Breadcrumb

The UCR Staff Conference is a two-day event created by and for UC Riverside staff, co-hosted by UCR Staff Assembly, Leaders of Excellence and Distinction (LEAD) and Human Resources Employee and Organizational Development.

Our 2023 event will include three official tracks: driving your career forward; self care / mental wellness; and creating & nurturing a culture of respect.

The conference will take place virtually on Crowdcast on Tuesday, March 28 and Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

WATCH THE 2023 CONFERENCE REPLAYS!

Tuesday, March 28

9:00 a.m. Keynote

Craig Thompson

What’s Your WHY? Charting a Course for Personal and Professional Success

Craig Thompson

It’s time to level up your career! Join Craig Thompson as he explores the life-changing questions that will get you wheels up and navigating new opportunities and spaces. From overcoming obstacles to building your army of Avengers who will fight with you, this presentation will provide you with the tools to win!

Speaker Bio

  • Craig Thompson

    Craig Thompson is a native of Baltimore City and a graduate of Maryland public schools. An only child raised by a single mother, he graduated from the University of Maryland and earned two Bachelor of Arts Degrees: one in Political Science, and a second Degree in African-American Studies. He is also a 1995 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law.

    Over the years, Craig has received a number of awards and recognition for his accomplishments. He was featured twice in the Baltimore Business Journal as one of 40 emerging leaders under the age of 40 in the state of Maryland. He was profiled in Jubilee magazine as one of Baltimore’s “Talented Tenth,” and received an “Emerging Leader” award from The Monumental City Bar Association. Craig also received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Maryland at College Park, the “Leadership in Law” award from the Daily Record and the “Alumnus of the Year” award from the University of Maryland School of Law BLSA.

    Craig is a partner with Venable LLP, one of The American Lawyer's top 100 law firms in the country. Venable has over 800 attorneys, and offices located all across the country.

    Craig is published in two books, an anthology entitled Atonement: The Million Man March, and another titled Tough Love: The Life and Death of Tupac Shakur. His first children’s book, The ABCs of Black History: A Children’s Guide, was published in January 2005 and is in its fourth printing. Two years later, he published another book in the series, “The ABCs of Black Inventors.” He initially wrote the children's books as gifts to his children, and soon realized that all toddlers and youth need to be exposed to the positive contributions of African Americans. His books have been sold all over the world, and continue to be requested by schools, churches, hospitals and libraries.

    For several years, Craig hosted a weekly radio show, “The Front Page,” and was named one of the best radio hosts in the region. For six years, he also hosted a weekly television talk show, “Profiles with Craig Thompson,” on channel 24 in Baltimore. Craig and his wife, Deborah, are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Delaney (17) and Dana (15), and a handsome son, Carter(10), who all attend McDonogh School.

10:00 a.m.

Alisha French

Interview Skills

Alisha French

Learn how to sharpen your interviews skills to obtain your dream job. Join Alisha French, CHASS HR Analyst III in this informative workshop. Alisha has been a part of countless search committees and has learned good interview techniques that she will share with you in this workshop.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

2023 LEAD Cohort

Panel: Psychological Safety

2023 Lead Cohort

Join us for a brief overview of psychological safety in the workplace, followed by a panel discussion with members of the UCR community.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Marcus Van Vleet

Building Back Staff Morale

Marcus Van Vleet

How UCR Dining is currently in process of building back staff morale as we continue to steer away from the COVID pandemic.

Track:  Creating and Nurturing a Culture of Respect

Speaker Bios

  • Alisha French

    Alisha French is a Human Resources Expert. Alisha works at UC Riverside as a Human Resources Analyst III in the College of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS). She has been in countless interviews and has learned good interview techniques to make you stand out and be selected as the candidate of choice.

  • 2023 LEAD Cohort

    Leaders of Excellence and Distinction (LEAD) fosters engagement of UC Riverside staff (non-represented employees) by promoting professional development for future and current leaders. The panelists in this session represent the 2023 LEAD Certificate Program members: O'dao Lovanh, Rebeca Sanchez Hernandez, Erika Santoyo, Lily Barger, and Cristina L Gonzalez. To learn more about the LEAD program, visit https://lead.ucr.edu.

