More than 100 UC staff, including UC President Robert Dynes, Associate President Linda Williams, Regent Odessa Johnson, and UCSC Acting Chancellor George Blumenthal, got together June 7 to celebrate the now-permanent positions of staff advisors to the Regents. The theme for the gathering, which took place at Maggiano's restaurant in Los Angeles, was "Achieving Excellence Together." Ten past chairs of the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) were in attendance, including UCSC's Rosemary Anderson. Past UCSC delegates Patt Takeuchi and Ed Titus and current delegates Judy Scarborough and Marco Garcia also attended.
The UC Regents voted in January to permanently add two UC employees as advisors to the board. The action followed the completion of a two-year pilot program designed to increase direct communication between UC employees and Regents, and to help facilitate the inclusion of the views of staff and non-Senate academic employees in board deliberations.
A proclamation presented at the event by President Dynes to the first staff advisors, David Bell and David Miller, reads:
- "For contributions of the highest order to the University of California through your pioneering service as a dynamic representative of the University's staff and through the invaluable perspective you brought to the deliberations of the Board of Regents, this recognition is presented with warmest appreciation, friendship, and esteem."
CUCSA delegates have worked with dedication and tenacity for over 15 years to achieve the goal of having permanent staff advisors to the Regents, and this year's success is due in part to the support and collaboration of President Dynes, Associate President Williams, Acting Chancellor Blumenthal, and a number of UC Regents and Office of the President staff members.
