Email | Phone: 310-794-3437
Alfonso Aguilera is the senior director of marketing research for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, he was the assistant director of business analysis & performance reporting for UCLA’s Finance & Information Management group within External Affairs. He has 20 years of experience in corporate finance, product pricing, and budgeting and performance reporting.
Aguilera’s areas of expertise include strategic and operational planning as well as building productive and effective team environments. His knowledge base in these areas has developed from prior domestic and international work assignments across numerous industries such as oil & gas, computer technology and aerospace.
Aguilera is a graduate of UCLA and holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and psychology as well as a master’s degree from the Anderson Graduate School of Management.
Aguilera is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0537
Burke Anderson is the reservations manager of the James West Alumni Center. Previously, he worked as an event director for Regal Rents and an event coordinator for the Getty Center. Anderson brings 10 years of experience to the Association in event and venue management. His areas of expertise include event production, logistical planning and team building.
A graduate of the University of Idaho, Anderson holds a bachelor of arts in English as well as a bachelor of science in psychology.
Anderson is a native of Burley, Idaho.
Email | Phone: 310-825-9066
Ewa Barylak is the finance assistant for the UCLA Alumni Association. Barylak began her career as a finance assistant in the Department of Electronics at the Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland. She has experience in bookkeeping, general accounting, financial administration and management.
After moving to the United States, Barylak spent more than 10 years as a full charge bookkeeper, accountant and, eventually, senior accountant for two private corporates in the San Fernando Valley.
A graduate of the Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland, Barylak holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and management and a master’s degree with honors in organization and management in industry.
Barylak loves to spend her spare time reading, listening to music and sharing a laugh with her much loved friends and adored family. One day, she hopes to finish writing her family cookbook, filled with delightful Polish entrées, and compiling her full family tree.
A native of Poland, she enjoys the beautiful sunny weather and the wonderful beaches here in Southern California. She and her family reside in West Hills.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0622
George Brown is the director of Alumni Scholarships at the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, he was director of membership for the YMCA. George has nearly a decade of experience in student recruitment, scholarship management and student programming.
Brown is a member of the Black Staff and Faculty Association at UCLA. He is also a volunteer at West Angeles Church of God in Christ and St. Jerome Catholic Church.
Brown’s areas of expertise include building strong teams, scholarship program development and management, student programming and student recruitment.
A graduate of California State University, Northridge, Brown holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Brown is a native of Los Angeles.
Email | Phone: 310-206-8907
Silvia Orvietani Busch is director, college alumni outreach and engagement, a joint position she holds with the UCLA Alumni Association and the UCLA College. Previously, she was the research program associate for the UCLA Strategic Research Initiatives office. She has more than 15 years of experience in project development, management and public relations.
Busch’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, creating and expanding alumni involvement with the UCLA College and the campus, program development and building collaboration amongst campus constituencies. She supervises alumni relations in the UCLA College, facilitating the interaction of alumni with departments and developing engagement opportunities for all College alumni.
Busch holds a doctorate degree in history from UCLA. Her academic book, Medieval Mediterranean Ports, was published in 2000. She also has a master’s degree in medieval history and archaeology from the University of Pisa, Italy. She has supervised archaeological excavations in Tuscany and published several articles.
Busch is a native of Italy.
Email | Phone: 310-983-1198
Marcia Campbell is the alumni services and promotions manager for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she was the customer care lead/blogger for MyShape.com. After graduating from college, she also spent time as a membership services associate at the Sierra Club headquarters.
Campbell’s areas of expertise include training and development, problem-solving, sales and communications. A volunteer for such organizations as the family literacy foundation, Meals On Wheels, Special Olympics and several after-school tutoring programs, she is excited about the opportunity to use her skills to promote higher education.
A graduate of San Francisco State University, Campbell she holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities with a concentration in cross-cultural arts. She also received an associate degree in merchandise marketing from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Campbell is a native of San Diego. She currently lives in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles and enjoys museums, live music, traveling and scouring local boutiques.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0556
Prior to joining the Alumni Association, Mary Conradt worked in External Affairs Advancement Services, Organizational Planning and Development supporting training events, conducting research and job analysis and coordinating new employee hiring processes. Before coming to UCLA, she worked at Pepperdine University’s business school for more than nine years counseling and recruiting students for executive MBA programs. As director of academic affairs, she worked with faculty, managed the budget and financial resources and coordinated special events, including graduation, faculty meetings and annual leadership conferences.
