Steering Committee

Chair
Amy Ruth
UCI
Director of Finance
School of Nursing

Amy Ruth is a highly accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in academic administration and financial management. Currently serving as the Systemwide Chair of Administrative Management Professionals (AMP), she demonstrates expertise and dedication to the advancement of administrative staff and practices in higher education. Amy’s leadership at UC Irvine is defined by exceptional leadership, financial acumen, and a commitment to excellence. In her current role as the Director of Finance at the UCI School of Nursing, she oversees financial operations and strategies while ensuring efficient resource allocation and financial stability where she has made a significant impact using her extensive experience in managing budgets and implementing efficient financial systems. Amy enjoys active participation in working groups and committees and advocating for and empowering her colleagues at UCI and across the University of California system. Her dedication to professional development and passion for fostering collaboration make her an invaluable asset to the AMP organization and the broader administrative management community.

Chair-Elect
Jeanne Durrant
UCSF
Administrative Director
Ambulatory Affiliated Programs at UCSF Health

Jeanne Durrant is a dynamic professional who currently serves as an Administrative Director at UCSF Health’s Affiliate Network. With her exceptional leadership skills and extensive experience, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth and efficient operation of UCSF Health’s administrative functions. With her dedication to UCSFs mission of advancing health worldwide, Jeanne plays an important role in ensuring the university’s administrative infrastructure supports its cutting edge research, exceptional patient care, and transformational education. Her strategic mindset, leadership acumen, and commitment to fostering collaboration maker her an invaluable member of the UCSF community.

Treasurer
Yvette Obando
UCSD
Chief Administrative Officer
Structural Engineering Department
Yvette is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Department of Structural Engineering at UC San Diego. With 22 years of experience working at UCSD, Yvette brings a plenitude of knowledge in finance, contract and grants with a focus on academic administration and departmental management. Yvette has been collaborating with UC AMP for 6 years as Treasurer and enjoys being part of a UC System-Wide committee.  Yvette graduated from UC, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor Degree in Psychology, and recently earned her MA in Organizational Management from the University of Arizona.

Historian 
Angie Marinello 
UCSF
Operations Manager
Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Secretary
TBD

Angela Chang
UCB
Director of Finance
School of Information

Angela has worked in product development and marketing in Silicon Valley after graduating from UC Berkeley. She has worked at UC Berkeley for the past 19 years and is currently the Director of Finance at the School of Information. 

Sandra Richmond
UCB
Director of Administration, AGES
Social Science Cluster

Sandy Benjamin Richmond is the Director of Administration in the departments of African American Studies, Gender & Women’s Studies, and Ethnic Studies  at UC Berkeley. 

Jamie Brannan
UCD
Chief Administrative Officer
Earth & Planetary Sciences

Katrina Spridgen
UCD
Chief Administrative Officer
Center for Neuroscience

Over 14 years with UC Davis, Katrina has worked in multiple units on campus from auxiliary services such as TAPS, Mondavi, and Student Affairs, to supporting Academic departments, (Bio Ag Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Textiles and Clothing and Viticulture and Enology), and now currently the CAO at the (multi-disciplinary research) Center for Neuroscience. She has over 14 years in research administrative support, 25 years in finance and 30 years in customer service.  Currently, she is also the Chair of ADMAN and serving as a board representative with Staff Development and Staff Experience & Change Administrative Group to stay active in campus leadership and steward change where she’s able. Katrina is also a busy mom (4 bio and 3 step kids), and loves to garden, spend time near any body of water, and travel with her husband and family!

Amy Ricks
UCI
Chief Administrative Officer
Materials Science and Engineering

Amy has over 15 years of UC experience and currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine where she is responsible for the oversight of strategic initiatives, administrative operations, and management of department financial, personnel, student affairs, teaching, and research support infrastructure operations. Amy received her undergraduate degree in three departments (English, Comparative Literature, Psychology) at San Diego State University and more recently, her Master of Education degree with a specialization in Leadership in Higher Education from Northcentral University. She is proud to be an advocate, advisor, mentor, ally, analyst, and leader on her campus and is known for her integrity, ability to effectively teach and lead, facilitation and problem-solving abilities, and general operations management both large and small scale. Amy strongly believes in care, consideration, accountability, and diversity in society and the Institution. She looks forward to bringing a strong force of positivity, energy, and process improvement to AMP as well as working to help empower systemwide leaders (including work leaders and those aspiring to be) to channel and develop their best selves, and form collaborative relationships as we navigate through challenges together in the UC, in service of our communities, academics, staff, and each other.

Bessy Varela
UCI
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MB&B)
Department Administrator

Bessy J. Varela is the Department Manager for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, in the School of Biological Sciences at UC Irvine.  Bessy has been a UC employee for over 25 years.  She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara, and it was there that she also started her UC career as an Administrative Assistant. She has been at UC Irvine since 1999 and has worked in various administrative roles. 

