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OP Staff Assembly candidates now off and running

Meet your candidates for the OP Staff Assembly Steering Committee, five staffers who are eager to join the volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the interests of all UCOP employees.

To vote, go to http://danr.ucop.edu/opstaffassembly/ and select your top four candidates. (Ballots with more than four candidates selected will be discarded.) The website includes the ballot and a statement and photo for each candidate.

Support the OP Staff Assembly by exercising your right to vote today! Voting is easy and conducted entirely online. All career staff are eligible to participate and can vote any time from now until 5 p.m., Friday, June 10.

Following are descriptions for each candidate and a brief statement (see the ballot for complete statements):

  • Angela Cheng, capital asset accountant in Corporate Accounting, works to ensure proper accounting for various debt instruments at the university and the campuses: “I have not served in a staff governance capacity but am interested in serving as a steering committee member to break barriers to communication and to effect change. There is a lot to be learned about the organization and I believe that, in participating and if selected, I will not only serve the staff but become a better representative of the university.”
  • Shelby Chin, coordinator for the Compensation Programs and Strategy team, just transferred to OP from UC Berkeley’s Haas Business School: “As a proud Berkeley alumna, I am extremely committed to the university system and its stakeholders. I would like to serve on the steering committee [to address] issues surrounding staff morale, recruiting and retention and professional development opportunities. If elected . . . I will leverage my event planning experience . . . and communication skills . . . to represent OP staff.”
  • Gina Mortenson, executive assistant to the vice provost in Education Partnerships, has 25 years of experience in human resources: “I feel I can offer needed assistance in working to provide activities and forums that promote the interest and welfare of all staff employees at UCOP. Issues around professional development and activities that provide opportunities for staff to stay informed as well as to feel engaged are some of the issues I’d most like to help out with.”
  • Jeanie Urban, personnel analyst in Labor/Employee Relations, has worked in labor relations, compensation and other HR-related areas: “I am aware of many challenges that the UC system faces, such as budget and employee morale, and I would like to be part of the solution for the local UCOP campus. If elected to the [OPSA steering committee], I will give 110 percent. . . . I would encourage employee participation and creativity in our approach to making this a better place to work in support of UCOP and the UC system.”
  • Alex Zabelin, event planner in the BRC Event Services Group, has previously worked with research programs in breast cancer and HIV/AIDS: “I believe in life one needs to be a participant, not an observer. To the table I would bring my ambassadorship qualities, my organizational abilities and my commitment to roll up my sleeves and work. . . . [A]ctivities that promote social interaction, education and awareness would be beneficial to [OP’s] overarching culture, especially in light of the current budget situation.”

The four new members will begin their two-year term in July, with outgoing 2010–11 chair Andrea Gerstenberger being succeeded by Kenneth Feer. (See story in last week’s issue of Link.)

In addition to Gerstenberger, outgoing members include Trish Hare, Charleen Mininfield and Nancy Scott-Noennig. The Staff Assembly and the entire OP community thank them for their service and the important leadership role they have played on various committees and initiatives.

The OP Staff Assembly holds monthly meetings to which all career staff are invited. It is part of the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA), the systemwide group consisting of staff from all UC campuses and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as well as OP. Ravinder Singh of UCOP is this year’s incoming systemwide CUCSA chair.

The first meeting of the OP Staff Assembly’s 2011–12 term will be held in 10325 Franklin Wednesday, July 13, 12 to 1 p.m. All staff are encourage to attend.

For more, go to the OP Staff Assembly website.


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