  • Lily Barger

    Lily Barger joined UC Riverside in 2012 after spending many years in the private sector.  She spent the first 10 years of her UCR career in various roles in Advancement, transitioning from the Development side to Advancement Services in 2015.  Lily recently joined ITS as the Director of Computing Support Services.  Lily has a Masters in Business Administration from University of Redlands and a Bachelors in Communications from Cal State San Bernardino. She has three children, two dogs, eight fish, three desert tortoises, and more plants than her husband knows about.

  • Rebeca Sanchez

    I am Rebeca Sanchez, a Talent Acquisition Consultant with UC Riverside’s Central HR team. I am also a UCR alumni and have about two years of Human Resources experience. I look forward to continuing my career with the university and am grateful for all that UCR has offered me as a student and now as a staff. Joining the LEAD cohort is an example of the initiative I am trying to take in making this institution better than it already is.

  • Cristina Gonzalez

    Cristina has over 20 years of community-centered care with a background in health care, research, project management, completing process improvement projects, administrative oversight, and operations for educational and healthcare institutions. She is an innovative leader with collaborative skills to improve equity, address barriers to care and deliver impactful results. Cristina has a master’s degree in health leadership.  Her mission is to lead with actions to excel and make a positive impact.

  • Erika Santoyo

    Erika Santoyo is an Assistant Director for AGSM in the UCR School of Business.  With over 18 years of experience working in diverse teaching environments, 9.5 of which in the UC system, she is dedicated to supporting and empowering students to be proactive, optimistic, realistic, and accountable as they work on achieving their academic goals.  When advising, her goal is to create a holistic experience where students feel welcomed, safe, and accepted.  Erika holds a master’s degree in Art History. Outside of work, she enjoys listening to podcasts, playing sports, and spending time with family.

  • O’Dao Lovanh

    O’Dao Lovanh is a Financial Analyst at the UCR School of Education. O’Dao joined UCR in January 2021 and worked remotely for a year before coming on campus for work. Because he worked remotely in his first year at UCR, he has felt disconnected from the greater UCR community and wants to reconcile that now. Through programs such as the LEAD Program and Highlander Mentorship Program, he wants to build connections in the UCR community.

    Prior to joining UCR, O’Dao was a Senior Financial Manager at the UCLA School of Public Affairs and School of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

  • Marcus Van Vleet

    Marcus is currently the Executive Director of Dining & Hospitality Services at UCR. He almost 30 years experience in the Hospitality industry. Marcus came to UCR after spending 25 years with SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment holding various roles in revenue.

11:00 a.m.

Monique Dozier

Onward and Upward: Navigating Life & Career

VC Monique Dozier

Join Monique Dozier, UCR's new Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, for a conversation about her personal and professional journey that led to UCR. VC Dozier will share lessons learned throughout her more than 25-year advancement career, insights into the strategic priorities of UCR Advancement, and the importance of building a culture of philanthropy within our campus communities.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Hung Wu

How to Thrive

Hung Wu

Describe the concept of Self-Care and Mental Well-being with interactive activities to warm up the group: 1 minute deep breathing exercise, 5 minutes of total body stretching with a mindfulness practice. Then share PPT presentation on Self-care using Pillars of Wellbeing and Mental Health. During the session, there will be interactive opportunities with participants:
Request participants on what they do for self-care
Ask participants Internal and External factors that may impact their mental health
Ask their experience with burnout
An interactive online game (Wellness Jeopardy) with content on Mental Well-being and Self Care. Everyone who attends will be entered in a raffle for a prize.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Amy Gu, Melanie Ramiro, Ryan Lipinski

Panel: Successfully Navigating Career Changes

Amy Gu, Melanie Ramiro, Ryan Lipinski

How to navigate changing roles in your career and understand what drives you to make those changes. Learn how to: pivot effectively, market yourself in a new field, find champions to support you, overcome challenges, and successfully transition into a new field.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Speaker Bios

  • Monique Dozier

    Monique Dozier is vice chancellor for University Advancement, overseeing Development, Alumni Engagement, University Relations, and Advancement Finance and Administration.

    She joined UC Riverside in 2022 from Morehouse College, where she was the vice president for Advancement and chief advancement officer. During her four-year tenure, Dozier overhauled Morehouse’s fundraising, which resulted in the highest giving years in the college’s history.

    Prior to Morehouse College, Dozier worked for 13 years at Michigan State University in advancement roles, including as assistant vice president of Advancement Information Systems and Donor Strategy and director of development and external relations in the College of Nursing. She has also held advancement roles during her 25-year career at DePaul University and Saint Mary’s College in Indiana.

