Meet HDAE: Celebrating Engagement Work Groups and Career Advancement Stories
The Employee Engagement Work Groups orchestrated the inaugural “Meet HDAE” event held on May 14. This initiative stemmed from our employees' desire to gain insight into the diverse functions of HDAE departments beyond their own. Each unit appointed representatives to host informative tables, allowing attendees to engage directly with individuals from various departments. Beyond showcasing unit diversity, the event served as a platform to acquaint our staff with the myriad benefits offered by HDAE and our campus at large.
This event served as a culmination of a year-long effort to increase employee engagement. Join us in showing our deep appreciation to our work group members.
Career Advancement
Nestor Covarrubias
Amy Jacobs
Angelica Diaz
Jose Gonzalez
Julie Ballesteros
Terrie Tran
Recognition & Appreciation
Whitney Morris
Camille Locklear
Brian Smith
Chris Harton
Dan Yokubaitis
Jennifer Birchim
Havalin Nyivih
Jason Quezada
Jill Singletary
Michele Kunz
Work Life Balance
Yasmin Quigley
Gracie Huerta
Alejandra Orozco
David Sanders
Hugo Rios
Jared Martinez
Jarrod Colvin
Kaity Vallercamp
Lori Nicolaides
Martina Ubaldo
Highlighting career advancement opportunities across Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises was a key component of the Meet HDAE event. Thanks to the commitment to professional development from HDAE’s visionary leader, Willie Brown, many long-time employees have had dynamic careers all within our departments. Here are a few of their stories.
Maria Arroyo, Administrative Services Coordinator, Apartments
Tell us about your career path within Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises.
Back in September 1990, I was looking for a full-time job and what brought me to UCSB and HDAE was needing access to good health benefits. I was happy to apply for a senior custodial position and was hired in Anacapa Hall. In that position, I was exposed to a diverse work environment, meeting students from different parts of the world. After a few years, a new position was created called a Residence Hall Manager and they needed a lead custodian position, I was the first senior custodian to be promoted to a lead custodian. I was in charge of student workers and delegating tasks. I was also encouraged to take personal development classes, and I challenged myself to complete the Supervisor Certificate Program. I also was one of the first participants to take the Professional Competency Program when it was first offered as a bilingual program and I continued to support the program in addition to my role. When the University took over Santa Ynez, the leadership thought I was ready to take over the supervision of off-campus custodians, overseeing Santa Ynez, El Dorado, and Westgate. After a few years, I was approached about a position in Family Student Housing and I chose it as an opportunity to cross-train and to follow my interest in working with kids. I felt like all of the roles in my personal life as a mother, a wife, and a grandmother would prepare me for the role and I absolutely loved it. I was officially hired in 2000 at Family Student Housing, and I’ve been able to apply my knowledge of operations and other skills I had developed in all of my previous roles. I brought together all of my knowledge to be successful in this role.
What type of support did you receive to advance in your career in HDAE?
I’m really grateful that Willie Brown believes in professional development and sets money aside to invest in employees. I was given the opportunity and the tools to be able to advance in my career, with the support of supervisors and the opportunity to take classes and trainings. Not only was I encouraged, but the budget was there to support my participation.
How would you encourage others to advance their careers within HDAE?
I’ve served as a mentor to staff throughout my career. I’ve encouraged women, like Shelly Vargas, to grow professionally. I think of her as a mini-me, as a woman who had a high desire to learn. What we need as women is someone who we can look to as a role model for advancement and the tools, inspiration, and desire to go after open opportunities. I always tell women not to cheat themselves when going after opportunities. We need to be able to speak openly and directly about our skills and what we have to offer. We are modeling “Si, se puede,” we really can do it; we can go after opportunities; we can get promoted. If you don’t ask, you can’t get. If you don’t try, you won’t know.
Chris Harton, General Manager at Ortega Dining
Tell us about your career path within Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises.
My first job with our department was with Ortega Dining as a student employee back in 2001. I still remember a lot about my start with Ortega - The manager who hired me, the student supervisor who showed me around on my first day, and washing pots on my first shift.
I spent my first couple of years with Ortega, becoming familiar with every position that was available to the student supervisor. I had an opportunity to apply for student manager with the re-opening of the newly remodeled De La Guerra, so I took it and was given the position during my last year as a student at UCSB. After graduation, a front house manager position opened up at Carrillo. I decided to go for it as I really enjoyed the work I had been doing with the department over the years.
I was hired and spent about four and a half years at Carrillo. During that time, I realized that I still enjoyed this work, and set my sights on a General Manager position in the department. I felt that I needed some additional experience to make myself a legitimate candidate for such a position, so I left UCSB and was given an opportunity to be the general manager of Jeannine's Bakery & Restaurant in Montecito, but hoping that I'd be able to return to UCSB. After Three and a half years there, I was lucky enough to be able to return as the Production Manager at De La Guerra. I spent almost 10 years there, making sure I was ready when the opportunity for a General Manager position would come around. Sure enough, it did, and I am now the General Manager of Ortega Dining.
