Elections
Questions or concerns about this process should be directed to ucscsab@ucsc.edu.
Angel Dominguez (they/them & he/him)
Position: GANAS (Graduating and Advancing New American Scholars) Graduate Services Counselor
Years of Service: 6
Alumni: 2012, Porter College
Angel is a Queer First-Generation Latinx UCSC alumni dedicated to supporting historically excluded groups of students during their time here in the redwoods. Angel holds an MFA in writing and poetics from Naropa University and is the author of several books of poetry and prose. Having worked in various departments across the UCSC campus since 2015, they now work as the GANAS Graduate Services Counselor under the HSI initiatives, serving Latinx, POC, First-Gen, and Low-Income background graduate students here on campus.
Hayley Allison Duffey (she/her)
Position: Digital Communications Senior Analyst
Years of Service: 2.5
Being a staff employee of UC Santa Cruz for the past 2.5 years, I definitely feel that I have found a place that supports my growth professionally. I am currently the Digital Communications Senior Analyst in Enterprise Financial Systems. I am excited to go to work everyday, and I am honored to work with such a knowledgeable and intelligent team, who continues to keep learning. Last year, I was honored to receive a BAS Simplification and Innovation STAR award for my COVID FEMA claims project. This year, I will be graduating from the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, and with the knowledge and insights, I will want to incorporate these teachings into the Staff Advisory Board. I have valued Diversity and Inclusion work ever since I was an undergraduate student at California State University at Monterey Bay. During my sophomore year, I created the Monterey Bay Film Festival. This film festival not only accepted submissions from all around the world, it also had a community and volunteer component where I worked with at-risk youth, staff, and CSUMB students to produce films for a section of the film festival dedicated to Central Coast youth. I am proud to say the film festival is still in existence today. I graduated with the President’s Award from CSUMB, and this acknowledgement allowed me entrance to Notre Dame de Namur’s MBA program, making me the youngest female to be granted admission.
Position: Department Manager, Environmental Studies
Years of Service: 4.5
Hello! I'm Jimmy and I'm the manager of the Environmental Studies Department. I'm about to complete my first term on the Staff Advisory Board and I'd like to continue serving, as I feel that I can still make positive contributions to help improve circumstances for unrepresented staff at UCSC.
I've been working on campus since 2017 and, while it's been a great experience overall, it's hard to ignore the ways in which unrepresented staff seem to be an afterthought when it comes to campus programs and policies. It's not uncommon for staff to be overburdened when the campus implements something new. For example, as the campus celebrates triumphs like the return to in person learning or new bargaining agreements, staff are often tasked with hours of extra work on top of their already busy schedules in order to help implement these triumphs.
Further, we still need solutions to meaningfully remedy the high cost of living and our limited access to housing in Santa Cruz County. Staff are getting priced out and are being forced to leave, and the campus is losing good people as a result. The campus has made positive steps in this area, such as the staff equity program and the partnership with Landed, but these efforts have fallen short as the cost of living still exceeds the salary rate for many.
Staff need meaningful advocacy, and I'd like for the Staff Advisory Board to be an advocate. As a representative on the Staff Advisory Board, I will continue to advocate for staff in order to make sure the staff experience is more equitable and sustainable. We are a great group of talented individuals, and we deserve to be supported accordingly.
Thank you for your consideration! Go Slugs!
Position: Labor Relations Lead
Years of Service: 2
Hello, I've been working in Employee & Labor Relations for over two years at UCSC. Generally speaking, my work consists of representing the University's interests when it comes to union matters. When it comes to non-represented employees, however, it can feel as though our voices are not heard because we are not governed by the collective bargaining process. I would like to change that by advocating for policy-covered employees whose interests, like union employees, are impacted by the decisions made at our location. I believe that I can bring positive change to our campus, bring awareness to non-represented employees' concerns, and celebrate the contributions of employees.
Position: Unit Manager, Dining
Years of Service: 5
My name is Mirjam Kuusik and this is my fifth year managing UCSC Dining. I am also serving as a Treasurer on Staff Advisory Board.