    Dozier is on the board of trustees for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and on the Salesforce Advancement Advisory Board and Microsoft Surface Customer Advisory Board. She was appointed as an Aspen Institute Leadership Fellow in 2011.

  • Hung Wu

    Hung is an U.S. Army veteran and has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton and Master's in Healthcare Administration from Colorado State University. He has launched and managed wellness programs in the transportation, hospitality, energy, and public sector industries.

  • Amy Gu

    Amy Gu is a Project Manager for the Finance and Administration department within the School of Medicine. She helps lead various projects and workgroups that come together to address specific problems across the organization or to develop new business strategies, innovative processes, and solutions to existing business processes related to SOM administrative and financial operations. She enjoys meeting and collaborating with various departments across campus in her roles. Amy is a two-time UCR Alumni, holding a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. She currently serves as the Chair for the Highlander Mentor Connection and Vice Chair for LEAD.

  • Melanie Ramiro

    Melanie is the Performing Arts Marketing Specialist for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the Director of Marketing and Communications for Staff Assembly, and Chair of the UCR Healthy Campus Marketing and Communications subcommittee. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University and did her graduate studies in Counseling / Psychology with Argosy University. Before joining CHASS, Melanie served as the UCR Library’s Communications Specialist. Before coming to UCR, Melanie worked in the special events and entertainment industry as a speakers’ agent, show director, and event producer for an award-winning talent buying company. She also worked as a marketing consultant for professional speakers, a professional portrait photographer, and got invited to audition for Cirque du Soleil.

  • Ryan Lipinski

    Ryan Lipinski has worked at UCR for just over 14 years and is currently the Director of Majors Advising and Enrollment Management in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Ryan holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Experimental Psychology, both from California State University San Bernardino.

12:00 p.m. lunch session with our sponsor

Ever Velasquez

Understanding Credit and Credit Scores

Ever Velazquez
Schools First Credit Union

We will discuss what credit is, and best practices to help you utilize credit wisely. We will review credit scores and how they are calculated and all the ways it can affect your life. We will also share resources available to help navigate individual credit needs and scenarios.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Speaker Bio

  • Ever Velasquez

    Ever Velazquez is certified financial education instructor and Financial Education Specialist with 15 years of banking and financial services experience. He has been with SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union for 9 years and has held various positions at commercial banks prior to working for SchoolsFirst FCU. Ever helps support SchoolsFirst FCU mission to help Members and communities they serve achieve financial wellness and security through informative in-classroom presentations, seminars and workshops across the state.

1:00 p.m.

Alex Rollins

Emotional Intelligence

Alexandra Rollins

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others. For success in careers and one’s personal life, EI is more important than IQ. To thrive today, it’s important to develop mature emotional intelligence skills necessary to better understand, empathize and negotiate with others. This session addresses the competencies needed for high-level emotional intelligence and skills necessary for that achievement.
This session will focus on the five core competencies of emotional intelligence: self-management, self-awareness, self-regulation, self- motivation and empathy.

Track:  Creating and Nurturing a Culture of Respect

Johnny Cruz and John Warren

Make Your Opportunity Count: Communicating with Senior Leadership

Johnny Cruz and John Warren

You may not get many opportunities to make an impression on the boss's boss. In this session we will provide best practices and tools for communicating with and advising senior leadership. Our staff have valuable expertise that is essential toward helping our leaders make informed decisions. Learn to make the most of your opportunities to advise our decision makers.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Alex Chrystal

Creating Community Through Collaboration Tools

Alex Chrystal

UCR’s central IT organization, Information Technology Solutions (ITS), has recently invested in industry-leading technology, including robust communication and collaboration tools. In this session attendees will learn how to leverage the available technology to create a more connected campus community, bolster cross-departmental collaboration, enhance campus-wide communication, improve workflows, and cultivate a positive workplace culture in an increasingly dynamic and hybrid work environment.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Speaker Bios

  • Alexandra Rollins

    Alexandra is currently serving UCR as the Interim Director of Employee and Organizational Development and has a passion for developing leaders across campus.

    Alexandra holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University. Today, she will be speaking on the importance of Building Emotional Intelligence in our personal and professional lives.

  • Johnny Cruz

    Johnny Cruz is associate vice chancellor and chief communications and marketing officer at UC Riverside. He leads the team responsible for brand and creative, public relations, enrollment marketing, advancement communications, content and publications, executive communications, digital marketing, video and photography, issues management, and university events.

