It’s our privilege to celebrate and honor the FOA employees who retired this year, collectively contributing almost 1,000 years of service to UC Davis. 

Their dedication and hard work leave an indelible mark on our community, and we extend our heartfelt thanks and congratulations on so many well-deserved retirements!

We all likely know someone who retired this year, and I encourage you to think about the positive impact they had on students, patients, colleagues and the UC Davis community. I look forward to FOA’s annual tradition of celebrating our retirees through remarkable stories and profiles. Enjoy! 

Thank you, FOA retirees, for your years of service, and best wishes for a joyful and fulfilling retirement.

Go Ags!

Clare Shinnerl
Vice Chancellor
Finance, Operations and Administration

Allen Tollefson | Facilities Management, 25 years

Allen Tollefson’s remarkable 25-year journey at UC Davis Facilities Management began when he joined as an assistant superintendent in 1999. He retired on July 1, as the Facilities leader of the largest UC campus in terms of acreage, keeping our 5,300 acres and 14.6 million square feet of campus facilities safe, clean and operable through severe winter storms, wildfire smoke events, COVID-19, Picnic Day and many perfect spring days.

As Allen embarks on a well-deserved retirement, he eagerly anticipates spending more time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and taking some trips to ski and attend IndyCar races in far-flung places. "Not getting up at 5 a.m. every morning to prep for work will be a welcome change," he shared with a smile.

Reflecting on his 25 years at UC Davis, Allen marveled at the remarkable transformations on campus, particularly around its physical expansion and technological advancements. “Yet amidst these changes, what I will miss most are the connections forged with individuals and the dynamic atmosphere that constantly evolves,” noted Allen. “My hope is that UC Davis and Facilities Management continue being recognized for leading in so many areas, taking care of its people, and delivering top-notch work.”

Leading campus facilities is no easy task, especially given the size and age of our campus and our limited financial resources. Despite these challenges, Allen was able to pivot every day to meet the needs of our many stakeholders and respond quickly to the most pressing and complex needs. Allen’s leadership ensured our facilities were always safe, sustainable and operational. He was 'on' 24/7 and always made UC Davis his focus and priority." – Clare Shinnerl, FOA Vice Chancellor

Read more about Allen's career

Arthur Castillo | Facilities Management, 38 years

Arthur Castillo has been a familiar face in Facilities Management since he began working at UC Davis in 1983. Over the decades, Arthur has cherished the opportunity to meet new, friendly faces in the various shops he has worked in. His extensive skill set and experience have been invaluable to Facilities Management, where he has made significant contributions in electrical, labor, steam, night operations, utilities, water, gas and plumbing.

Arthur has appreciated the relaxed and supportive work environment at UC Davis, where he built lasting friendships and enjoyed working with everyone. As Arthur steps into retirement, he is excited about the adventures that lie ahead. He plans to travel, spend more time with his family, attend sports events, visit car shows and take leisurely cruises in his beloved Chevy Bel Air. 

Alan Winchenbaugh | Admin IT, 36 years

Alan Winchenbaugh, class of '87, began his UC Davis career journey working part-time in Extension Professional Services. He soon transitioned into a full-time role, accepting a position in the Financial Aid department and later moving to the Accounting and Finance office, where he became involved with campus financial reporting and information processing.

Although Alan has worked in off-campus offices since 1997, he has always appreciated UC Davis’ mission for higher education through his participation in campus events.

One of Alan's notable contributions during his tenure was his work on the fiscal close process. He maintained an automated system for generating entries for the central accounting office. This crucial project required a dedicated block of time each year to ensure a smooth financial year-end close.

In retirement, Alan plans to reduce his screen time and replace it with gardening and physical activities like biking and hiking. 

The growth of campus over the last 36 years has made it a privilege to be employed at UC Davis." – Alan Winchenbaugh

Edna Baca | Human Resources, 34 years

With over three decades of unwavering service, Edna's commitment to customer service has set a standard of excellence within our organization. She began her career at UC Davis in 1990 as the supervisor for the Employment Office and Vacancy Coordination. In this role, she supported recruiters, produced weekly job bulletins and screened applications for various job openings.

Shortly after, Edna transitioned to a recruiter role and worked with every department on the Davis campus, including the School of Medicine before its move to Sacramento. Due to her extensive experience and background in HR, Edna was often asked to collaborate on many special projects, initiatives and committees, and she represented the UC Davis campus at many outreach events and job fairs throughout the region. 

In retirement, Edna will fulfill her love of traveling by exploring countries in Asia and Europe, as well as the rest of the United States.

