Staff and Leadership Directory
Tim Akin
Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
Master of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley
B.A., Social Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
With more than 30 years experience as a strategic marketing and communications adviser, Akin manages the integrated marketing communications strategy, brand building, digital content and advertising campaigns and collateral that enrich the identity of the School, give recognition for its accomplishments and raise its visibility.
Parto Aram
Assistant Director, MBA Career Advising
MBA, Boston University
B.S., Northeastern University
Parto Aram joined the Career Development team in October 2018 as a career counselor. She works closely with Bay Area Part-Time MBA students.
After seven years of working in high tech as a hardware engineer designing embedded systems, Aram went back to school part-time to get her MBA, and subsequently transitioned to semiconductor marketing. She worked as a marketing manager on the East Coast and then as a European marketing manager stationed in Bristol, England.
Marie Augusto
Academic Operations & Planning Analyst
Marie Augusto responsibilities include academic personnel (recruitments and appointments), course catalog maintenance and she will provide administrative support to Dean and Assistant Deans.
Carlos Azevedo
Facilities Manager
Carlos Azevedo is a seasoned facilities design planner and manager with an impressive track record spanning over two decades in the construction industry. With a diverse portfolio of accomplishments, Azevedo has consistently demonstrated expertise in orchestrating and overseeing a wide array of interior projects, ranging from seamless office relocations and unit consolidations to intricate interior renovations.
Gerard Bañales
Associate Director of Admissions, Full-Time MBA and MM
Gerard P. Bañales (he/him/his) serves as an associate director of admissions for the Full-Time MBA and Master of Management programs at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. He joined the Graduate School of Management in December 2024, bringing more than a decade of experience in higher education, focusing on admissions, recruitment, and enrollment management.
Gallagher Hall Room 1101 Davis, CA
Rachel Bandelaria
Program Manager, Master of Science in Business Analytics
Rachel Bandelaria is the Program Manager for the Graduate School of Management's MSBA program, based in San Francisco. Bandelaria provides leadership and strategy for MSBA student-related programs, events, and activities to cultivate a positive student experience that also equips them for a successful transition to the professional world. She is a San Francisco native and received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Riverside where she also became a student mentor to fellow underclassmen.
Marta Barajas
Deputy Director of Admissions Operations
Manages and oversees all aspects of admissions operations including operational process issues, data resource management and admissions data collection for the Graduate School of Management. In this role, she is also responsible for compiling and reporting school-wide ranking and profile statistics for the school.
Marta joined the Graduate School of Management in September of 2004, bringing her technological expertise and more than 15 years of experience in data analysis & reporting, strategic operations planning & implementation, and training.
Carrie Beam
Academic Director, MSBA Program
Ph.D. in Operations Research, University of California at Berkeley
Carrie Beam brings 20 years of experience in analytics consulting, research and classroom teaching to the program. Her expertise includes data management and visualization, predictive and prescriptive analytics models, and communication of complex analytics materials to general business stakeholders.
Haley Belenis
Digital Platform Specialist
As a digital platform specialist, Haley Belenis is dedicated to both the creative and technical aspects of digital strategy and is motivated by finding innovative solutions that improve both the look and functionality of digital platforms.
Karen Bolaños
Career Development Operations Manager
Karen Bolaños is a proud aggie alum who serves as the Career Development Operations Manager at the Graduate School of Management. Bolaños helps support the career center by overseeing the strategic development and implementation of multiple databases to address evolving data needs. In her role, she provides essential analytical support and conducts statistical research for Career Development and Student Affairs.
Gallagher Hall Rm 1101 Davis, CA 95616
Julie Burgal
Director of Undergraduate Advising and Policy
M.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology, Washington State University
B.S. in Biotechnology, UC Davis
Loreli Burton
Admissions Coordinator
Loreli Burton joined the Graduate School of Management in 2016. As the Admissions Coordinator, she provides analyst-level support for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. She maintains and audits admissions databases, identifies and implements process improvements, and assists with student admissions for the MSBA program.
Loreli’s career in data management began in 2010, but she also has a background in Human Resources. Outside the office, she enjoys time spent in nature, reading, traveling, and time spent with family.
C. Gabriel Coleman
Deputy Director, Academic Operations and Planning
B.A., University of Redlands Academic personnel and policy
On-Site: Room 3108G, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday-Friday
Barry Curtis
Director of Corporate Relations and IMPACT Projects
Barry Curtis joined the UC Davis Graduate School of Management in July 2023 with a diverse career in industry, management consulting, and academia. He previously worked in the Offices of Research at both the University of Florida and UC Davis - marketing each university's technologies and expertise. Curtis' background includes operational and strategic planning, industry/competitive analysis, project management, recruiting/performance evaluation, and business development.
Gallagher Hall 1101H
Amy Davis
Social Media Specialist
B.A., Communications, University of California, Davis
Amy Davis joins the Graduate School of Management as a proud alumna of UC Davis. She brings 10+ years of experience in communications, PR and social media strategy from locally-based organizations, including regional grocer Raley’s Family of Fine Stores and Northern California-based Sutter Health, where she shaped and launched company-wide social media programs, supported media relations plans and developed internal communications efforts.
Eric Duarte-McDermott
Executive Director, Master of Science in Business Analytics
Eric Duarte-McDermott joined the UC Davis Graduate School of Management in February 2023. Based in San Francisco, he oversees MSBA’s year-long competitive program that develops high-performance professionals who can create business value from data and models.
Zoë Dybdahl
Associate Director, Master of Professional Accountancy
Zoë Dybdahl joined the Graduate School of Management (GSM) as the associate director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program in 2022.