    He joined UC Riverside from World Vision, where he was responsible for telling the global humanitarian organization's story through media and public relations, advocacy communications, celebrity engagement, emergency communications, and influencer relations.

    Before joining World Vision, he was assistant vice president for communications at the University of Arizona.

  • John Warren

    John Warren has been UCR's director of news and content for the past seven years. The news team handles university media relations, research news, internal and external newsletters, and alumni magazine. Before working at UCR, John worked for the Department of Energy. He was a print journalist for 20 years, much of that at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va.

  • Alex Chrystal

    Alex Chrystal serves as the Manager of Communication & Training for UCR Information Technology Solutions (ITS) and has over 10 years of experience developing and executing effective communication strategies for STEM organizations. Having earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Chapman University and a Master of Arts in Human Communication Studies from California State University, Fullerton, it's clear that mathematics is her least favorite subject. Joking aside, Alex found her niche in STEM communication when she started her career in the environmental testing industry. Since then, her technical communication skills, business acumen, and college teaching experience have catapulted her into higher education IT.

2:00 p.m.

Chris Villanueva, Co-founder of Let's Eat Grandma

Resume Refresh: Cultivate Your Career by Boosting Your Brand

Chris Villanueva, Let's Eat Grandma

Applicant tracking systems. Summary statements. Transferrable skills. Oh my.

The world of resumes can be incredibly confusing. We are often asked to demonstrate our value on paper when we want to advance our careers -- whether it's obtaining a promotion or simply switching jobs. But how can we do this when resume writing seems more like an art than a science?

In this session, attendees will leave confident and prepared to take that first crucial step: updating their resumes. We recommend anyone attend this session if they are looking for actionable ways to improve their resumes.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Ross French and Brianna Morales

Creating a Culture of Recognition at UCR

Ross French and Brianna Morales

We'll talk about the importance of recognition and how staff can support each other by creating a culture of recognition at UCR,  and how important it is to write a good nomination for recognition awards.

Track:  Creating and Nurturing a Culture of Respect

Sandra Martinez

What Should You Do when Media Call?

Sandra Martinez

What’s the protocol when a journalist calls your office? We’ll go over some interview tips and who to contact at University Relations, UCR's central communications office to offer support.

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Speaker Bios

  • Chris Villanueva

    Chris Villanueva is the CEO & Co-Founder of Let's Eat, Grandma, an online resume service that was ranked by The Balance as the best resume service of 2020-2023.

    Chris decided to apply his passion for people and service to one of the most stressful areas of life: the job hunt. His company has helped 8,000+ paying clients with their resumes -- and hundreds of thousands more through the Career Warrior Podcast.

    His philanthropic mission is to help the underprivileged in society, so that the homeless, underserved, and formerly incarcerated can reintegrate back into the workforce.

    It all starts with the resume.

  • Ross French

    Ross has worked at UCR since 2000 and currently serves as the digital communications manager at the UCR School of Medicine. Since graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 1992, he has spent the majority of his career working in higher education, with all but three-plus years of his 20-something-year career in the UC system.

    He was president of UCR Staff Assembly in 2018-19.

  • Brianna Morales

    Brianna is the Staff Assembly Director of Involvement and Recognition for the third consecutive year since 2020. She is also on the board of the Chicana Latina Staff and Faculty affinity group. She is a UCR alumna and has worked on campus for almost 5 years. She began her professional career at UCR in 2018 as a Finance and Administrative Coordinator at the Career Center and is currently the Alumni Programs Coordinator at the Office of Alumni Engagement.

  • Sandra Martinez

    Sandra, '01, is a senior public information officer with University Relations, UCR's central communications office. She primarily writes about CHASS faculty and graduate students. Before joining UCR in 2016, Sandra's nearly 20-year career as a bilingual journalist included The Press-Enterprise, The Santa Fe New Mexican, and most recently managing editor for La Prensa (Inland Empire). As a journalist Sandra’s experience included city government, education, farm labor, immigration, and crime. Among other accolades, she is a Knight Foundation Fellow. Sandra holds a master’s in community journalism from the University of Alabama.