 

Edna's willingness to speak up in support of HR policies has been instrumental in fostering a positive and equitable workplace. We deeply appreciate Edna's remarkable contributions and wish her all the best in her retirement." – Lyndon Huling, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition & Compensation Services

Christine Herkenrath | Budget and Institutional Analysis, 33 years

Christine Herkenrath began her journey at UC Davis in 1991 as a student assistant in Medical Pathology within the School of Medicine. After graduating, she became an accounting assistant. In 1997, Christine joined the Center for Comparative Medicine, eventually advancing to assistant director of administration. She concluded her distinguished career as a budget analyst within Budget and Institutional Analysis (BIA), contributing her expertise and dedication to the entire UC Davis community.

"The highlight of my career was assisting research faculty involved in cutting-edge research that benefited humans and animals,” shared Christine. “I also enjoy process improvement, especially in regards to recharge operations, which was part of my role within BIA.”

As she steps into retirement, Christine is excited to spend more time visiting her adult children and traveling the United States with her husband, Brian. Together, they plan to visit all the National Parks over the next few years. Christine also looks forward to rediscovering her passion for photography and learning videography to capture the breathtaking sights during their travels.

Pravin Sharma | Supply Chain Management, 22 years

Pravin's journey at UC Davis began with night shifts in Custodial Services. However, after his children were born, “and started needing help with homework!” Pravin jokes, he transitioned to a daytime role in Bulk Mail Services. He loved the atmosphere, diversity and prioritizing customers. He cherished the relationships with his coworkers, who became his work family. His colleagues fondly remember seeing his kids grow up and participate in “Bring Your Kids to Work Day.” Pravin also treasured the annual tradition of attending Picnic Day with his family, an event they eagerly anticipated and never missed.

In retirement, Pravin is excited to attend his daughter's wedding in Fiji. He plans to spend time improving his golf game and, with the extra time on his hands, looks forward to being with his family, including his golden retriever, Lucky, and embarking on new travel adventures.

There are many great stories to tell and I hope I’ve left an awesome impression on each of my customers, management, and coworkers. I will miss this place.” – Pravin Sharma

Ronghua 'Jenny' Li | Supply Chain Management, 22 years 

Jenny began her career at UC Davis in 1999, working in Accounts Payable at the UC Davis Bookstore. After a short break from the university, she returned in 2009 to work on a project in the Department of Computer Science. She then transitioned to supporting UC Davis Student Health and Counseling Services as a purchaser in Supply Chain Management.

All the teams and departments Jenny worked with and supported highly regarded her efforts to go above and beyond. “Whether she was offering guidance on complex tasks or lending a helping hand during challenging times, Jenny consistently proved herself to be an invaluable asset to our team," said Katarina Mitchel, business supervisor with FOA Business Partners. 

In retirement, Jenny plans to pursue several interests, including cooking, gardening, traveling and continuing to learn English. She looks forward to embracing this new chapter with the same enthusiasm and dedication she brought to her career at UC Davis.

Chris Di Dio | Campus Planning, 21 years 

Chris Di Dio began his career at UC Davis in 2003 as a Geographic Information System (GIS) analyst. He was responsible for making changes to the campus map and providing GIS support for the Office of Campus Planning, as well as many other units on campus. He currently holds the office record for maintaining natural resource data sets, including a complete database of 26,000 trees on campus and a comprehensive Landscape Management Plan. 

Chris’s meticulous work has made navigating UC Davis easier, and his contributions have been integral to many campus projects. A few of his favorite projects included the transition of GIS applications from desktop-only to online and mobile device-accessible, along with developing field apps for academic purposes.

Chris has also been an active member of the UC Davis community, serving on various committees such as the Thank Goodness for Staff (TGFS) Planning Committee and the Staff Home Brewing competition. 

Though he has loved his job at UC Davis, Chris feels it's time to pass the torch and continue pursuing his passions elsewhere. During retirement, Chris plans to pack up his RV and continue his journey around the United States. He is excited to spend more time with his seven grandkids and enjoy his favorite pastimes like golfing, fishing and biking. 

I have had the pleasure to work with some talented people whom I’m sure I will be in contact with many years after retirement. I will never forget my time here.” – Chris Di Dio

Dharandar Singh | Custodial Services, 20 years

Dharandar started at UC Davis as a custodian and, through his dedication and hard work, rose to the position of custodial supervisor in 2020. His work helped ensure that study spaces, labs, classrooms, auditoriums and offices were always clean and inviting. 

Over the years, Dharandar worked on many important projects, including upgrading floors and assessing buildings. In 2008, he was selected to work on time studies for Custodial Services, a testament to his commitment and expertise. This major project involved assessing all campus buildings to determine the cleaning workload for each. Originally estimated to take two years, Dharandar and his team completed the time study within one year, a true reflection of his hardworking nature and leadership. 

