Excellence in Management

Celebrate With Us

Award recipients will be honored at the in-person EIM Award Ceremony on May 4, 2026

The Berkeley Staff Assembly is honored to announce the recipients of the 38th annual Excellence in Management (EIM) Award. These leaders have been recognized for their exceptional ability to guide their teams through challenges with clarity and purpose over the past year.

This year’s theme, “Leading Through Uncertainty: Vision, Resilience, and Mission-Driven Leadership,” highlights managers who foster environments of steadiness and courage. By centering Berkeley’s mission and values, these awardees have empowered their teams to remain resilient and adaptable even in ambiguous times.

2026 Award Recipients

Congratulations to these 24 outstanding managers and supervisors who embody the spirit of resilience and vision.

Award Recipient Name	Department
Alejandro Gomez	People & Culture (Talent Acquisition)
Allyse Rudolph	Public Health Administration
Amanda Loo	University Development & Alumni Relations (Student Experience and Diversity)
Anne-Marie Harvey	University Development & Alumni Relations (Principal Gifts & Strategic Initiatives)
Brian Warshawsky	Research Administration & Compliance
Charlotte Russell	Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination
Ciera Martinez	Environmental Science, Policy, & Management
Colleen Conniff	Financial Aid & Scholarships Office
Dan Bakley	Financial Aid & Scholarships Office
Erin Skelly	Berkeley International Office
Jake Jerzy	Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Janna Conway-Hamilton	Bioengineering
Jennifer Sierras	University Development & Alumni Relations
Jeremy Alberga	Bakar BioEnginuity Hub
Judy Smithson	Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Julia Flinker	Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
Kelvin Lu	Biological, Environmental, Science & Technology (BEST) Region
Layla Naranjo	Student Affairs (People and Administrative Services)
Leslie Harlson	Berkeley Discovery
María García-Álvarez	Space Planning
Maya Weltman-Fahs	Environmental Science, Policy, & Management
Roia Ferrazares	Physics
Serena Groen	Political Science
Terence Kissack	University Development & Alumni Relations (Prospect Development)

Excellence in Management Award Ceremony

In-person invitations for this event will be provided to the supervisors receiving awards and their employees who nominated them.

Date: Monday, May 4, 2026
Time: 1:00 - 2:00 p.m., followed by a reception from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Keynote Speakers: Chancellor Rich K. Lyons and Lasana Hotep, Director of Staff Engagement & Belonging

Opportunities for the Campus Community to Join the Celebration

Virtually: We encourage the broader campus community to join us via webinar. Please check out the EIM Committee webpage–the link will be posted there shortly.
Recording: If you are unable to join live, the ceremony will be recorded and posted on the EIM Committee webpage

If you have any questions, please contact the BSA EIM Committee at bsa_eim@berkeley.edu

Thank you for helping us uplift and celebrate the incredible leadership across UC Berkeley.

About the Excellence in Management Award

The award honors exemplary managers and supervisors who have led their teams and team members to meaningful accomplishments this past year.

Award Rules & Requirements

The EIM Award is open to career, non-academic employees with at least one year of management or supervisory experience in their current roles (including interim roles).

2025-26 Excellence in Management Committee

Chairs:

Amanda Gill, Academic Program Director, School of Information
Almadora Henry, Financial Analyst, Dept of IEOR & BioE

Committee Members:

Diana Chávez, Career Services + Employer Engagement Director, Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
Jonathan Chew, Senior Development Associate, Individual Giving, College of Computing, Data Science, and Society
Hannah Bloom, Policies and Programs Senior Analyst, Self-Supporting Graduate Professional Degree Programs (SSGPDPs), Graduate Division
Russell Maan, Case Manager, Center for Support & Intervention
Ashley Spinelli, Director, Global Engagement Office Division of the Vice Provost for Academic Planning
Sherrie Stewart, Development Associate and Advancement Events Manager, School of Optometry
Linda Waterfield, Head of Registration, Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology

To volunteer for this committee, or find out more about the Excellence in Management Award, please contact the Co-Chairs at bsa_eim@berkeley.edu.

Past Winners

Congratulations to these 27 outstanding managers and supervisors who received the 2025 Excellence in Management award!

Award recipient name	Department
Adriana Solís-López	Development and Alumni Relations, Berkeley Haas
Aileen Liu	L&S Division of Undergraduate Studies
Amy Weissenbacher	Student Affairs Procurement
Carolyn Knight	Facilities Services IT
Cathy Kodama	Health and Wellbeing, University Health Services, Health Promotion
Clarity White	BEARS - Berkeley Regional Services
Eric Askins	The Haas School of Business
Gregory Cera	L&S Advising
Hüseyin Sarı	Educational Design and Technology
Ingrid McKenney	Development and Alumni Relations
James Collins	The Office of the Registrar
Jennifer Siecienski	UC Berkeley Student Union
Jeremy Brooks	Berkeley Career Engagement
Jesse Dieker	Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology
Karla Sanchez	SHARE/BEST - Berkeley Regional Services
Kellie Brennan	Civil Rights, Whistleblower & Clery Compliance
Kerry Franzetta	Financial Aid and Scholarships
Kim Sapp Dinwiddie	University Development & Alumni Relations
Laurie Haskell-Woerner	School of Information
Leslie Harlson	Berkeley Discovery
Mariam Mohammad	UC Berkeley Extension, Admissions & Student Services
Dr. Marissa Nichols	Intercollegiate Athletics-Cameron Institute
Marjorie Degraca	Haas School of Business
Nadege Thorez-Oparin	UC Berkeley Extension
Rachel Crow	Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs
Robbie Powers	Civil & Environmental Engineering
Sunny Lee	Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor & Dean of Students