Wednesday, March 29

9:00 a.m. Keynote

Jacob Ravenscraft

Building A Strong Workplace Culture

Jacob Ravenscraft

In 2005, BusinessWeek magazine called Peter Drucker "the man who invented management." Peter famously said "culture eats strategy for breakfast." Your strategy won't help you, if you don't have a good culture. In order to build a culture of respect, you need to first build trust. You cannot respect someone if you do not trust them. In this session, we will dive deep into what it looks like to build trust in the workplace. Good leaders never accidentally build positive workplace cultures, it takes a lot of intentionality, consistency, and honesty. Come learn how to lay the foundation of a culture that enables an effective workplace.

 

Speaker Bio

  • Jacob Ravenscraft

    Jacob Ravenscraft is an Associate Dean in Student Services at California Baptist University. He uses his training from being Certified in Working Genius and his experience to help coach people toward organizational health and strategic leadership. Jacob has over a decade of leadership experience and is passionate about developing leaders and teams so they can be healthy multipliers for effectiveness and success. Jacob is a dynamic and intuitive leader with a strong passion for developing leaders and teams.

10:00 a.m.

Emma Geach

Navigating Career Opportunities at UCR

Emma Geach

This session will assist you with preparing for new career opportunities at UCR. You will learn how to create an effective resume and how to prepare for an interview.

Track:  Driving your Career Forward

Hung Wu

Thrive in Your Physical and Nutritional Well-being

Hung Wu

Share best practices to thrive in physical and nutritional health. Discuss healthy habits and activities participants can perform to improve their physical health and healthy eating. There will be interactive games to promote the benefits of being more active and choosing healthier foods.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Mariam Lam

Socializing a Culture of Respect and Accountability

VC  Mariam Lam

How do we socialize and condition our work environments to uphold and advance the healthy and happy climates we all want to inhabit for so many hours of our lives? How do we practice more self-awareness, while calling in others to champion the same?

Track:  Creating and Nurturing a Culture of Respect

Speaker Bios

  • Emma Geach

    Emma Geach is a Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant for the Talent Acquisition and Diversity Outreach department within the Central Human Resources Division at the University of California, Riverside. Emma is responsible for sourcing and recruiting top talent to the university; developing key talent strategies that align with campus objectives; providing consultative and training services to organizational units on policy, labor market data analysis, and diversity outreach initiatives. She is also the Subject Matter Expert for the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) Applicant Tracking System (ATS) implementation, which is scheduled for February 2024. Emma has nearly 30 years of recruiting experience in industries including hospitality, finance, and higher education. She holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resources from Claremont Graduate University; a Master of Arts degree in Communication from California State University, Fullerton; and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from Loyola Marymount University, as well as her SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications. Emma is also a part-time instructor for the UCR Extension Human Resources Management Certificate program.

  • Hung Wu

    Hung is an U.S. Army veteran and has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Cal State Fullerton and Master's in Healthcare Administration from Colorado State University. He has launched and managed wellness programs in the transportation, hospitality, energy, and public sector industries.

  • Mariam Lam

    Mariam B. Lam, PhD is Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CDO), faculty member in Comparative Literature and Languages, and cooperating faculty member in Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Riverside.

11:00 a.m.

Denise Woods

Career Reflections: Easy is boring...

AVC Denise Woods

Trying to figure out how to move your career to the next tier? During this session, Dr. Woods will reflect on her own personal career journey, discuss themes to consider when looking for new opportunities to move forward on the career path, and share helpful pointers on creating a professional lane that suits you!

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Adam Ryen Daniels

Faces Not Fliers: Using People Effectively in Your Marketing

Adam Ryen Daniels

This workshop is ideal for anyone managing websites, social media, newsletters, or emails. We'll discuss some ways to weave in more people into your marketing and how to effectively tell those stories across a variety of platforms. Whether it's student, staff, or faculty-focused, we'll discuss how to gather interesting stories and how to present them. We'll also discuss how to incorporate video and people telling their own stories, even if your department doesn't have the people or the technology to do something with high production value. Even a decent camera and a beautiful day outside can make a great video!

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Crystal Petrini, Erika Leon, Julie Salgado

Panel: Opportunities for Involvement on Campus

Crystal Petrini, Erika Leon, Julie Salgado

Would you like to learn more about networking opportunities to ways get involved on campus? In this session, we will discuss opportunities for involvement in groups on campus such as Staff Assembly, Leaders of Excellence and Distinction (LEAD), Highlander Mentor Connection, as well as other affinity groups on campus.  There are many ways to get involved such as being a member of one of these groups, or even volunteering to assist with the many events that these groups host.  Hope to see you there so we can help get you connected with your staff peers on campus!

