Elections are now being conducted for the 2021 – 2022 Staff Assembly Council for Finance Chair Elect and Council Communications & Special Programs Chair Elect.

Polling opens: Monday, June 21  6:00 P.M. 

Polling closes: Monday, June 28  9:00 P.M. 

Vote Online Here

Elections for the Vice Chair position were held June 2 – June 9.

Our goal is to provide expanded opportunities for your involvement in Staff Assembly and to build an organization that has a positive influence on the future of UCI in a rapidly changing workplace.

If you would like to participate in a non-elected position with Staff Assembly, email Vice Chair Amanda Garcia-Hall or Chair Connie Cheng.

Positions and Candidates

Statements have been provided by each of the candidates and are included below. Detailed information about the positions is available on the Elected Administrative Officers page.

Vice Chair

• John Bodenschatz

Finance Chair Elect

• Emily Jen

Council Communications & Special Programs Chair Elect

• Duane Rohrbacher
• Kaeleigh Hayakawa

Candidate Statements

Vice Chair

John Bodenschatz

Director of Finance

School of Humanities

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to have been nominated for the role of Vice Chair for Staff Assembly. If elected, I would strive to use my service to forward UCI staff interests not just across the campus, but also systemwide. Collaborating with our strong standing committees, I will work to maintain current programming. Working together with Staff Assembly and staff members at large, I plan to identify campus staff needs as they emerge and work to raise these needs with campus leadership. During the past year, I helped form the Staff Assembly Special Committee on Campus Culture. This committee has been hosting valuable events aimed at preparing staff to engage on challenging topics that impact our campus culture. In the years prior to that, I served as the campus delegate for the systemwide Council of UC Staff Assemblies. While serving in this capacity, I was able to amplify staff voices when deliberating the recently enacted parental leave revisions. I also had the opportunity to directly, and successfully, advocate on behalf of staff with the UC Regents when the matter of increased employee contributions to our retirement plan was being considered. I was selected to serve on the systemwide advisory board to the UC President for employee health benefits. The totality of my campus and systemwide service when included with my 26 years of employment at UCI gives me a wide breadth of knowledge that prepares me well for the role of Vice Chair for Staff Assembly. I believe that I have proven myself a strong advocate for campus staff and a worthy nominee for this critical role.

Finance Chair Elect

Emily Jen

Senior Finance Analyst

School of Humanities

I appreciate what Staff Assembly has done for UCI staff and want to take this opportunity to give back to the community. I hope my finance experience on campus can help Staff Assembly run events and activities smoothly, as we embrace going back on campus and having in-person interactions.

Council Communications & Special Programs Chair Elect

Duane Rohrbacher

Director of Development, Health Sciences, Pharm & Public Health

Pharmaceutical Sciences

After serving for over three years as the communications chair for a California-wide higher education committee and serving for a year as the Board Chair of an Orange County community-based organization for not-for-profits, I’m ready to serve as the Communications Chair for UCI’s Staff Assembly. As a Director of Development for the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, I serve as a liaison between UCI faculty and our Alumni and philanthropic communities. As part of a large team in Health Advancement, I’m constantly navigating the personalities, workstyles, and communications among various internal and external stakeholders, which makes me an ideal candidate for this position. I have experience managing personal and professional websites and managing high-leverage events as well. I’m excited to tackle this role and become a part of Staff Assembly’s leadership.

Kaeleigh Hayakawa

Violence Prevention Coordinator

Campus Assault Resources & Education – CARE

As an alum who has been fortunate enough to rejoin the UCI community in a new capacity, this campus and those who work and live on it I hold near to my heart. In my role as Violence Prevention Coordinator, I work specifically with graduate students, staff, and faculty to support the cultivation of spaces and communities that promote wellness and engagement and actively combat harm and violence.  Through this role, I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with wonderful fellow staff who share a vision of a connected and supported community and campus that values and uplifts the diversity of the individuals who are a part of it. I hope to contribute my extensive experience with event planning, collaborative program development, and project management to the Council Communications & Special Programs Chair-Elect role, and I believe my approach as a compassionate leader and my desire to foster community with and among our staff and administrators aligns strongly with the goals of Staff Assembly. I am honored to be nominated for this role, excited for the possibilities it brings, and hopeful that Staff Assembly’s continued work and dedication provides the support the staff community needs during this time. Thank you for your consideration!