How would you encourage others to advance their careers within HDAE?
I think the first step is figuring out what you want to do. Pinpoint what you believe is a realistic and attainable career goal. Assuming that goal is with your current department, in general, I believe it's a good idea to speak with your supervisors/managers to let them know you have that goal and ask for advice on some things you can do to help you get there. Seek out people who may have taken similar paths to one you wish you travel to ask them for advice, and see what worked for them. Even if your goals will take you to a different department, or even away from campus, I believe this advice still stands.
Camille Locklear, Human Resources Generalist
What was your first job within Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises?
I started as a Customer Service Coordinator in the Operations Service Center (OSC) in Residential Operations. That position helps coordinate maintenance work and respond to customer needs around maintenance, housekeeping, and grounds services offered by Res Ops.
I worked in the OSC for about 5 years before applying for a promotional opportunity in Residential Operations. That next position was a Human Resources and Training Analyst for Res Ops and the start of my HR career. I hadn’t planned to go into the field of HR, but at the time had the skill and experience from previous positions to do that work. Once I started to do real HR work, I found I really loved it! I find it to be a great combination of my education in communications and my love of helping people. I was in that role for about 6 years when another growth opportunity in HDAE came about and I applied for that position and got the job. That is my current position, as an HR Generalist for HDAE. I love to collaborate with all the varied departments in HDAE and with all of our amazing staff!
What type of support did you receive to advance in your career in HDAE?
I have had supportive supervisors who have encouraged me and allowed time for professional development when possible. Sometimes those supervisors have asked me to take on challenging projects, and although that can be hard, it absolutely has prepared me to further my skills and experience.
I am also so blessed to be part of an organization like HDAE that commits to Learning & Development. I have taken nearly every class I could in my 17 years at UCSB. I have taken Professional Competency Programs, Crucial Conversations, and other classes offered over the years through HDAE. I also completed the campus Supervisory Certificate Program and participated in Toastmasters for several years to work on public speaking. More recently, I completed the HR Management Certification through UCSB Professional & Continuing Education.
Whitney Morris, Director of Conferences & Hospitality Services
Tell us about your career path within Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises.
I started my career at UCSB as a student Administrative Assistant working in the 1501 Housing office. I was hired by Laura Ray and Julie Levangie became my supervisor shortly thereafter. I worked at the front desk of 1501 during the academic year and as a Conference Coordinator during the summers. After graduating in 2000, I worked in local event planning and later fundraised for a private K-8 school. I returned to UCSB in 2003 as a Conference Manager, later became Assistant Director, and have been the Director since 2019. I'm so fortunate to be working in Conference & Hospitality Services for 21 years now. I collaborate with both the Conference and The Club & Guest House teams, which are long-standing, respected, and valuable assets of the University community. Together, we assist a variety of constituents including student leadership, outreach, faith-based, professional, athletic, environmental, and academic groups achieve their program goals here on campus.
What type of support did you receive to advance in your career in HDAE?
I feel like I grew up here in HDAE. My previous supervisors were terrific role models -- intelligent, compassionate, organized, dependable, and truly supportive of my career advancement. They introduced me early on to key responsibilities like budgeting, summer bedspace allocation, and managing complex conferences so that I could have a broader understanding of our department and the overall organization. They included me in larger planning meetings and decision-making, and it was exciting to learn new things and have them as mentors. HDAE has always been a nurturing environment with many professional development opportunities and creative outlets. Not every organization lets you make a Carpool Karaoke video for the Town Hall.
Shelly Vargas, Residence Hall Manager
Tell us about your career path within Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises.
I started working in September 1997 at San Nicholas residence hall as a senior custodian for seven years. After that, I moved to Santa Catalina and worked as a lead laborer for two and a half years. Then, I moved to Manzanita and worked there for three years. I got promoted to a custodial supervisor for maintenance and housekeeping and moved to San Miguel. After that, I promoted as assistant manager to San Clemente villages and worked there for six and a half years. After all those years, I was promoted as a Residence Hall Manager and moved to the Channel Islands Five, and my office is in Santa Rosa, but oversee all five halls. This role is more responsibility, increased the number of direct reports and we have over 600 students in each building. I love being able to see students and interacting with them throughout the day. I’ve been working here for six years and that’s my years here at HDAE, almost 26 years. I feel comfortable on campus and am so happy to still be working here. I love my job.
What type of support did you receive to advance in your career in HDAE?
I feel very grateful to work for this department. I started as a custodian and was promoted to different positions. It wasn’t easy, especially for me as a person who speaks English as a second language. The department, however, gave us so much support, like the Supervisor’s Certificate Program and other leadership development courses. I always wanted to do my job better and learn more, so I went the extra mile and went outside of work to take different courses. I had a lot of supervisors and coworkers who encouraged me. Lastly, I’ve always admired Willie Brown. He always, always supported the professional development classes. We are very lucky and very blessed to work in HDAE because not every company has what we have in Mr. Brown.
Note: Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.