Track:  Driving Your Career Forward

Speaker Bios

  • Denise Woods

    Dr. Denise Woods is the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for the division of Health, Well-being & Safety at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Dr. Woods has held administrative, program, and policy positions at various public health and education organizations. Her passions include social justice, mentoring, chronic disease prevention, upstream approaches to health, and understanding the impact(s) of health and wellness on educational attainment.

  • Adam Ryen Daniels

    Adam's experiences in the storytelling world are diverse. In his 15 years at UCR, he spent most that time in Student Affairs, focusing on student organizations and veterans services. He now works in Enrollment Marketing, as well as running an incredibly eclectic YouTube channel. He was the main campus point of contact for UCR's episode of The College Tour, available now on Amazon Prime.

  • Crystal Petrini

    Crystal Petrini serves as FAO for the departments of English & Philosophy.

    Crystal joined UCRSA in 2016, serving as President during the 2019-2020 AY. She was a UCR delegate on CUCSA before serving as Chair in 2021-2022.

    In these roles, Crystal has advocated for and elevated the perception of staff across the UC. Her efforts have led to programs and policy changes including but not limited to UCR’s HMC, flexible work, and the PCFB.

    Crystal holds BAs in Political Science: International Relations and Spanish from UCSB. She also holds an MBA from the University of Redlands.

  • Erika Leon

    Erika Leon is the Human Resource Business Partner for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.  In this role, she supports close to 200 staff, providing support and leadership for all staff functions including hiring, employee and leadership development, career progression, employee relations, and retention.  Erika also services as the Vice President for UCR’s Staff Assembly for the 2022-2023 year. 

    Erika has a passion for supporting staff and helping to navigate their professional journeys.  In her 18 years in the HR field, Erika has found purpose in advocating for staff and using her voice to speak for those that may not speak up for themselves.  Erika specializes in employee relations, problem-solving, and helping to grow and cultivate strong leaders and staff. She has a passion for building relations with her colleagues that reinforces her commitment and dedication as an HR professional.  Building trust with those that do not trust easily is a strength. She accomplishes this by working with employees through challenging situations and finding the win/win scenario whenever possible. 

    Erika is an alumnus of UC Riverside, gaining her Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science, Law and Society. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. 

  • Julie Salgado

    Julie Salgado serves as Director of Events for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) at the University of California, Riverside. In this capacity, she assists with logistical planning for large scale events for the CHASS Dean’s Office. She has 24 years of service with UC Riverside and takes great pride in her work. In 2016 she served as the Vice President, and President of Staff Assembly. Julie would then go on to join Leaders of Excellence And Distinction (or LEAD), first serving as Events Chair, then as Chair for the Organization. During Julie tenure, LEAD would develop its events capacity, establish a leadership certification program, and establish a quarterly award for outstanding UCR leadership. LEAD collaborates with other organizations to establish new initiatives including the UCR Staff Conference and Highlander Mentor Connection. For Julie’s distinguished service in the UC, she would be named a 2020 Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award Recipient. Julie holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California Riverside, and a master's degree in Management from the University of Redlands.
     

1:00 p.m.

Scott Biggerstaff

Demystifying Salary Setting at UC

Scott Biggerstaff

Learn about University of California salary setting practices. This session will cover the fundamentals of how salary ranges and grades are developed for Career Tracks (non-represented) positions, guidelines for how individual employee pay rates are determined, considerations to ensure a fair and equitable process and recent legislation which supports fairness in salary offers and pay transparency for all Californians.

Track:  Driving your Career Forward

Chris Villanueva, Co-founder of Let's Eat Grandma

Fostering Resilience to Drive Your Career Forward

Chris Villanueva, Let's Eat Grandma

The job search can be one of the most stressful transitions we have to go through. During this time, many are peppered with confusing messages, auto-rejections, and the uncertainty that comes with not knowing what's next. At worst, we feel like our identity is under attack.

Despite the battle we enter during the job search, we are afforded an incredible opportunity to level up and grow as humans. In this session, we'll cover the struggles of the job search and effective ways to deal with them while fostering resilience. We will wrap the session up by covering LinkedIn, and we'll discuss how to use this tool to foster a sense of momentum in your career.

