Administrative Management Group (AMG)

2024 AMG Excel Awards Ceremony
2024-06-07 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
We are honored to announce this year’s recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Career Award, the Excellence in Leadership (EXCEL) Award, and the Rising Star Award. Each year, the Administrative Management Group (AMG) shines the spotlight on employees who have been dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in their careers at UCLA. We received many outstanding nominations this year.
Congratulations go to the following 2024 AMG award recipients:
For the Distinguished Career Award:

Paul Abramson, Director, Central Ticket Office
Michael Deluca, Associate Vice Chancellor, Campus Life

For the Excellence in Leadership (EXCEL) Award:

Kathleen Micham, Associate Dean of Finance & Administration, Physical Sciences

For the Rising Star Award:

Uyen Ha, Management Services Officer, Department of Community Health Sciences

All award nominees will be recognized in a virtual ceremony scheduled for Friday, June 7, 2024 from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Please RSVP at: https://ucla.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvcOmsqjkqHt03p1dkT5pSZ7cTneayWQgt.
To view the list of nominees, visit the AMG website at: http://amg.ucla.edu/.
Supervisors are encouraged to approve release time so that employees can attend the celebration on June 7, 2024, provided that the absence would not infringe upon the performance of required job duties.
We look forward to celebrating the extraordinary achievements of this year’s recipients of the 2024 AMG Awards.

Sincerely,

Gina Romero
Chair
Administrative Management Group
Lubbe Levin
Associate Vice Chancellor
Campus Human Resources

Breaking Down Self Care
2024-09-19 12:00 - 13:00 | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
Join UCLA AMG (Administrative Management Group) and UCLA RISE Center (Resilience in Your Student Experience) for this lunchtime session on “Breaking Down Self Care.” We encourage you to take this time to care for yourself as we enter the busy fall season! This workshop will help staff dig into the concepts of wellness and self care.
Staff will create their own definitions of wellness by considering personal and cultural factors; learn to identify their own stressors and stress warning signs; learn the difference between self-soothing and self-care; and break down the different aspects of caring for oneself. Staff will walk away with a deeper understanding of wellness and their own self-care toolkit.
Our presenter, Joshua Mayfield (he/him), is the Interim RISE Program Director. Josh was born and raised in Long Beach, California. He has always been passionate about people, community, and the ways in which we “do life together”. After completing his BBA in Business Administration in Marketing, he moved to Juneau, Alaska where he volunteered for a year at a youth center. That year changed his life, leading him to Boston College where he obtained his Master of Arts in Theology and Ministry with an emphasis in Pastoral Care and Counseling. With his degree he worked at his alma mater, Loyola Marymount University within the office of Campus Ministry. Seeking more opportunity to serve college students and work in the field of mental health, Josh gladly accepted a position at RISE where he is so happy to continue community building and walking with college students.

Leader Coaching Essentials Workshop: Asking Empowering Questions and Active Listening
2024-11-19 12:00 - 13:00 | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
Activate your leadership potential by empowering those you lead through coaching. Join our interactive workshop to explore the essentials of a coaching leadership style, including asking empowering questions and practicing active listening.
In this engaging session, you’ll learn to seamlessly integrate these skills into your daily routine, enhancing your leadership effectiveness while fostering a culture of continuous growth and excellence within your team. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your impact as a leader!
Lachelle Buford, Clinic Learning Coach Manager, has been with UCLA Health since 2021 and has over 20 years of experience working with leaders. Prior to joining the Learning and Organizational Development team, she served as the Human Resources Business Partner for UCLA Health’s FPG Finance division, as well as in similar roles at UCOP and UCI Health. Lachelle’s background also includes experience in other industries, such as financial management and technology. Throughout her career, Lachelle’s responsibilities have included being a strategic advisor, consultant, and coach to leaders across various teams. Her work has focused on people management practices, including change management initiatives, talent development and management strategies, HR integration and practice implementation, performance management, and building effective teams. Lachelle holds a master’s degree in business administration and is certified in leadership coaching through the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Her passion lies in helping individuals and teams find solutions to challenges and overcome obstacles, ultimately contributing to their overall success.