I was elected for Staff Advisory Board three years ago and would like to continue for one more term. It has been fascinating to navigate the fast changes caused by the Covid Pandemic on our campus and I am now excited to participate in re-opening. I take responsibility for advocating on all current issues on behalf of UCSC staff. There are many subjects that affect all the UCSC staff - the housing market, compensation, work environment, hybrid schedules, benefits, parking, etc. I have been able to be the voice of SAB on many campus-wide committees and represent the interests of UCSC employees.
UCSC Staff deserves to have a voice and be heard. Thank you for your vote!
Position: Executive Director, Academic Senate
Years of Service: 17
Matthew Mednick is the Executive Director of the UC Santa Cruz Division of the Academic Senate, and formerly worked on campus as an analyst in the Academic Senate Office and in an administrative role in the Business and Financial Analysis office within what is now Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES).
As a member of the Santa Cruz community for 21 years and with 17 years of service in a variety of administrative roles on campus, I am excited and honored to be considered for appointment to the Staff Advisory Board (SAB). As a former represented staff member (CX), and a policy covered staff person since 2010, I have long admired the work done by the SAB, and the tireless, multi-perspective advocacy it has performed on behalf of staff from across the campus community. SAB's approach to collaborative leadership is especially appealing to me. Having worked on a wide array of issues impacting the campus, and faculty in particular, it is my intention to bring additional visibility to issues that impact staff. I am committed to advocacy on issues of leadership, supervisory and skills-based training and development, augmenting the career pathways articulated by Career Tracks, addressing salary equity and compression, and the need to create institutional support for staff and their families in the form of (subsidized) housing and loan options.
I have worked across campus constituencies throughout my career at UC Santa Cruz on committees such as (to name only a few): the (Housing Services) Rates, Recharges and Fees Committee 2005-2010, Human Resources Advisory Group (HRAG) 2010-2022, and the Compensation Philosophy Task Force 2018-19 which served as the backdrop for the recently begun Three-year Equity Compensation Program for non-represented staff. I enjoy working collaboratively in non-hierarchical bodies, and believe that building consensus among diverse groups requires active listening and maintaining an open mind. In my role, I provide strategic advising to the Senate and its officers as they work on faculty issues which are similar or overlapping with SAB initiatives. If appointed, I plan on supporting the work of my colleagues by providing insight into the campus and systemwide structure, serving as a liaison with other campus advocacy groups, and amplifying the voices of my colleagues regarding critical staff issues.
Position: Engagement & Relationship Lead
Years of Service: 9
Hello, my name is Cindy Miller. I’ve been a member of the Santa Cruz community for 32 years and with the UCSC community for 9 years. I have been in various customer experience and executive administrative roles throughout my career. My experience has spanned from working as an administrative assistant for 10 years at a prominent software development company, raising 2 children, owning a fashion consulting business for 8 years, and currently, I have been working at UCSC for the past 9 years.
I started at UCSC in University Relations where I had the pleasure to work with various development officers, university donors, key alumni, and other friends of UCSC. This work afforded me the experience of working with a variety of campus constituencies, both internal and external. I was a member of the UCSC Women’s Club for 2 years serving as the fundraising coordinator, and I am a graduate of the Diversity & Inclusion Certificate Program.
I transitioned to the division of Information Technology Services in 2018 as the Executive Advisor to the Vice Chancellor of ITS and most recently as the Engagement and Relationship Lead in the Experience Strategy & Design unit. I have been a member of our Diversity & Inclusion Group in IT (we call it DIG IT) since the group re-launched in 2018. DIG IT is an advisory group to the VCIT that examines diversity and inclusion efforts within the ITS Division, advises leadership on how to support building a diverse and inclusive culture, and helps direct priorities to meet divisional DEI goals. In addition, I am one of the founding members of Women in ITS: Brave Space. As women-identified members of DIG IT, we want to hold a brave space for women-identified staff in ITS to cultivate productive dialogue where everyone is encouraged to speak honestly and critically from our own experiences.
I am passionate about helping others feel supported, knowing that their opinions matter, and knowing that the work they do contributes to the campus's strategic priorities. I would be honored to be a member of the Staff Advisory Board to help advocate and support the welfare and diversity of the UCSC staff. Thank you for your consideration.