In all, Conradt has more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and education. A leader in the Parents Teachers Association, she was president at the local and state levels. As a regional vice president at the national level, she conducted training and development for six state boards. She served on the education subcommittee of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and the University of Nebraska. She also co-founded and managed an insurance agency, serving as vice president in charge of marketing and customer service for 12 years.
A native of Nebraska, Conradt earned her bachelor of science in elementary education. In 2003, she received a master of business administration and in 2011 a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University.
Email | Phone: 310-206-4458
Courteney Cosso is director of the Bruin Varsity Club for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she managed the club from within the UCLA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, but through a recent collaboration and partnership she is employed now by the Alumni Association as well. She has three years experience working in Intercollegiate Athletics fundraising, marketing, membership and event planning.
Cosso currently manages the Bruin Varsity Club Mentoring & Networking Program, which helps current and former student athletes with professional development and career networking.
A former member of the UCLA Women’s Soccer team, Cosso earned her B.A. in English from UCLA. She is a member of the National Letterwinners Association of America. In 2006, she went on to earn her J.D. from Chapman University School of Law.
Cosso grew up in Arcadia, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0410
Anthony Cube has worked in marketing with the UCLA Alumni Association since 2005. He is responsible for communicating and promoting student outreach and engagement programs, volunteer opportunities, BruinWorks (online network tool for alumni), Alumni Scholars Club activities, department and professional school communications and the UCLA Spirit Squad. Cube is also responsible for marketing some of the Association’s marquee events including the Beat ᾿SC Bonfire and Rally, Spring Sing and UCLA Awards.
Prior to joining UCLA, Cube worked for the Josephson Institute of Ethics for more than seven years as an educational programs manager. He was responsible for coordinating and marketing nationwide training seminars for a character education program called CHARACTER COUNTS!
Cube graduated from UC Irvine with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He grew up in Los Angeles and enjoys spending time with his wife and three little girls, and watching sports.
Email | Phone: 310-206-4715
Since January 1991, Mark Davis has been an integral part of the UCLA Alumni Association’s communication and marketing efforts. Davis is an award-winning writer and contributor to UCLA Magazine. He created and edited the Association’s UCLAlumni magazine for 10 years, began its first e-mail newsletter and helped develop its first Web site.
Davis has been a speaker at CASE Editors’ Forums and the California State University’s annual marketing and communication conference. Davis’s freelance writing has appeared in GLUE, The Advocate, The Lutheran, Florida Physician, Cincinnati Magazine and LA Weekly, and he edited the novel Tomorrow They Will Kiss (Little, Brown, 2006). He edited AngelNews and served as Divine Design event coordinator for Project AngelFood. Prior to coming to UCLA, Davis worked for the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.
Davis serves on the Executive Board and various committees of the Southwest California Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. His hobbies are cooking, traveling, reading and music. He earned his B.S. from University of Evansville and did graduate work at University of Cincinnati.
Email | Phone: 310-794-5186
Jay Dillon is a Bruin through and through. As Executive Director, Alumni Strategic Initiatives, he oversees new alumni marketing and program initiatives such as Bruin Careers, a suite of career services for UCLA’s 400,000 graduates, and Bruin Recruitment, a nationwide effort to involve alumni in encouraging out-of-state students to attend UCLA. Dillon also provides leadership in management of the Alumni Scholarships program, which awards over $1 million in merit scholarships annually.
Previously, Dillon served as the project manger for BruinWorks.com, an online professional networking site for UCLA alumni, and lead the remodel of the James West Alumni Center. He has also worked in business development, membership acquisition and customer service at the Association.
Dillon is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Council of Alumni Marketing and Membership Professionals and the West Coast Marketing Group.
A proud graduate of UCLA, Dillon holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master of music degree in choral conducting.
Dillon is a native of Riverside, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-2139
As the senior director of alumni marketing and membership, Natalee Ellars is responsible for the day-to-day oversight and management of the UCLA Alumni Association marketing and membership teams.
Prior to joining UCLA, Ellars was vice president for business development and marketing for Young Communications Group, Inc., an advertising agency representing the full spectrum of nonprofit clients, from education to wellness. Previously, she served as vice president of marketing for OneUnited Bank and vice president and segment manager for Union Bank of California. In those positions, Ellars developed social media marketing and online strategies to reach a national audience, directed membership campaigns, envisioned short-term and long-term campaigns to increase visibility in major markets and customized messages, marketing materials and constituent communications to reflect organizational values and increase engagement.
Ellars is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College with a degree in history and organizational psychology. She has a passion for community service and has contributed more than 2,500 hours volunteering with nonprofit organizations throughout Los Angeles. She currently serves as the board president for Center For Health Justice.