Beyond Training: Creating Learning Strategies for Your Team
2025-03-13 11:30 - 13:00 | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
In today’s complex and tumultuous work environment, continuous learning is key to team success, and professional development is key to retention and engagement. But how can managers, with everything else you have going on, create meaningful learning opportunities that drive impact?
In this session you will learn how to identify your team’s learning goals, define and clarify the impact you hoping learning will have on your team; and identify opportunities for your team members to learn new knowledge, apply new skills and behaviors, and reflect on learning.

Kelsey Duff is a board-certified coach executive coach, master facilitator and learning & organizational development consultant. She manages a portfolio of professional & leadership development programs and initiatives, where she helps UCLA employees increase their impact and enhance their careers through leadership and skill development, strategic personal exploration, and coaching. She is a UCLA alum who never left, with a degree in Art from UCLA, 14 years of coaching experience, and a passion for fostering engagement and excellence in others.
Kelsey Duff, BCC, ODCP
Professional & Career Development Portfolio Manager
UCLA Campus Human Resources, Learning & Organizational Development

AMG Lunch & Learn - Intentional Leadership: Fostering a Culture of Curiosity, Growth, Collaboration, & Inclusion
2025-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | CA
The last several years have presented us with great challenges & opportunities within & beyond UCLA. It has become all the more critical to practice intentional & inclusive leadership to not only promote operational efficiencies but also staff growth, curiosity, collaboration & belonging. The Advising Communities of Excellence (ACE) Professional Development Program in which we lead, & the Center for Academic Advising in the College (CAAC) practice a staff-centered approach that cultivates learning, amplifies staff voices, & integrates staff perspectives into decision-making spaces. The result of a staff-centered model has been greater engagement, an openness to innovate, a drive for more thoughtful collaboration, & comprehensive support for students, staff, & each other within a community of care.
This session will share a framework for intentional leadership & demonstrate concrete strategies & initiatives to achieve these goals.
Marian H. Gabra, Ph.D. is the Senior Director of Learning & Development & Strategic Partnerships. In her role, she works collaboratively across campus to cultivate spaces of learning & growth for staff & students. She also works intentionally to build strategic collaborations between staff, faculty, & students. Marian also advises students in the Center for Academic Advising in the College. She earned her BA in English from Occidental College in 2002 & her doctorate in Comparative Literature from UCLA in 2010.
Alina Avila is the Coordinator of Advising Curricular Initiatives & Academic Advisor with the Center for Academic Advising in the College. Her experiences in ACE changed how she viewed her value & voice in various spaces across the institution & inspired her to turn the skills she has honed, such as advocating for students to faculty & leadership, towards amplifying staff voices. In her current role, she is able to work more directly with ACE to shift the campus culture built on institutional hierarchies.
Alina Avila. Coordinator of Advising Curricular Initiatives & Academic Advisor with the Center for Academic Advising in the College
Marian Gabra, Ph.D.Director, Advisor Training &Professional Development

AMG Lunch and Learn: Roles and Goals
2025-06-17 12:00 - 13:00 | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
In this 1-hour interactive workshop, we’ll explore how to clarify your key roles—both personal and professional—and set meaningful, goal-driven priorities that elevate your daily work. You’ll discover how aligning your time and energy with what matters most can transform your productivity from ordinary to extraordinary.

AMG Lunch & Learn - Habits That Work: Building Better Professional Routines
2025-08-27 12:00 - 13:00 | AMG Zoom Event, UCLA
Join AMG on August 27th for a Lunch & Learn with Lola Ivy from Campus Human Resources!

Session Description
Discover how small, intentional habits can enhance your professional development in this engaging one-hour workshop, Habits That Work. This session encourages participants to reflect on the routines that shape their daily work lives. Through guided activities and useful tools, attendees will understand what and how effective habits are formed, as well as explore how habits can be intentionally designed for greater success.
Presenter Bio
Lola Ivy is a workshop facilitator and career management coach with over thirteen years of experience working for UCLA. Currently, she works for Campus Human Resources (CHR), managing a year-long career development program called the Staff Enrichment Program (SEP). Lola also serves as Vice Chair on the Administrative Management Group (AMG) board. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning from Pepperdine University.
