Shared Services' newly-appointed Associate Director for HR & Payroll Services sat down with Ben Mundy to share insights into what shaped her.

Andrea, please give us a timeline on your career path at UC Davis. 

I started in 2015 as a Payroll & Personnel Specialist with the BFTV Cluster in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES.) I had a short stint in Veterinarian Medicine as a Staff and Academic Personnel Specialist, then was hired back in my previous department (BFTV) as the HR Manager, overseeing payroll, staff, student and academic personnel.

When The CAES created the Distributed Shared Service Center (DiSSC) in 2018, I was hired to manage and lead that team, building the service channel staffing, developing processes and procedures, and leading the team through the UC Path conversion. I also served as an Associate HR Business Partner for CAES during that time.

What were your early life influences?  

Growing up, my dad was very career oriented.  He was a logistics manager for a couple of distribution centers, including Ryder, who did the logistics for Target. That's what brought our family to this area from Southern California.  He retired from Milgard, in Dixon.  As I grew up and went to college, he really set the example for me that you work hard and do your best.  And he always had high expectations of me. That's been my approach to anything I do, to do the best that I can because I want to.  Before I got into HR, I had just finished my associate degree at Butte College, and worked in retail for many years.  I wanted to get out of that and into a more administrative role, so I went to a temp agency and worked my first administrative job.  My Dad's reaction to that was, "is that all you're going to do?"  Even though I couldn't at the time, he saw the potential in me, which helped me see and know that I could do more.  Years later, I worked in a HR position within a retail distribution center, but I felt very held back there.  There was no program for professional development, and they had a very hard policy about not career pathing to management unless you had a bachelor's degree, and I had an associate degree.  For years I felt like, "this is it for me."  My dad really helped motivate me that I can and will do more, which instilled that drive in me.

My mom was in HR and was the one who got me interested in HR. She is one of those people who everybody loves, so kind and helpful - just glows - and really set that example for me. This has gone a long way in shaping me, and I always knew I would do work in a people-oriented area because of her.  This prompted me to get my associate degree is in behavioral science, to do something people related because I enjoyed it.  

Do you feel like you can help people believe in what they can become, or maybe see something in themselves that they can't?

It's taken me a long time to have that confidence in myself, and that confidence has really grown in every position I have had, and with every mentor I have had.  One of my favorite things about my job now is working with other supervisors who are motivated, are learning their role, want to grow, and helping them become the best they can be.  Over the last few years, I have learned that HR and supervision really go hand in hand.  Everything I've learned in HR puts me in a good position to help others learn how to excel in their leadership roles.  That's something I realized I really enjoy doing.  I really enjoy hiring people as well, because I feel really confident in my ability to identify who is going to be a good employee.  I can see potential in people, and I am very rarely wrong about that.  Even if it's not my team I'm hiring for, I love participating in hiring committees. I just feel like I can help.

Six years ago, I participated in a UC-wide management skills assessment program for up-and-coming leaders who showed potential.  We were assessed over a four-day period by other leaders across the UC. It was really challenging and eye-opening for me because we did these different projects, presentations, and assessments, and the whole time were being watched by assessors.  Some of the conversations I had with my assessor during that program were eye opening. During one activity in particular, I didn't think I did a good job and was expecting to get some critical feedback.  The feedback I received was that I was the leader of the group and stood out among everybody.  I was shocked. I didn't feel that.  It's almost like I have had this imposter syndrome that I've really had to overcome over the last few years. I feel like I have grown in that confidence, and that is what motivated me to apply for this position. I'm glad that I did.

Who was Andrea as a kid?  Did you have any hobbies? What were your natural talents?

I was a musician and played clarinet in the band starting in fifth grade.  But my friend played flute, so I'd always end up playing hers, so I just decided to play both (laughs.) I played the clarinet until I was fifteen, and at that point I became very interested in volleyball.  I fell in love with the sport and met some of my lifelong friends.  I ended up giving up the clarinet due to the commitment volleyball required.  It wasn't as competitive back then as it is now for kids, but in order to play volleyball, you had to play year-round.  I learned a lot about myself, and it had a great impact on my life. I was not a natural athlete and had to work really hard to make the team every year:  I had to be very focused when practicing and developing my skills, and I joined a club in the off season. I worked really hard to be in shape, a lot harder than my friends had to.  It was not something I was willing to fail at because I loved it so much. I still play today. The City of Woodland has an adult recreational league and do some coaching for my daughter's teams. It's been really enjoyable for me.

What are you most proud of at work?

One thing I have taken a lot of pride in over the last several years is building a team that feels supported and engaged.  One of the best compliments I can receive is that my team feels supported and empowered by me. I hear so many stories about employees that have had negative supervisor experiences and I strive never to be included in that category. 

What would you like your UC Davis legacy to be?

I want to be known not for what I do, but for the kind of person I am.  I hope when my UC Davis tenure comes to an end (a long, long from now!) I am remembered as someone who treated others with kindness, patience and empathy, who lead by example and followed through with what they said.