Email | Phone: 310-825-0943
Marisa Feng manages websites for the UCLA Alumni Association. Before coming to the Association, she was a Flash designer at Disney Park and Resort Online. Prior to Disney, Feng worked in a small design firm and developed art, cultural and educational websites for institutions including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Getty Center, Pacific Asia Museum, Columbia Space Learning Center, UCLA Fowler Museum, USC Archival Research Center, USC Norman Lear Center and the Gamble House. Feng has more than ten years of experience in web design and development.
Feng’s areas of expertise include graphic design, web information architecture and email marketing. Feng brings to the Association her high quality design, ability to bridge technology and marketing and passion to create the best user experience.
A graduate of UCLA, Feng holds a bachelor’s degree in English.
Feng is a native of the People’s Republic of China.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0684
As senior director, alumni outreach and engagement for the UCLA Alumni Association, Cia Ford is engaged in UCLA’s alumni relations efforts with the UCLA College, professional schools and other campus entities. She has worked at the Association since 1990 and at
UCLA since 1985.
Ford brings expertise in the broad areas of networking, data collection, volunteer management and continuing volunteer education.
She is a native of Billings, Mont.
Email | Phone: 310-794-5189
In 2010 Estellaleigh Franenberg celebrates 10 years of service at UCLA. Currently, she is a director, alumni marketing and communications, for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she was the Association’s member services manager for seven years.
Her areas of expertise include targeted and constituency-based marketing and communications, high-level customer service, campus and community relations and volunteer recruitment.
Franenberg is an active champion of breast cancer treatment, research, and awareness and has walked hundreds of miles training and fundraising for both the Susan G. Komen 3-Day and Avon walks for breast cancer. She is also a member of World ORT, an international not-for-profit promoter of education and training with more than 200,000 beneficiaries worldwide.
A graduate of San Diego State University, Franenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in theater. She is also a proud Bruin in spirit if not by degree and a life member of the UCLA Alumni Association.
Franenberg is a native of Lake Elsinore, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-2793
Byron Gonzalez is the building services coordinator for the UCLA Alumni Association. He has more than 10 years of experience working for UCLA External Affairs.
Gonzalez’s areas of expertise include messenger services, building services and bulk mail distribution.
Gonzalez has been selected to participate in UCLA’s Staff Enrichment Program. He is a graduate of Culver City High School.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0691
Before joining the UCLA Alumni Association as senior manager of alumni networks, Alex Gruenberg served as a student affairs administrator for The George Washington University. He brings five years of higher education experience to the Association and expertise in volunteer recruitment and management, branding and marketing, and organizational development.
Gruenberg has also served the Association as a volunteer leader, as both a board member and later president of the UCLA Alumni Network of Washington D.C.
A proud UCLA graduate, Gruenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in political science as well as a Master of Public Administration from The George Washington University.
He is a native of Santa Barbara, Calif., and currently resides in Westwood.
Email | Phone: 310-825-0603
Brenda Heslin is the graphic design assistant of the UCLA Alumni Association. She joined the Alumni Association with five years of previous experience in design and marketing communications, including work as a graphic designer for clients such as Seattle's Best Coffee, Cinnabon, Buca di Beppo, Baja Fresh, Mazda, Catalina Island and the Loyola Marymount University Alumni Association.
Heslin holds two bachelor’s degrees: one in graphic design from The Art Institute of California, Orange County, and another in English with a minor in studio arts from Loyola Marymount University.
Heslin is a native of Fountain Valley, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-794-5188
Michelle Horak is the alumni representative at the UCLA Alumni Association. She previously worked with alumni services for four years as an undergraduate student worker.
From a family full of Bruins, Horak is the third to serve at the UCLA Alumni Association. Both her sister and her uncle served the UCLA community at the James West Alumni Center as students and graduates, and she is proud to continue the tradition. Her areas of expertise include customer service, marketing and, as a recent graduate, general campus knowledge and involvement.
As a student, Horak worked to promote sustainability at UCLA with various campus organizations, including Education for a Sustainable Living Program. She currently volunteers as a member of the advisory board for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Los Angeles Chapter.
Horak earned her B.A. from UCLA in world arts and cultures, with a minor in film. She is a native of Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-825-2308
Before joining the UCLA Alumni Association, Liam Humble had a diverse professional career in the fields of brand strategy, media and legal services. While a design student at UCLA, Humble worked with brand strategist and UCLA professor Rebeca Méndez researching and writing the history of Denim Day in L.A., an anti-rape awareness event put on by Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence, stalking, child abuse and youth violence prevention center based in Los Angeles. At the same time, he was a valuable member of the UCLA advertising and marketing team.
Humble’s areas of expertise include copywriting, brand strategy and graphic design. His lifelong passion for the written word and the arts has driven his educational path and professional aspirations.
A graduate of UCLA, Humble holds a B.A. in design and media arts. He is fortunate to have studied under such world renowned designers and professors as Méndez, Willem Henri Lucas, Vasa Mihich, Erkki Huhtamo, Christian Moeller, Casey Reas, Drew Schnurr and Victoria Vesna.
A native of Santa Rosa, Calif., in the heart of the California wine country, Humble comes from a long line of passionate public educators. His family’s commitment to education in the public sector is part of the reason he is honored to work at UCLA.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0659
As the marketing coordinator of the UCLA Alumni Association, Amy Hurwitz supports the marketing and communications team and stewards vendor relations with many internal and external partners.
Hurwitz is a life member of the UCLA Alumni Association and a lifelong Bruin. She attended Bruin Woods for many years, beginning at age two, and has been 8-clapping ever since. Though she is a product of a mixed marriage – a Trojan father and a Bruin mother – her commitment to UCLA has never wavered. As an undergraduate at UCLA, she held volunteer roles with the Student Alumni Association, the Senior Class Giving Committee and Dance Marathon. She was also involved in research through the sociology and anthropology departments and interned at Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles.
Hurwitz holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in interpersonal communication studies. She is a native of Tarzana, Calif. and loves the Southern California sun.
Email | Phone: 310-794-5202
Prior to joining the UCLA Alumni Association, Judy Ismaili was the volunteer coordinator for Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization on L.A.’s Skid Row, where she recruited and trained volunteers to teach job readiness skills to help homeless adults obtain employment and ultimately achieve self-sufficiency.
Before Chrysalis, Ismaili worked for 11 years as operations supervisor of the UCLA Student Health Service Primary Care Clinic, hiring, training and managing the administrative staff responsible for scheduling patient appointments and maintaining service calendars for the clinic physicians and nurse practitioners.
A graduate of UCLA, Ismaili holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a certificate to teach English as a second language.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0538
Isgouhi Kassakhian is responsible for management, operations and reservations of the James West Alumni Center. A focal point for high-profile events, the facility requires extensive maintenance and improvements on an ongoing basis to keep it up to standard.
Additionally, Kassakhian’s duties include budget administration and fiscal management; hiring, training and supervising; facility management and event coordination. She also manages building enhancement projects.
Kassakhian is involved with the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the largest Armenian philanthropic organization in the world, and the Gomidas Institute, which is an independent academic organization that promotes and disseminates research, scholarship and analysis related to the modern Armenian experience. Her passion is to see the recognition and affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
An alumna of UCLA, Kassakhian studied in Germany, England, Lebanon and Jerusalem before coming to the United States. She is multi-lingual and holds degrees in history and political science, with special emphasis on Middle Eastern and Armenian history.
Kassakhian was born in Jerusalem.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0068
Susan Kim is responsible for assisting in overall Web site content development and Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) coding, which allows staff to track audience participation and interactivity with the Association’s Web site and its broad-reaching Web strategies. She assists the Web manager and designer in bringing to light the full spectrum of electronic marketing output for various audiences.
Kim also coordinates the Association’s outreach and channel placements for new media initiatives such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, deploying direct messaging to alumni within these social networking platforms. She works with the Web team and marketing and communications staff to construct and design appropriate sites and pages within new media channels. She is also responsible for Web micro site updates including student, recent graduate, general events and travel pages within the general site.
Prior to joining the marketing and communications team, Kim was the travel coordinator for the Alumni Association’s Alumni Travel. In all, she has four years of experience working in travel.
Kim’s areas of expertise include computer support, customer service, event planning and management and tour directing. A graduate of UCLA, Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
She is a native of Southern California.
Email | Phone: 310-983-3065
Jeanine Dalis Klima oversees a diverse, yet integrated, department comprising Development, University Communications and Alumni Relations. Previously she served as senior managing director at Dalis Development, vice president for Netzel Associates and director of development for City of Hope National Medical Center. During the past 17 years, she has served in varying capacities in annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, alumni and donor relations, regional development and campaign planning.
An active philanthropist, Klima served as the benefit chair for the Assistance League of Southern California Mannequins Auxiliary 90th Anniversary luncheon and debutante chair for St. Sophia Philoptohos Society, and as an executive member of the L.A. Greek Fest. She was a board member for the Junior League of Pasadena, Trinity Children’s Foundation and Kidspace Children’s Museum, and was the first woman in 41 years to receive the Distinguished Service Award from the city of Santa Monica.
Klima attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was selected to participate in First Interstate Bank’s internship program. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, and received an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. She is a native of Los Angeles.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0523
Gloria Ko is a project manager for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she was an assistant resident director in the UCLA Office of Residential Life. At the UCLA Alumni Association, Ko administers career-oriented events such as Interview with a Bruin and Entertainment Networking Night, as well as Spring Sing – UCLA’s oldest and greatest musical tradition. She advises three student committees within the Student Alumni Association, and also collaborates with campus partners to coordinate engagement opportunities for graduate students.
Ko currently serves on the executive board of the UCLA Prytanean Alumni Association as second vice president for membership.
Ko’s areas of expertise are event planning and coordination, counseling, and career and student development. She received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies and a master’s in education from UCLA.
Email | Phone: 310-206-2424
Before assuming her current role as the executive director for alumni marketing and communications, Susan Lewis served for nine years as the director of marketing for the UCLA Alumni Association. During her tenure with the Association, she has been director of travel, assistant director of membership and of travel, and special assistant with government relations. She has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, membership and programming. Previously, she worked for a major airline, as a retail store manager, and for a printing and design company.
Lewis is a member of CASE, Direct Marketing Association, American Marketing Association, Educational Travel Council and the BYU Alumni Association. She volunteers as the president of her Church Primary, a children’s organization serving the needs of children and families across Los Angeles. Lewis’ expertise includes strategic brand management and positioning, direct and electronic marketing, data management and database design, team and leadership development, strategic planning, targeted and constituency-based marketing and higher education management.
Lewis earned a bachelor of arts in communications from Brigham Young University. A broadcast major, she has worked in radio and television. In her leisure, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling the world.
Lewis is a native of Washington.
Email | Phone: 310-794-4028
Gina Liszovics is the art director and designer for the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she was the associate art director for The Hollywood Reporter. She has more than 15 years of experience designing marketing materials for both profit and nonprofit companies. Her clients include Disney, Major League Soccer, DirecTV, Canon Communications, Los Angeles Police Department, Kenwood, United Airlines, Applied Graphic Technologies, Mattel and various clothing manufacturers. She also has taught graphic design, corporate identity systems and typography at Santa Monica College for more than seven years.
Liszovics’s areas of professional expertise include translating marketing plans into conceptual visual solutions through the use of various design software applications.
Liszovics is an active volunteer at the Cedars Sinai hospital emergency room.
A graduate of both University of California, Santa Cruz and Art Center College of Design, Liszovics holds degrees in fine art and advertising.
Liszovics is a native of Shreveport, La.
Email | Phone: 310-206-3798
Before joining the UCLA Alumni Association’s alumni outreach and engagement team, Ashley Luu worked as an administrative specialist for the UCLA Graduate Division’s operations and external relations unit for three years as a student assistant and full-time employee. Her areas of expertise include event coordination, communication and customer service.
A graduate of UCLA, Luu holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in education. As a student, she was involved with the Daily Bruin and the Alumni Scholars Club. A former alumni scholar, she is excited to once again be a part of the community at the James West Alumni Center.
Luu is a native of Redlands, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-825-4853
Karen McClain came to the UCLA Alumni Association with more than 27 years of previous experience in accounting and finance. Her strengths include the ability to apply accounting, finance and business information to analyze administrative and financial operations, and skill assessing organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
Previously, McClain was a credit union examiner for the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Prior to joining NCUA, she held various positions in the credit union industry including controller, vice president of finance and chief executive officer.
A graduate of UCLA, McClain holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics. She also earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California.
In her spare time, McClain loves to travel and to cheer on the Bruins at the Rose Bowl and Pauley Pavilion. She is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0613
Christel Pailet joined UCLA Alumni Travel in 1994 and became the director of travel in 2000. She has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry.
Pailet strongly believes in lifelong learning through travel, and is persistently searching for ways to make the offerings more educational, unique, and a good fit for UCLA’s nearly 380,000 living alumni.
Recommitting to the Association’s continuing education mission, Pailet has been instrumental in establishing a new strategic direction for the program by featuring UCLA faculty on most tour offerings.
Pailet was born in Stockholm, Sweden.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0613
As the Alumni Travel coordinator for the UCLA Alumni Association, Suz Park helps process and coordinate travel for more than 50 different tours around the world. Previously, she was a teacher with Teach for America, serving in the South Central community of Los Angeles.
Park is a graduate of UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in education. As a student, she was involved with the Student Alumni Association and the Alumni Scholars Club. She is a life member of the Alumni Association and a proud Bruin.
Park lives and breathes the Bruin community and stays connected by hosting for Dinners for 12 Strangers and participating in mentoring programs. In her spare time, she loves to play basketball at the John Wooden Center and cheer on the Bruins at the new Pauley Pavilion. She is a true Bruin who loves to give back to the community that continues to shape her life today.
Email | Phone: 310-795-3045
Paul Phootrakul is responsible for working closely with corporate and campus clients to create and implement new business development initiatives that meet the Association’s and university’s changing needs and priorities. Most recently, he served as the senior administrative analyst of alumni relations and events at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, where he developed and implemented comprehensive alumni relations programming for more than 6,000 graduates. In addition to his experience in academia, he brings great vision and creativity to the Alumni Association from his work at the ESPN X Games and the Tiger Woods Foundation.
A graduate of the University of California, Irvine, Phootrakul holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. He also earned a master’s degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0643
Before joining the UCLA Alumni Association as program coordinator for health sciences alumni outreach, Hunnan Pope already had six years of experience in higher education administrative and student affairs. His most recent position was as program/office coordinator for the Center for Public Service at Portland State University.
Pope’s areas of expertise include event planning, student affairs, leadership development, targeted and constituency-based marketing and communication, and higher education management.
A graduate of Oregon State University, Pope holds a B.S. in business administration with a focus on management. He is a native of Elko, Nev., but he has called Oregon home for the majority of his life.
Email | Phone: 310-794-5204
After working for several years in member services for the YMCA and in promotions for a major Southern California radio station, Gil Ramirez decided to apply his skills in service to his alma mater, UCLA.
When not working at the Alumni Association, Ramirez enjoys spending his free time exploring Los Angeles, the city in which he was born and raised. Whether spending the day exploring the hiking trails of the Santa Monica Mountains or enjoying a musical at the Pantages Theatre, he is always looking for different adventures. The luxury of traveling the world throughout his life has helped him understand that his hometown has a lot to improve, but he also sees the many advantages available in this small part of the world.
Ramirez can be the life of the party one day, then a quiet onlooker the next. He enjoys going to rock concerts as well as the L.A. Philharmonic. His double-sided personality makes him a true Gemini. But make sure not to mention this to him because he doesn’t believe in astrology.
Email | Phone: 310-206-8962
Kelly Ann Ryan is executive assistant to the assistant vice chancellor of the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she was the executive assistant at the Oregon Health & Science University and The Center for Medically Fragile Children at Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregon. She has 10 years of experience as an executive assistant in the medical, legal, insurance and banking fields. In addition, she worked more than 20 years in the hospitality industry and has managed locations on various film productions.
Ryan has volunteered for organizations such as American Red Cross, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Epileptic Society, Salvation Army, St. John’s Senior Resident Home, F.A.I.T.H. and the Audubon Society.
Ryan is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a bachelor of arts degree in film production and a minor in psychology.
Ryan is a native of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
Email | Phone: 310-206-2426
Angela Scales is an associate director, student outreach and engagement, at the UCLA Alumni Association. She is the advisor to the Student Alumni Association (SAA) board of directors, and she oversees the planning and execution of large-scale campus traditions such as Blue and Gold Week, Spring Sing and Dinners for 12 Strangers.
Prior to her current role, Scales worked for two years as a project coordinator for the student relations team, assisting with all SAA and Alumni Scholarships programs and events.
Before joining the Alumni Association, Scales worked as a junior account executive with Laufer Green Isaac, a strategic marketing and communications firm.
Scales’ areas of expertise include event planning, leadership development and campus partnerships.
A graduate of UCLA, Scales holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She is a native of San Diego.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0483
Miriam Simmons is an alumni representative at the UCLA Alumni Association. Previously, she worked as an education associate at the Center for Family & Community Services Head Start program.
Simmons graduated with a degree in women’s studies and a minor in African American studies. As a student, she was a Bruin advisor for low income, minority high school students through UCLA's Early Academic Outreach Program. She also served as an intern for Black Entertainment Television.
Simmons is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-8962
Email | Phone: 310-206-0613
Kit Spikings has been employed at UCLA since 1976, working in the School of Education, School of Engineering, Financial Aid Office and at the Alumni Association since 1994.
Currently assistant director of travel, Spikings’s previous assignments at the Association included working with Alumni Scholarships, community service and as Spirit Squad advisor.
Spikings is the volunteer coordinator for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center Emergency Department’s Patient Liaison program, which provides emergency rooms with 50 volunteers. She also volunteers in UCLA’s Spiritual Care Office as a Eucharistic minister in the hospital as well as at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westwood. In addition, she volunteers at Brotman Memorial Hospital’s Acute Rehab Division.
Spikings loves creating connections with people and travel, most recently to India.
Spikings holds an associate’s degree in child development from Valley Junior College. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA, graduating as a non-traditional student in 1994 at the age of 48.
Email | Phone: 310-206-5815
Wayne Tam is the director of technology for the UCLA Alumni Association, and has worked in the Web technology field since 2000.
Tam’s areas of expertise include leveraging technology to improve work flow processes, building personalized e-mail messages, managing programmers, developing and maintaining e-commerce technology and Web content management systems, data management and Web security management.
A graduate of UCLA, Tam holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Tam is a native of Southern California.
Email | Phone: 310-206-1995
Before joining the UCLA Alumni Association as director of Bruin Careers, Nick Theodorou served as associate director of major gifts for the UCLA Athletic Department, where he amassed nearly four years of fundraising experience. In addition, he has two years experience in career coaching and career placement, including marketing, membership, design and marketing communications.
Theodorou is a life member of the Alumni Association, member of the Bruin Varsity Club and his church, as well as a voting member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.
Relationship building is among Theodorou’s areas of expertise as a result of the many years he spent as a player on professional baseball teams, his experience as a career coach and his extensive interaction with donors to the UCLA Athletic Department. His other areas of expertise include team building, leadership development, strategic planning, targeted and constituency-based marketing and communication.
A graduate of UCLA, Theodorou earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1998. He is a native of Rialto, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0609
Lily Tsau manages, oversees and serves as liaison to local, national, international and diversity networks. She is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Prior to returning to her alma mater and assuming her current position, Tsau was owner and president of Professional Assessment for Gainful Employment, providing career development to the disabled and disadvantaged. She has worked for more than 20 years in the nonprofit industry and more than 10 years in volunteer management. She is past president of the Asian Business Association, a nonprofit professional organization for owners of small- to medium-size businesses. Her other community service activities include participation in Christmas in April/Rebuilding L.A. and Citizens’ Oversight Committee for Los Angeles Southwest College; service as board member and newsletter editor for her homeowners association; and member of the Children’s Commission of Rolling Hills Covenant Church.
Tsau has been a guest speaker for various programs including the graduate program at California State University, Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Her areas of expertise include organizational leadership, team development, volunteer management and public speaking.
Tsau holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A transplant from Taipei, Taiwan, she currently resides in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-794-6393
Teresa Valenzuela is the senior director for health sciences alumni outreach and director of alumni affairs and outreach for the UCLA School of Nursing. Previously, she was the student services coordinator for the nursing’s Bachelor of Science program. Valenzuela has 17 years of experience in higher education administration, specifically in the offices of Student Affairs and Residential Life.
Valenzuela has participated in the UCLA Professional Development Program and the UC-wide Management Skills Assessment Program. She is also a member of the UCLA Staff Assembly and is former president of the Latino Staff and Faculty Association at UCLA.
Valenzuela’s areas of expertise include academic advising, admissions processing, team building, event planning, leadership development, communications and higher education management.
Valenzuela earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in English literature and Spanish literature from UCLA, a Master of Arts in human development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena. She also has a certificate in print journalism from UCLA Extension. A native of Mexico, she has resided in Los Angeles most of her life.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0565
Mollie Vehling is the UCLA Spirit director of the Alumni Association. She has been Spirit Squad director since 1999. As a student, she was a member of the UCLA Dance Team for two years.
Vehling is certified by the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators and is frequently a judge for competitions and auditions throughout the nation. She has worked with Championship Productions, helping produce a series of instructional cheer and dance DVDs. She has more than 25 years of experience and training in dance, choreography, producing and directing, and is thrilled to be working with the UCLA program.
Vehling has traveled with the program to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai. She choreographed and coordinated the productions for each of these international trips.
Vehling earned her bachelor of arts in dance from the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures. She was raised in Southern California and currently resides in Woodland Hills.
Email | Phone: 310-206-8968
Catherine Walker is responsible for the design, production and distribution of a high volume of rich media e-mails, including the UCLA Alumni Association’s largest electronic communication, UCLA Alumni Connect. Specializing in design, she also assists in the daily production of the UCLA Alumni website, performing text, image, graphical and navigational updates.
