of the Finance Chair Elect for Staff Assembly. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Jake Vo
School of Law, Dean’s Office
Financial Officer
Years of service: 6
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 University of California, Irvine Staff Council Members, particularly, the Finance Chair. Using my current experience as a Financial Officer at UCI School of Law and past-experience as Financial Analyst at UC Irvine School of Medicine, I am dedicated to contributing to the development of reimbursement guidelines, as well as maintaining accounting records to ensure that the receipt and disbursement of funds are accurately executed. To this end, 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 Kuali Financial System, Campus Online Deposit system and its budget preparation processes would be an asset to UC Irvine Staff Assembly.
I consider myself a curious, emphatic, pragmatic and thoughtful 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. Thank you!