Gina Romero
UCLA
Training & Organizational Development Manager

Gina Romero joined UCLA’s Events & Transportation department in 2019 as the Manager of Training & Organizational Development. Gina holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from California State University, Los Angeles. Before becoming a Bruin, Gina had spent her career in the private sector doing talent development, performance management, organizational development, and coaching and training for organizations of varying sizes.
Before joining the AMG Board, Gina served for two years in the role of Vice President of Records and Archives for Staff Assembly on campus. Gina says that the two things she is most looking forward to as a new member of AMG is helping to further the mission of AMG and provide all stakeholders with valuable support and resources to help them become the leaders they aspire to be. Outside of campus, Gina lives in the San Fernando Valley with her husband and son and their fur baby, Lily. She loves to garden, cook, and host gatherings at home.

Mark Lucas
UCLA
Chief Administrative Officer for the Departments of Neurobiology and of Computational Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Mark has been with the University for 30 years in a variety of administrative and management capacities. He has a background in business from both USC and UCLA Anderson. His professional interests include mentoring, training, research administration, and general management theory.

Juana Dumagan-Garcia
UCM
Management Services Officer
Office of Undergraduate Education

Tomiko Hale
UCM

Leann Nascimento
UCM
HSRI Business Manager/Grants Manager
Office of Research and Economic Development

Michael Daniel Austin, Chair Emeritus
UCR
Financial Administrative Officer
Art, History of Art
Michael Austin is currently the Financial and Administrative officer at UC Riverside for the departments of Comparative Literature and Languages & Hispanic Studies. He’s been part of the UC system for 17 years. On his off time he enjoy dangerous amounts of coffee and playing games online with his friends all over the country.

Grace C. Caslavka
UCR
Financial & Administrative Officer
Computer Science & Engineering

Melissa Gomez
UCR
Financial and Administrative Officer
Department of Mathematics, Department of Statistics, and the
Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology

Melissa is dynamic leader that has over 21 years of experience at UC and currently serves as the Financial and Administrative Officer for the Department of Mathematics, Department of Statistics, and the Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology at UC Riverside. Melissa worked in private industry before joining the UCR community and has gained a broad range of experience at UCR where she began her UC career as an Administrative Assistant in the Department of Mathematics. She advanced into various leadership roles at the Department, College, and Campus levels before returning as the FAO for the Department Mathematics among other supported units in 2016.  

Melissa oversees all financial and administrative operations in which she provides leadership and direction for a wide range of areas including financial management, research support, human resources, personnel, student affairs, academic scheduling, enrollment management and teaching infrastructure and support. Melissa has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of San Diego. 

She is an alumna of the UC Women’s Initiative, Past Chair for UCR AMP and serves on the campus-wide Highlander Mentor Connection Steering Committee for which she currently serves as Co-Chair. Melissa is a dedicated leader and mentor who highly values investment in developing others to promote the next generation of leadership.

Miko Thomas
UCSF
Financial Services Analyst
Finance & Administrative Services Finance Service Center

Lisa Blanco
UCSB
Business Officer
Sociology Department

Lisa Blanco is the Business Officer of the Sociology Department at UC Santa Barbara. Lisa has been a UCSB employee for over 23 years, and her prior experience includes the East Asian Language Department, History, Classics, and Religious Studies. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara in Cultural Anthropology. Lisa is also a member of  the Staff Assembly and enjoys collaborating with other campus staff leaders.

Amanda Maffett
UCSB
Director, Humanities Administrative Support CenterBD

Amanda Maffett is the Director of the Humanities Administrative Support Center (HASC) at UC Santa Barbara. Amanda has been a UCSB employee for over 15 years, and her prior experience includes the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, the California NanoSystems Institute, and the Office of Development. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara. 


  

Ceci Ozkan
UCSD
Chief Administrative Officer
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Ceci is the Chief Administrative Officer for the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego. 

Ceci has worked at UC San Diego for over 18 years, in various departments ranging from the Department of Psychiatry, Biological Sciences, Music, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), in the Dean’s office and more recently, Ethnic Studies. She is a UC San Diego alumni earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Minor in Spanish Literature and a Master of Business Administration, from National University. Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Ceci was honored at UC San Diego in August 2023 with the “Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year” award for her exceptional work in the Department of Ethnic Studies. 

Evin Knight
UCSC
Director of Operations
Institute for Social Transformation 
Social Sciences Division 

Chris Cabrera Thompson
UCLA
Chris is currently the IT Manager at the UCLA Department of English. Chris provides technology support for faculty, staff, students in the Department of English and Writing Programs.