In retirement, Dharandar looks forward to indulging in his passions, such as traveling to new places, visiting family and spending time at temples in accordance with his Sanatan faith. He also wants to tend to his small garden at home and play his favorite sport, soccer.

Dharandar is proud of his 20 years of service at UC Davis and wholeheartedly recommends it as a great place to work. His colleagues will deeply miss his dedication, warmth and the sparkling spaces he left behind.

Scott Arntzen | Design and Construction Management, 17 years

Scott Arntzen graduated from UC Davis in 1993 and joined Design and Construction Management (DCM) in 1994, eventually rising to senior project manager. As one of the few engineers at DCM, he played a crucial role in many campus projects as either a reviewer or subject matter expert. When he transitioned to project manager, Scott focused on infrastructure and technical projects. Highlights of Scott's time at UC Davis include working on every utility operated and maintained by the university, such as award-winning exterior lighting projects and a state-of-the-art cage wash facility certified LEED Gold. 

While working for UC Davis, Scott gained tremendous knowledge about systems and equipment that he believes would have been difficult to learn anywhere else. He will miss the camaraderie and collaboration on interesting and critical projects but feels it is time to step down and allow new talent to bring their energy and vision to the campus.

I am confident the gains and strides will continue to keep UC Davis in the forefront of energy efficiency while providing for world class research now and in the future. Go Ags!” – Scott Arntzen

Deborah Ferreter | Human Resources, 13 years

Deborah joined UC Davis Health in 2011, bringing with her an immense background in HR and recruiting. As a talent acquisition partner, her can-do attitude and unwavering loyalty to the organization have been truly inspiring.

Deborah enjoyed welcoming new employees, leading and training others, and witnessing the growth and changes on the Sacramento campus. Living across the street from the hospital, she often walked to work, making her a daily witness to the impressive developments.

What Deborah will miss most are the daily and weekly interactions with her work team and the dynamic, challenging nature of her job. The best part of working at UC Davis Health has been sharing ideas and forming lifelong friendships with her team. 

In retirement, Deborah plans to be a "continuer," pursuing the things she loves and enjoys, such as playing the piano, creating art and reading. She also looks forward to going out with friends and spending time with her parents.

Deborah's exemplary service to her clients has set a high standard of professionalism and dedication, ensuring that every interaction was handled with the utmost care and excellence. We are immensely grateful for her remarkable contributions and wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement.” – Lyndon Huling, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition & Compensation Services

Carl Seymour | Human Resources, 11 years

When Carl joined the university in 2004, he initially worked on contract, performing special projects in Compensation Services. These included creating the classifications and compensation structure for the trade and craft series, superintendents and the project manager series for Architecture & Engineering. Later, he joined HR as an analyst, handling classification and pay responsibilities for a variety of schools, colleges and divisions across the university.

Carl's unwavering commitment to pay equity and fairness has not only shaped our policies but also ensured a more just and inclusive environment for all employees. We are profoundly grateful for his dedicated service and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.” – Lyndon Huling, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition & Compensation Services
 

• What's one of your happiest moments from your time at UC Davis?   

• Being able to assist the School of Veterinary Medicine with general support and improvements to their compensation program has been the highlight. Working with the fascinating, compassionate and dedicated people there who develop hypotheses and execute research, develop new ways to make the world better for animals and people, and work hands-on helping with beloved companion animals.

• Tell us more about rescuing German Shepherds, please.
• In retirement, Carl looks forward to living life by the seasons, angle of the sun, and condition of the sky, rather than by the clock. He plans to vacation and travel without a schedule. To give back to the community, Carl will be continuing to foster German Shepherd dogs rescued from shelters, something he has been doing for many years. With more time on his hands, he plans to practice and perform music again, read extensively, spend more time outdoors and pursue many other interests.

Mark Chatman | Human Resources, 9 years

Mark Chatman certainly made his "mark" since joining UC Davis in 2015, having worked as manager of Talent Acquisition at both the Davis and Sacramento campuses. As the manager of the Davis campus talent acquisition team, Mark has been a mentor and guide to countless team members, fostering their professional growth and development. 

Mark expresses his most sincere gratitude for the support, friendship and camaraderie he has experienced during his tenure, extending a heartfelt thanks to all the exceptional colleagues he has had the privilege of working with over the years.

Although many in HR wished that Mark could stay longer, he has many plans for retirement that will revolve around his love for world-wide travel with his family. 

Mark's strong HR leadership across the campus has been pivotal in shaping our HR strategies and promoting a culture of inclusivity and excellence. His consistent stability over the years has been a cornerstone of our operations, ensuring smooth and efficient functioning. We deeply appreciate his remarkable contributions and wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.”  – Lyndon Huling, Executive Director of Talent Acquisition & Compensation Services

All  FOA Retirees from FY 2023-24