Staff Assembly

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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