Excellence in Management

Do you have a manager or supervisor who truly makes a difference?

The Berkeley Staff Assembly is accepting nominations for the 2026 Excellence in Management (EIM) Awards—our annual opportunity to celebrate campus leaders who inspire, support, and empower their teams.

This year’s theme, Leading Through Uncertainty: Vision, Resilience, and Mission-Driven Leadership, recognizes and celebrates leaders who guide others through turbulence and uncertainty with clarity, courage, and a strong commitment to mission. These individuals not only navigate challenges but also inspire others with a forward-looking vision that keeps our values and goals at the center.

2025-26 Excellence in Management Award Nomination Form

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).

Nominations must come directly from staff supervised by the nominee and include signatures from at least 50% of those staff (student employees cannot be counted).
A complete nomination packet includes:

The nomination form.
A nomination letter (max 800 words) following the provided guidelines (to be uploaded as part of nomination form). It should include: (1) how the Nominator(s) in the unit/department benefit from Manager/Supervisor’s role in the unit/department; (2) specific examples describing how Manager/Supervisor meets the theme; (3) Signatures from at least 50% of staff who directly report to the nominee (represented or non-represented; student staff are not eligible; submitted as .doc or .pdf as part of the nomination form).
A screenshot or printout from People Search (https://portal.berkeley.edu/people/search) showing the Manager/Supervisor’s title and Direct Reports (.doc, .pdf, or .png are accepted file types).

The EIM Award is distinct from the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award (COSA)

Nomination is not a guarantee of selection. All decisions will be announced by email.

Evaluation Criteria (see exemplars in section below)

Category	Example Characteristics
Vision	Strategic thinking, long-term focus, inspires others
Resilience	Calm under pressure, adaptive, steady presence
Mission Alignment	Values-driven, ethical, purposeful
Empowerment	Trust-building, collaborative, coaching mindset
Communication	Transparent, consistent, empathetic

Examples of what you might highlight:

Providing clarity and steadiness during periods of uncertainty
Communicating a forward-looking vision that centers mission and values
Making courageous, thoughtful decisions amid challenges
Supporting team resilience, morale, and adaptability
Guiding staff through ambiguity with transparency, empathy, and purpose

Other resources to consult:

Exemplar Characteristics

1. Visionary Thinking

Paints a compelling picture of the future, even when the path is unclear

Aligns team goals with a bigger purpose or mission

Anticipates future challenges and plans proactively

Helps others see opportunities where others see roadblocks

Example: During a period of departmental restructuring, the manager created a roadmap that clearly explained how staff roles would evolve—and how this change would support long-term growth.

2. Resilience Under Pressure

Stays calm and composed during organizational stress or rapid change
Maintains optimism without minimizing real challenges
Supports the team emotionally and professionally through tough times
Models flexibility—adapts to change and encourages others to do the same

Example: When faced with staffing shortages, the leader remained calm, prioritized workloads transparently, and regularly checked in with team morale to prevent burnout.

3. Mission-Driven Decision Making

Uses the organization’s mission as a guide when making hard decisions
Ensures that day-to-day actions reflect long-term values
Doesn’t take shortcuts—remains ethical and grounded in purpose

Example: Instead of choosing a quick fix that would compromise service quality, the manager involved the team in finding a sustainable, values-aligned solution.

4. Empowerment and Trust

Encourages staff to take initiative and contribute ideas
Builds a culture where people feel safe to speak up—even when things are uncertain
Recognizes individual strengths and supports professional growth

Example: When navigating a policy shift, the manager formed a small working group of staff to help co-create new workflows, giving team members ownership of the solution.

5. Clear and Compassionate Communication

Keeps staff informed and avoids surprises
Explains the “why” behind decisions
Communicates with honesty—even when delivering hard news
Listens actively and adjusts based on feedback

Example: Before rolling out a significant change, the leader held open forums to answer questions, address fears, and acknowledge the difficulty of the transition.

Have questions?

To support strong nominations, we’re offering virtual drop-in sessions.

By the end of the session, you will receive feedback and support on how to write a strong nomination letter.

Can’t join us? Check out the Excellence in Management Nomination Guide: How to Prepare a Strong Submission 1-pager.

Nomination Deadline

Friday, February 6, 2026.

Celebrate With Us

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

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
Raymond Fong, Pre-Award Team Lead, Berkeley Regional Services - ProS Region
Diane Lang, Academic Department Manager, Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology
Russell Maan, Case Manager, Center for Support & Intervention
Weixing Ou, Research Administrator, Berkeley Regional Services - ERSO Region
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
Yanni Zhang, Manager of Finance and Business Operations, Berkeley Center for Health Technology & UC Berkeley Labor Occupational Health Program

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