1101L Gallagher Hall
Steven Escobar
Assistant Director, Administration and Facilities
Responsible for workflow management for the business office. Provides facility management for Gallagher Hall.
Sergio Esquerre
Instructional Operations Manager, Bay Area MBA Campus
Sergio Esquerre joined the School as a student assistant in July 2012. He was promoted to instructional operations specialist in November 2017. With seven years of experience assisting the Project and Instructional Resources team, Esquerre was named as the instructional operations manager for the Bay Area MBA campus in July 2019.
Paxtenne Falls
Administrative Assistant
Efficiently assist students, staff, and faculty with a wide range of administrative tasks including travel and entertainment, facilitating purchasing requests, and coordinating contracting services. With a focus on streamlining processes and providing exceptional customer service. Serve as a backup to the facilities manager.
Andy Fleisher
Senior Analyst, Project & Instructional Resources
B.S., Biochemistry, University of California, Davis
Andrew Fleisher graduated from UC Davis in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Before arriving at the Graduate School of Management, he worked for six years in the Entomology Department at UC Davis as a technician where he coordinated on research involving the feeding habits of mosquitoes and co-authored three journal articles. After time in the lab, Fleisher worked in the Temporary Employment Pool and found his way to the Graduate School of Management where he has been for the last 8 years.
Espy Foft
Content Marketing Specialist
Maria Esperanza Foft, better known as “Espy,” is a communications and marketing professional with 15 years of experience. Foft previously collaborated and led corporate marketing strategies, customer experience and promotional/visibility campaigns on teams in the retail industry (Arden Fair), broadcast radio (Clear Channel) and PCF Restaurant Management.
2216 Gallagher Hall
Leticia V. Garay
Associate Director of Admissions, Sacramento Part-Time MBA & Sacramento Part-Time Master of Management
Leticia V. Garay (she/her/ella) joined the UC Davis Graduate School of Management as associate director of admissions for the Sacramento Part-Time MBA program in 2024. She works alongside candidates through the admissions process, implementing recruiting programs, processing applications and ensuring prospective students have a quality experience.
Gallagher Hall, Davis, CA
Michele Goodman
Director of Administration and Human Resources
Michele Goodman manages fiscal affairs and provides administrative and operational direction of business services/resources for the school. Goodman serves as the human resources expert for the school. She is instrumental in organizing, planning and meeting key objectives to enhance employee on-boarding and business operations among students, faculty, staff and University affiliates.
Porsché Green
Event Specialist
Porsché Green joined GSM in 2023 as part of the event team. She supports the planning and implementation of programs, conferences and other school-wide events benefiting the Graduate School of Management and its community. When she is not providing event support at GSM, she will support the UC Davis Library Communications and Marketing team in event planning.
Gallagher Hall Room 2206
Candace C. Harrington
Development Operations Manager, Development and External Relations
Candace Harrington manages and leads initiatives in business data management, marketing data analysis and all development-related business processes and actions. Her contributions are pivotal in managing budgets, optimizing donor stewardship and overseeing financial accountability.
Kari Heidrick
Assistant Director, Master of Professional Accountancy
Kari Heidrick has been with UC Davis for over two decades, including 14 years as a program representative at UC Davis Professional and Continuing Education, Business and Leadership Department, and seven years as the business development manager with Conference and Event Services. Most recently, Heidrick joined the Graduate School of Management (GSM) as the Assistant Director of the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc).
Gabriel Horner
Admissions Coordinator
Gabriel Horner (he/him/his) joined the Graduate School of Management in 2023. As an admissions coordinator, he provides analyst-level support for the Full-Time MBA, Sacramento Part-Time MBA, Bay Area Part-Time MBA, Master's of Management (MM), and Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) programs. He maintains and audits admissions databases; provides customer service and support to applicants; compiles reports on admissions data; and helps improve admissions processes on an ongoing basis.
Gallagher Hall
Carin Hotaling
Academic Operations & Planning Analyst
Carin Hotaling manages the recruitment and hiring of all academic student employment opportunities at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. She also oversees course scheduling for the undergraduate major, supports course planning, and assists with special projects in the Dean’s Suite. Before joining the Academic Operations and Planning team, Hotaling served as the operations manager for Career Development for six years.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, wakeboarding, snow skiing and visiting the beach.
Gallagher Hall
Tiffany Hsieh
Instructional Operations Assistant
Tiffany Hsieh is the instructional operations assistant for Project & Instructional Resources at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management. In this role, she provides essential support to faculty, students and staff, ensuring seamless front desk operations and managing program logistics for the Sacramento MBA program and special events.
Dominique Jackson
Undergraduate Academic Advisor
MSc Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Leeds 2024
BSc Biochemistry, Genetics, University of Adelaide 2014
Michelle Jacobs
HR Generalist
Michelle Jacobs serves as the HR Generalist for GSM. Responsible for the full scope of HR programs: recruitment, staff orientation/on-boarding and off-boarding, performance management, employee and labor relations, leave management, training and development, merits, appraisals, and personnel/payroll actions.
Charla Kordana
Events Manager
Charla Kordana leads the GSM Events Team to develop, coordinate and execute programs and events across all Graduate School of Management units. Charla’s work experience has included planning and executing events for the Davis Chamber of Commerce, leading the membership and marketing team for Alaska’s Rural Electric and Cooperative Association, program support for the American Diabetes Association Western Region, membership recruitment and retention for the Organization of the Protection and Advancement of Small Telephone Companies, and an account representative at Henry J.