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Adminstration Equity Council Launches New Speaker Series

Equity Council_inside article

Creating and supporting a work environment for the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce within UCLA Administration has resulted in the creation of the Administration Equity Council.

Established in April 2021, the council is chaired by Anne Dela Cruz, director, human resources and payroll operations center, Campus Human Resources and is comprised of the following 14 equity advisors:

  • Tina Chen, director of budget and finance; Housing and Hospitality
  • Rob Diaz, estimator/planner; Facilities Management
  • Arnulfo Garcia, financial analyst; Financial and Organizational Services
  • Alyssa Leiva, controlled substances program administrator; Environment, Health and Safety
  • Jonnah Llamas, commuter and parking business analyst; Events and Transportation
  • Lizette Martinez, principal finance analyst; Facilities Management
  • Veronica Martinez, human resource manager; Events and Transportation
  • Robert Parker, manager of customer relations; Facilities Management
  • Zachary Patalingjug, manager, consulting and contract services; IT Services
  • Karla Pérez-Mendoz, chair, world languages and cultures; PreK-12 Schools
  • Sandra Ramirez, office manager; Central Ticket Office
  • Harry Standberry, administrative sergeant; UCPD
  • Val Trullinger, communications and content specialist, IT Services
  • Charles Wilcots, associate director, Housing and Hospitality

The council recently held its first retreat with all equity advisors, as well as members of the Administration Leadership Team who attended for part of the day. The day featured keynote speaker Andy Cofino, director of the UCLA LGBT Resource Center, who discussed ways in which the council can support LGBTQIA+ communities at UCLA. Those in attendance learned about the foundational concepts and language related to gender and sexuality, the importance of proper pronoun usage, the work UCLA has done to support trans and nonbinary community members through policy and California state law, and the services and resources offered by the LGBT Resource Center.

In addition, the equity council kicked off its speakers’ series with a talk by UCPD Officer London McBride, who provided an overview of the role of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the lives of everyday people and how to promote awareness and discussions around EDI, broaden horizons, and challenge us all to all be better community members.

The series’ second speaker was Daniel Solorzano, a professor of social science and comparative education in the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, who discussed people’s effectiveness at reorganizing and using the concepts of racial microaggressions and racial microaffirmations in an out of work and in social spaces.