The Staff Advisory Board is excited to admit seven campus staff to the Staff Advisory Board!
Each year, the Staff Advisory Board has members who reach the end of their term of service, which opens up seats in our membership for new staff to join us. So, if you’re ever interested in working hard to advocate for the staff voice in leadership spaces, you can nominate yourself during our annual election process… as did several people this year.
Also, special for this year, the SAB voted to increase our membership by three new seats in order to serve the campus more fully.
With the combination of members terming out and new seats being added, the number of nominations matched the number of open seats on the board. Therefore, we won’t need to run an election this year.
Please read on below to learn more about the people joining the board. These members will officially join the board in July 2023.
Thank you,
Your Staff Advisory Board
Meg Lehr
Divisional Resources Manager
UCSC is an amazing place to work, from our core missions of education and research that better the world we live in to the amazingly dedicated and smart staff. I've held various positions in the areas of academic planning and academic operations, working with staff in student-facing front-line units (like colleges and academic departments) to the more foundational business and operational units (like Financial Affairs, Budget Analysis and Planning, PPDO, ITS). I have become convinced that when we collaborate and work together on solutions, we can produce the best outcomes. I want to bring my experience working beyond the boundary of my unit and knowledge of how things work to the SAB to help effect positive change.
David Hunt
Wireless Network Engineer
I am very interested in becoming an active member to give back, it is so exciting to be part of UCSC. My family, both my mother and father have been residents of Santa Cruz for over 100 years and UCSC represents the future of the community I love so much.
Christopher Burgess
Assistant Registrar
Thank you for your consideration in the election for the SAB! I would be honored to serve and listen to the needs of fellow UCSC staff.
I work in the Office of the Registrar as an Assistant Registrar for Records and Enrollment. Much of this work entails dealing with difficult and sensitive situations that require problem solving, listening skills, collaboration, and empathy. I would bring these same skills to the SAB and would work to be a resource to staff.
Engagement and support of employees is vital to the success of any organization. I have worked in various similar capacities at both public and private organizations and would bring this experience and personal skill set to the SAB.
Thank you for your consideration!
Lea Taddonio (Lee-ah Tah-doh-knee-oh)
Coordinator of Residential Education: Family Student Housing
Hello! My name is Lea (she/her) and I’ve worked at UCSC since April 2019 in a variety of departments from Conference Services, to College Student Life, to Career Success, and now Affiliated Residential Campus Housing. I hold a M.A in Community Development, have traveled to every continent except Asia (I’m visiting Seoul in the fall), love seeing live music, have three kids at three different schools here in town, and a very talkative dog and cat. To say the last few years have been tough is profound understatement, but I feel as if it’s led us to a transformative moment on a collective and individual scale. I’m interested in serving on SAB to advocate and advance a culture of collective care, centering basic needs, normalizing relational pauses, and ensuring our university-wide commitment to being celebrative is authentically honoring the dedication and labor of our staff. Additionally, I feel a deep responsibility as a white person to actively dismantle the unjust structures from which white folks have benefitted for so long—including within this institution. Thanks so much for your consideration.
Lauren Morgan
Senior Leader HR Manager
I have been working with the SAB since I started my job in August of 2018. One of my duties is to be the staff person for the senior leader search committees. I have found the SAB to be an engaged group to work with, with a passion for UCSC and I would like to be a part of that. I have built relationships with all of the senior leaders and think I could be a good advocate for the SAB. I also have a daughter at UCSC who is a graduating senior, which has given me a different perspective and fondness for the campus. I would appreciate your support for me.
Fisher Dietz
Academic Computing Expert
My name is Fisher Dietz. I’m a young student of the world who strives to open my mind and see new perspectives. Always looking for opportunities to take part in my community I am excited at the prospect of becoming a member of the SAB.
Growing up in the mountains outside of Yosemite, I learned my love for nature and how important it is that we care for it. As I grew older I discovered an interest in taking computer equipment apart and using the components in new ways. These passions led to my interest in using technology to create more harmony between nature and humanity. Eventually landing at a nature and harmony focused university, UC Merced, earning my computer science degree.
While attending I worked in the then new WAVE Lab, a virtual reality lab that focused on preserving at risk heritage sites, both natural and man made. Allowing me to go out into the field and use experimental equipment to capture sites from never before seen perspectives. This gave me a foundation where I could see my passion applied to real world situations with positive results.
Not long after my graduation the pandemic started. Like much of the world, I struggled. Suddenly trips to nature became discouraged, but I also witnessed a time where humans were forced inside, and how positively the environment reacted, reminding me of my life ambition to work with the planet.
I applied to UCSC with the campus’s connection and commitment to the natural landscape surrounding the campus, as well as the nearby coastline in mind. During my employment I have also fallen in with the staff members and their eagerness to help when and where they can.
If I get elected to the board I hope to offer new perspectives, as well as an understanding of sometimes forgotten locations that are part of UCSC, such as the Silicon Valley Campus where I provide IT support to the students and staff of Baskin Engineering. While at the same time learning about the big decision making process employed at this university.
Liz Moya
Renaissance Scholars Program Counselor
Liz will be returning for her second term on SAB
As the Renaissance Scholars Program Counselor, I advocate and work alongside with students who identify as current/former foster youth, healing from childhood trauma and other extenuating adverse lived experiences. This work is deeply personal to me since I am also an alum from this program when I was attending UC Santa Cruz, class of 2013. I help my students with short and long term goals and holistic advising with a focus on mental health and well-being. This work also translates into my role on the Staff Advisory Board. I have a deep passion and commitment of how I would like to bring more mental health and community care resources to our campus for staff and faculty. I am also a mother to my beautiful son and we enjoy camping, traveling and watching movies together.