Track:  Driving your Career Forward

Mike Magpayo
Building Team Morale
Coach Mike Magpayo

Building a Team through accountability and respect for each other. This accountability and respect must be built from within meaning each individual must buy in and must be held accountable. When all parties are invested in the culture, success and magic can happen.

Track:  Creating and Nuturing a Culture of Respect

Speaker Bios

  • Scott Biggerstaff

    A proud Highlander since joining UCR Human Resources as a Compensation Analyst in 2010, Scott has experience in private sector HR including generalist, compensation and benefits roles in manufacturing, wind energy and hospitality. Growing up among the orange groves of Redlands California, Mr. Biggerstaff holds Bachelor’s degrees in Communication Studies and Industrial / Organizational Psychology from California State University San Bernardino.

  • Chris Villanueva

    Chris Villanueva is the CEO & Co-Founder of Let's Eat, Grandma, an online resume service that was ranked by The Balance as the best resume service of 2020-2023.

    Chris decided to apply his passion for people and service to one of the most stressful areas of life: the job hunt. His company has helped 8,000+ paying clients with their resumes -- and hundreds of thousands more through the Career Warrior Podcast.

    His philanthropic mission is to help the underprivileged in society, so that the homeless, underserved, and formerly incarcerated can reintegrate back into the workforce.

    It all starts with the resume.

  • Mike Magpayo

    Mike Magpayo is the Men’s Basketball Head Coach at UCR. Mike has helped lead the team to 4 straight winning seasons for the first time in Division 1 history. Mike has coached at the Division 1 level for 13 seasons with stops at Columbia University, Campbell University, University of San Francisco and has been at UCR the last 5 years.

    Before coaching at the collegiate level, Mike was the CEO of a Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate Company in Southern California from 2003-2010. All the while Mike coached High School basketball in Southern California before committing to chasing a career in Coaching in 2010.

2:00 p.m.

Seana Nuñez

Mapping Your Development at UCR

Seana Nuñez

Map your development journey at UCR based on your development aspirations and career trajectory!

Track:  Driving your Career Forward

Randi Buckley

Healthy Boundaries at Work and with Colleagues

Randi Buckley

Healthy Boundaries can sound impossible, but we take a different and effective approach that amplifies your values and creates more of the conditions you need to thrive personally and professionally. We'll show you what we mean and how to get that into motion.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Alex Najera

Falling Forward: Shifting Paradigm for Success

AVC Alex Najera

In this session, the speaker will share his journey through the stages of burnout and the lessons he has learned along the way about the causes of that condition, the tools he needed to overcome them, and the way this experience transformed his approach to work, family, and importance of self-care and grace.

Track:  Self Care/Mental Wellness

Speaker Bios

  • Seana Nuñez

    Seana has over 15 years of experience in training, facilitation, organizational
    development and consulting. She works with staff across all levels at UC
    Riverside, and with leaders across the UC System as the Program Manager and
    facilitator of the UC Management Skills Assessment Program. Over the years, Seana has facilitated the New Staff Orientation, sessions on performance management and leadership development, and has been involved with recruitment and selection. Seana currently facilitates various courses in person and virtually, including Franklin Covey’s 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, and Leading at the Speed of Trust.

  • Randi Buckley

    Randi Buckley is an internationally-sought master coach, philosopher, and mentor, whose work includes conflict resolution and helping folks find their truth and be at peace with it. She is the creator of Healthy Boundaries for Kind People and Associate Dean at the Concordia Language Villages. Her past includes coaching at Fortune Five companies, helping dynastic families and royals chart a new and healthier course. She holds a cadre of degrees. In her free time, she untangles whales from fishing gear in Monterey Bay. Randi does not believe in writing in third person but is doing so anyway.

  • Alex Najera

    Alex is a proud father of seven children and long-time resident of the Inland Empire. He has an extensive professional network across the region serving on several advisory boards and as adjunct instructor at several institutions. Through his focus on servant leadership, he aspires to make every interaction with others an opportunity to build a shared sense of purpose and belonging. He is proud to be Salvadorian immigrant, a first-generation high school graduate, first generation college-graduate and a public servant.

We hope you'll join us on March 28 and 29!

 

SAVE YOUR SEAT

 
While we're counting down to our 2023 event, you can watch replays of our 2022 Staff Conference on our Crowdcast channel or the 2021 Staff Conference in the UC Learning Center (log in through R'Space).

2023 CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY: