By participating in this first-time summit, Business Officers will have the opportunity to learn from key UCSB leaders and seasoned Business Officers, as well as an inspirational keynote speaker.
Check out their profiles by clicking on their names below!
UCSB Hosts
Keynote Speaker
Alex Sheen
Founder, because I said I would
Alex Sheen is the Founder of because I said I would, a social movement and nonprofit dedicated to bettering humanity through promises made and kept. Sparked by the loss of his father, Alex and his organization send “promise cards” to anyone anywhere in the world at no cost. Alex is someone who truly honors commitment. He once walked over 240 miles across the entire state of Ohio in 10 days to fulfill a promise. In just two years, because I said I would has sent over 9.81 million promise cards to over 153 different countries. The promises written on these cards have made headlines around the world. His charitable projects and awareness campaigns have been featured on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, CNN, The Today Show, NPR, The Los Angeles Times and many other programs. Learn more…
UCSB Hosts
Sandra Featherson
Director of Training
Sandra has over 28 years of experience at UCSB. Prior to stepping into the Director of Training role, she served as Deputy Athletic Director, CFO for Intercollegiate Athletics. As the Associate Director of Controls (BFS), Sandra provided training on various topics for the Financial Management Certificate Program, led several projects reviewing different financial systems, and oversaw several units in Business and Financial Services. She also served as the Director of BARC and as a Financial Analyst.
Heather Heyerdahl
Director of Learning and Organizational Development
With over 20 years of experience working in learning and development, Heather came to UCSB in 2023 to support training needs associated with the Financial Management Modernization Project. Before becoming a Gaucho, she worked in the public & private sector managing change initiatives at the major and micro level. Heather brings experience with large-scale software implementation, process improvement, onboarding management, designing training programs from scratch, and virtualizing classroom training. When she’s not involved in training or organizational development projects, you can find Heather traveling the globe. Learn more…
UCSB Speakers
Ann-Marie Musto
Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer
With over 27 years of experience in human resources across multiple sectors, including higher education, healthcare, manufacturing, and both public and private organizations, Ann-Marie has consistently championed human resources as a service organization. At UCSB, she serves as a key change agent and leader, aligning HR operations and service delivery with the needs, strategic goals, and business objectives of senior leadership, campus partners, and the UC Office of the President. Learn more…
Chuck Haines
Vice Chancellor - Chief Financial Officer
Chuck brings over 35 years of higher education administration experience to his role as CFO at UCSB. He oversees the campus Finance & Resource Management division encompassing the Office of Budget and Planning, Business & Financial Services, Strategic Asset Management and the Office of Audit and Advisory Services. Learn more…
Christian Treitler
Chief Financial Officer - UCSB Foundation
Christian has been a member of the UCSB community since 2016, serving as the Foundation’s associate director for finance and administration previously. Prior to his service here, he was president of Nosara Financial Planning, Inc., providing financial and wealth management services to small businesses. Before Nosara, Mr. Treitler, who is a CFA Charterholder, served in several leadership roles mostly for financial service firms specializing in global equity training. Learn more…
Matt Erickson
Director - Program Management Office (PMO)
Matt has over 20 years of higher education experience and leads the Program Management Office (PMO) team in providing project portfolio management, organizational change management, business process analysis, strategic communications, and IT Internship Program administration for the Office of the CIO and Information Technology Services. He also currently serves as the Program Director for UCSB’s Financial Management Modernization Program. Learn more…
Josh Bright
Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Josh Bright is UC Santa Barbara’s third Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (AVC/CIO). In this role, Josh provides oversight for all IT activities that contribute to planning, creating, and implementing UCSB's IT vision, and for the integration of those activities into the campus' strategic plan. Learn more…
Shea Lovan
Chief Technology Officer
Shea Lovan currently serves as the Executive Director of Core IT Services and Chief Technology Officer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, bringing over 30 years of extensive experience in the IT field. His journey at UCSB is marked by a progression through various roles in research, academic, and administrative IT. In his current position, he oversees a broad array of campus-wide IT services, leading efforts to improve the information technology practice and guiding significant IT initiatives. Shea earned is Master's degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University's Presidents and Key Executives program in 2022.
Jackson Muhirwe
Chief Information Security Officer and Information Security Director
Jackson has over 20 years of extensive IT and cybersecurity experience with six years in the UC system, having most recently served as CISO at UC Merced before joining UCSB this Spring. He leads the Information Assurance unit in the OCIO and serves as the focal point of all campus information security programs, approaches, and collaborations, responsible for the implementation of information security across all campus units including research, teaching, and administration. He brings a deep understanding of the current threat landscape and a proven track record of implementing successful security programs, establishing effective governance, and applying technologies to minimize organizational security risk. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda as well as an MS in Computer Science and BS in Mathematics from the same institution. His work history includes previous appointments as a faculty member in computer science. He also maintains several cybersecurity certifications.
Jean Jones
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research
Jean has more than 20 years of experience overseeing complex contracts and grants for sciences, engineering, and public service programs as well as instituting best practices in research administration and contract negotiation. Prior to joining UCSB in 2020, Jean served as Senior Associate Director in the Office of Sponsored Research at UCSF, and also negotiated clinical trial contracts at KU Med Center. Learn more…
Jim Fong
Director, Sponsored Projects
Jim Fong is the Director of Sponsored Projects in the Office of Research. With over 27 years in research administration, he is an expert in negotiating agreements with different funding agencies and is a subject matter expert on contract and grants.
UCSB Panelists
Kerry Bierman
Associate Vice Chancellor, Budget & Planning
Kerry provides campus-wide leadership and strategic planning in the areas of budget, finance, enrollment, capital planning, and management of the UCSB operating and capital budget. She leads teams in the Budget Office, Financial Planning & Analysis, Capital & Physical Planning, and Institutional Research, Planning & Assessment. The combined work of these offices supports campus leadership in decision-making, meeting and monitoring progress toward strategic goals, analyzing trends, and discovering new opportunities.
Before joining UC Santa Barbara in 2017, her previous experience included serving as the CFO for the County of Santa Barbara, and also as the Director of Budget and Financial Planning at Oregon Health & Sciences University. She holds an MBA from Marylhurst University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from UC Davis.
Michael McGrogan
Budget Director
Ron Betancourt
Risk Manager - Environmental Health and Safety
Ron has been serving the UCSB Campus for 15 years. He started in Business & Financial Services in Procurement as a Contracts Assistant. In 2015, he joined the Risk Management team in Environmental Health and Safety as a Risk Analyst, and has served as the campus Risk Manager for the past two years.
Calli Price
Manager - Purchasing and Contracts
Calli has been with UCSB Procurement for 14 years, taking on the role of Purchasing & Contracts Manager in 2013. Prior to UCSB, she worked in Risk Management for an engineering firm in Maine, where she concurrently learned how to shovel snow and avoid wild moose. Having a passion for negotiating terms and conditions and the federal procurement landscape, Calli appreciates the University setting of learning to strike a balance between attention to detail (and policy!) and the bigger picture of forward progress in research and business continuity. When she’s not working, Calli enjoys reading old books and going to the beach with her son and dog.
Jim Caesar
Campus Emergency Manager
James R. Caesar has been the Emergency Manager at UC Santa Barbara since 2009 and is a proven leader in the emergency management profession. He has experience in all phases of emergency management including operating an Emergency Operations Center, all-hazards planning, community preparedness, business continuity, public information, and public/private partnerships. Learn more…
Jane Kittle
Chief Financial Officer - Office of Research
Jane oversees financial operations and budget management for the Research Division at UCSB, including the Office of Research, ORUs, and research centers. As divisional CFO and co-lead of the PGM workstream for the Financial Management Modernization (FMM) project, she is dedicated to advancing process efficiency and stakeholder engagement, focusing on financial reporting, process optimization, and enhanced cross-divisional collaboration.
Dorothy Satomi
Director of Finance & Administration, Academic Affairs
Dorothy oversees financial, budgetary, administrative, and personnel functions in the Executive Vice Chancellor's Office and across the Division of Academic Affairs. Previously, Dorothy was Assistant Dean for the Division of Math, Life & Physical Sciences in the College of Letters & Science as well as at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. Prior to that, she spent nearly a decade in the Executive Vice Chancellor's Office in financial roles. Learn more…
Dr. Pati Montojo
Associate Ombuds
Pati is a licensed psychologist in California, and previously served as a lecturer and clinical supervisor at Palo Alto University from 2015-2017. She then joined UCSB HR as a Licensed Psychologist 2018 where she received training and experience in organizational management and development. Pati was engaged in a leadership role in ASAP from 2019-2024 before transitioning to her current position.
Sydney Roberts
Director of Employee and Labor Relations
Sydney joined UC Santa Barbara as a Labor Relations Specialist in 2006, and has served as the Director of Employee & Labor Relations at UCSB since the fall of 2021. She was born in Oakland at the same hospital as Vice President Kamala Harris and grew up in Ashland, Oregon, after which she attended the University of Oregon, receiving a B.A. from the UO School of Journalism & Communication with a minor in Political Science. She later earned her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, and practiced labor and employment law for approximately three years as an Associate at Bryan, Cave, Leighton & Paisner, LLP in Los Angeles before moving to Santa Barbara with her family.
Caroline Adams
Campus Ombuds
In her role at UCSB, Caroline Adams provides confidential conflict consultation to faculty, staff, and campus leadership. She is certified as a mediator, Organizational Ombuds Practitioner, Organizational Diagnostician, and in Organization Development and Leadership. She has held leadership roles in the ABA Section of Dispute Resolution since 2013, and provided group facilitation for multiple corporations. Learn more…
Kim Miller
Business Officer - Counseling & Psychological Services
Kim is a seasoned Business Operations Manager in the realm of higher education, equipped with strong organizational management and project management abilities to enhance organizational objectives. Proficient in strategic planning, fostering innovation, and driving improvements in goal-setting and planning processes.
Alex Radde
Assistant Dean - Budget & Administration, MLPS
Alex Radde is a proud Gaucho alum, class of 2008. He began his career at UCSB as a financial and payroll assistant for the Library. Since then, Alex has worked in different areas of University administration ranging from organized research to academic departments, including the Environmental Studies Program and the Department of Statistics and Applied Probability. He is the former Director of the College of Letters & Science and now serves as Assistant Dean for the Division of Math, Life, & Physical Sciences. Alex is also the former co-chair of UC Administrative Management Professionals (UC AMP), a former mentor with Gaucho Mentor Connection (GMC), and currently serves as a facilitator for the Academic Affairs Undergraduate Internship Program.
Shilo Tucker
Business Officer - Physics
Shilo has served as the Academic Business Officer for the Department of Physics at UC Santa Barbara since 2013. In this role, she is responsible for the management of physics department operations including budget, teaching, academic and staff personnel issues, and support services. Prior to her current position, Shilo worked as a Graduate Advisor and Academic Personnel/Student Affairs Manager. She started her UC career as an undergraduate student working as a word processing specialist for the Math Department. Shilo has over 25 years of UC service and received a BA from UCSB’s College of Creative Studies and an MFA from The University of Arizona.
Joe Sabado
Deputy Chief Information Officer - Information Technology Services
Joe leads UCSB teams supporting various critical services, including student and financial information systems, data services/business intelligence, student services, and application development. He also leads the campus data governance initiative and co-directs UCSB AI Community of Practice, is a member of the UC AI Council as well as a co-leader of the Educause AI Community. Learn more…
Matt Beane
Assistant Professor, Technology Management
Matt studies deviance in work involving machine intelligence - and specifically robotics. He asks when, where and how workers, organizations and even AI defy norms and rules in the 21st century. Matt has done extensive field research in settings such as robotic pick and pack work in fulfillment centers, robotic surgery, robotic materials transport, and robotic telepresence in healthcare, elder care and knowledge work. He received his Ph.D. from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Information Technologies department. His research on robotic surgery was published in 2019 at Administrative Science Quarterly and Harvard Business Review, his related TED talk has over 1.8 million views, and his work on robotic telepresence was published in 2014 in Organization Science. He was selected in 2012 as a Human Robot Interaction Pioneer, and is a regular contributor to popular outlets such as Wired, MIT’s Technology Review, TechCrunch, Forbes and Robohub. Matt also took a two-year hiatus from his doctoral studies to help found and fund Humatics, an MIT-connected, full-stack IoT startup. Learn more…