Walker has more than three decades of experience as a graphic designer, working free-lance for business concerns, municipalities and non-profits. Prior to joining the marketing and communications team, she worked for American Airlines’ Interactive Marketing team as a web content manager and independent contributor to AA.com. She named the branded HTML e-mail “AAirmail.”
A native of New Orleans, Walker studied art at Louisiana State University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Houston with a concentration in printmaking. She and her husband, Ken, have five daughters and seven grandchildren.
Email | Phone: 310-794-4025
Valerie Walker is the director of the UCLA Medical Alumni Association. Previously, she was the outreach programs and volunteer coordinator for UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. Combining professional and personal experience, Walker has more than 15 years of experience in volunteer and board management, and program development.
Her areas of expertise include collaborating with peer institutions and campus departments, creating philanthropic and outreach opportunities, and designing programs that connect alumni to the university and fellow alumni.
A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Walker holds a bachelor’s degree in communications. She has also earned a professional clear multiple subject CLAD teaching credential from California State University, Northridge.
Walker is a native of Los Angeles.
Email | Phone: 818-621-7926
As executive director of alumni professional and volunteer management, Marci Weisblatt is responsible for developing strategies to support the professional lives of UCLA alumni and creating new initiatives to develop and manage volunteers throughout campus.
Prior to assuming her current role, Weisblatt was senior director of advancement for Northern California for two years and associate executive director of the UCLA Alumni Association for six years. She also served one year as interim assistant vice chancellor of alumni relations and interim executive director.
During her tenure at the Association, Weisblatt was responsible for programming, events, marketing, campus relations and volunteer relations. She built dynamic and effective campus partnerships, launched large-scale events including the UCLA Women’s Conference and Blue and Gold Week, and reorganized the organization’s volunteer recruitment efforts.
After graduating from UCLA, Weisblatt joined the professional staff of the Associated Students UCLA. She then joined Levy, Pazanti and Associates, a prominent fundraising event firm in Los Angeles. In 1994, she moved to the Ameri¬can Heart Association, where she rose to vice president of corporate events and was recognized with two national awards: the Newcomer’s Award and the Award of Excellence for a Community Organization.
Email | Phone: 310-825-0945
Samantha West is the associate director, alumni marketing and membership. She has worked in marketing communications since 2000. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also her hometown. While on campus, she helped lead efforts to ensure fair working conditions for workers who produce university logo apparel.
After graduation, West’s passion and enthusiasm drove her to Washington D.C. Four years later, opportunity and her now-husband led her to Los Angeles.
Before coming to UCLA, West worked for a variety of large nonprofit organizations including the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Service Employees International Union and Writer’s Guild of America. Her areas of expertise include strategic communications planning, online marketing campaigns and interest-based negotiations.
West recently received a certificate in general management from the UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Program. In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, participating in the Step Up Women’s Network and working in her community and at UCLA to improve environmental sustainability.
Email | Phone: 310-825-5188
Ashli Wolf is the director of Bruin recruitment at the UCLA Alumni Association. She is thrilled to lead this new and exciting initiative, selecting exceptional UCLA alumni to recruit future Bruins.
Wolf studied at The University of Texas at Arlington and The University of Alabama while building her professional career as an entrepreneur, owning and operating multiple businesses. This experience afforded her the opportunity to join many local, state and national organizations and accept a leadership role with many.
A true “southern girl,” Wolf is originally from Louisiana. She and her family are proud to be part of the Bruin family.
Email | Phone: 310-206-0512
Wilson Yan is the specialist and web applications developer for the UCLA Alumni Association. He has four years of experience in web development and programming, beginning when he was a student web programmer at UCLA before accepting a full-time position supporting the Alumni Relations team.
Yan’s areas of expertise include developing and maintaining web applications, managing database systems, supervising student web programmers, and project development with the Alumni Association Marketing & Communications team.
A graduate of UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, Yan earned his master’s degree in computer science as well with a focus on computer graphics.
He is a native of Los Angeles, Calif.
Email | Phone: 310-825-0946
Selwyn Yeh is the office manager of Alumni Association finance and administration. Previously, he worked as an alumni services representative for one year and for four years as a student assistant with the alumni center management team.
Yeh serves as director of events for the Asian Pacific Alumni UCLA putting on mixers and events for alumni and friends. He also is an avid supporter of Bruin athletics.
A graduate of UCLA, Yeh holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both economics and Chinese. As a UCLA student, he was involved actively with various student groups as well as an educational outreach project that served underprivileged youth. Community involvement has become a passion that he wants to continue pursuing.
Yeh is a native of Chico and Fountain Valley, Calif.
