OP Staff Assembly looks ahead to another year of community building
July 14, 2014 •
The newly elected OP Staff Assembly got down to work at the first meeting of their 2014-15 term. Members shown include (from left) Emma Sebastian, Kay Coelho, Matthew Leet, Candace Jones, Karin Rice and Tracy FitzGerald.
The OP Staff Assembly (OPSA) Steering Committee has just kicked off another year of ambitious initiatives, fun social events and outreach activities — all designed to build engagement, connection and quality of life within the OP community.
Taking the helm as OPSA chair is Dan Scannell, Public Records Act/Conflict of Interest Coordinator in the Office of the General Counsel. He will lead a full committee of 11 volunteer staff that includes six new members elected in an OP-wide ballot last month.
“Staff Assembly has grown both in its visibility and credibility within the UCOP community,” Scannell said, “and it has taken on an instrumental role in staff engagement over the past two years.”
The group spearheaded last year’s Staff Engagement Initiative, which spawned several Human Resources and Communications efforts now under way to build staff engagement at UCOP, Scannell said. This includes the new OP Communications Advisory Subcommittee, which is now recruiting members for a September launch.
Members of the 2014–15 OPSA Steering Committee include the following (new members’ names are italicized):
- Chair: Dan Scannell
- Chair-elect (vice chair): Candace Jones
- Secretary/treasurer: Karin Rice
- Program chair: Emma Sebastian
- Senior CUCSA delegate: Karla Wood
- Junior CUCSA delegate: Matthew Leet
- Kay Coelho
- Tracy Fitzgerald
- Juliann Martinez
- Alina Tejera
- Jeanie Urban
OPSA projects include next week’s Town Hall with President Napolitano, July 23, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Elihu Harris State Office Building in downtown Oakland, which is co-sponsored by Staff Assembly and UCOP Communications. OPSA will also cosponsor a staff recognition event Friday, Aug. 15, and Staff Appreciation Week this fall (more details to come on those events).
Among the group’s responsibilities are to send representatives to CUCSA, the Council of UC Staff Assemblies, an advisory body comprised of two delegates from each of the staff assemblies on the 10 UC campuses and at Lawrence Berkeley Lab and OP. The larger group meets quarterly at different campuses to promote staff communication with the UC systemwide community.
Big thanks go out to outgoing members Darlene Alvarez, Nancy Chamberlain, Claudia Escobar, Peter Forde and Gemma Rieser for their years of service on Staff Assembly. Many thanks!
Remember: While the steering committee provides leadership, all OP staff are members of Staff Assembly. Anyone is welcome to attend monthly meetings, held the second Wednesday of each month (see the Link calendar for upcoming dates).
The steering committee wants to hear from you! Feel free to contact members with your questions or ideas, attend a meeting or submit comments via their website.
>>Learn more about the OP Staff Assembly.
>>Learn more about the Council of UC Staff Assemblies.