Position: Global Programming Coordinator
Years of Service: 3
Position: Director of OES / Campus Fire Marshal
Years of Service: 8
As the Director of the Office of Emergency Services and Lead Designated Campus Fire Marshal; my job is to oversee compliance, inspections and training for the campus community in emergency management, business continuity and fire prevention. I have been with UC Santa Cruz for almost 8 years. I grew up in the Bay Area and have been a California native my entire life. My passions are camping, going to concerts, cooking and spending time with my family. I have had a long career in fire prevention with over 15 years of combined experience between the UC and other municipalities. Additionally, I have served as the chair for the UCOP Council of Campus Fire Marshals in 2018 and I am voting member of the DCFM Nomination Committee. I also serve on several technical and professional organizations focused on fire and life safety, most notably I chair on the Executive Board for the Northern California Fire Prevention Association. I am excited to be a part of the Staff Advisory Board because I am passionate about the campus community at large and all the wonderful resources this campus provides for its students, faculty and staff.
Position: Lead Research Administrator IV
Years of Service: 3.5
Pureshka graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in integrative biology and Howard University with an MBA. She brings to UC Santa Cruz over 17 years of experience in university finance, including pre-award and post-award research administration and seven years as Manager of Finance and Administration at Stanford University. Most recently, she worked at UC San Francisco, where her focus was primarily on large and complex NIH grant mechanisms as well as advocating for staff and faculty to implement changes to Research Administration. With her experience in finance, research administration, human resources, health and safety, and facilities, she expects to be a great asset to the Staff Advisory Board at UC Santa Cruz.
Beatrice Pina-Torres (she/her)
Position: Registrar Specialist at UNEX
Years of Service: 2
Hello! I am Beatrice Pina-Torres. I am the current Registrar Specialist at the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension. I have 10+ years of experience in Higher Education and have been at UCSC for 2 years. I am married and have a 2 year old son and a cat and 2 dogs. I am a Mexican American, first generation college graduate with a Bachelor's in Political Science and Masters in Business Administration. I am an artist in my spare time and love to paint. I am interested in serving in the board because I would like to represent other employees like myself that come from an underrepresented community. I also want to represent the needs of the Silicon Valley Extension employees. I would like to be a bridge to strengthen the bond between the main campus and the Silicon Valley Extension. I would also like to be more involved with the campus community and contribute in making employees feel welcomed and heard.
Position: Enterprise Architect - ITS
Years of Service: 1
My name is Greg Robleski, and I am the Enterprise Architect within UC-Santa Cruz Information Technology Services. I am working with a number of groups within the University to develop an overall Application-Infrastructure strategy and roadmap for UC-Santa Cruz. I hold a Doctorate in IT with my dissertation entitled Baseball fantasy leagues: Impact upon Major League Baseball attendance and fan identification. I have also taught a diverse student base at the undergraduate and graduate level at CSU-Monterey Bay, Monterey Peninsula College, Santa Clara University, Golden Gate University, and the University of Utah. I have also been a member of the Faculty Senate at Golden Gate University. I also have global worldview as I have collaborated with teams across Europe, Asia and South America. Last, I have also been active in local non-profit organizations, such as the Monterey County Film Commission, Carmel Unified Youth Baseball, various alumni groups, KRML radio station, and the Sunset Center. I believe that my combination of industry-teaching- UC-Santa Cruz staff experience prepares me to understand both the instruction, student and staff perspectives at a major university. I would enjoy being part of the effort to promote better communications and relations among UC-Santa Cruz employees and administration.
Position: Principal Compensation & Classification Analyst
Years of Service: 4
Position: Supervisor, Enterprise Integrations
Years of Service: 4
Position: ITS Enterprise Architect
Years of Service: 6
I am invested in supporting the diverse needs of students, faculty, and staff. I want to influence policy to help level the playing field for students, remove barriers to research, ease administrative burdens, and chart a path for innovation. In my current role, I help support the enterprise and institution, from business and administration systems to supporting the critical missions of instruction and research. I would like the opportunity to apply my knowledge, skills, and experience to work collaboratively to recognize when the time is right to develop strategic plans and when to move quickly to take advantage of opportunities. I have strong relationships with UCSC campus stakeholders and a proven track record of building effective partnerships.
