UCRAB Board

Elise Woods is President of UCRAB, the Secretary for the CUCRA Executive Committee, UC Retirees Travel trip liaison, and a UC Davis alumna. Retired in 2018, she worked on three campuses, UC Santa Barbara, UC Office of the President, and UC Berkeley, where she retired as the Chief Administrative Officer of the UCB Libraries. Elise’s 36-year career within the UC system covered a broad range of experience in business administration, strategic planning, training, coaching and mentoring with a strong emphasis on operational efficiency and continuous improvement. Elise earned her MS in Organizational Psychology from Saint Mary’s College of California and her BS from UC Davis in Human Development. During her career, she earned numerous certificates ranging from Excellence in Management (2) to Executive Coaching and awards such as distinguished service, achievement and the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff award. Elise loves to run, travel, and spend time with family and friends.

Marty Takimoto, class of ’79, is the current UCRAB Vice President. His 34-year career at Cal was spent entirely in student affairs and included stints in admissions, new student services, student activities, student housing, and student affairs communications. In retirement, he spends much of his time riding motorcycles (including trips to Mexico, Baja California, and Alaska and 47 other States) and in community service. In between, he follows Cal Football, SF Giants, and the Grateful Dead diligently.

Stephen Andrews is the current UCRAB Board Secretary. He retired in 2011 after 25 years of UC service that included appointments at UCSB, UCOP, UCD/UCANR and UCB. At Berkeley, Stephen served as an administrator in auxiliary enterprises and as a non-senate academic. Stephen has been actively engaged in retiree affairs at Berkeley as a member and past chair of the UCB Retirement Center Advisory Board.

Marian Gade serves as an honorary Director At-Large member for UCRAB. Marian has made service to UC retirees at Berkeley and the University statewide a major center of her life for 30 years; President & Secretary of UCRAB, a representative on the Retirement Center Advisory Board as well as 5 years as Chair of CUCRA, and an honorary member. For 35 years, Marian was a Research Associate with UC President Emeritus Clark Kerr, assisting with his two-volume set of memoirs of his years as Berkeley Chancellor and UC President, the last two years, Marian was Deputy Director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Studies in Higher Education. Marian is active with the San Francisco Folk Music Club, an 80+ year Girl Scout, former President of the SF Bay Area Council, a former whitewater kayaker and kayaking trainer and a ham radio operator involved in West Contra Costa County emergency preparedness efforts.

Susan Gardner is a serves as a Director At-Large member for UCRAB. She worked for UC from October 1993 until June 2024 (retiring effective July 2024). During her UC employment she was a UC Berkeley employee from 1993 until mid 2012 and again from 2014 until 2024. She was an LBNL employee from mid 2012 until returning to UC Berkeley in 2014. During her years working for UC Berkeley she was an administrator serving various departments under the UCB College of Engineering, College of Letters and Science, Chemistry, Education and Optometry. At LBNL she served as a Senior Resource Analyst.

Sue Gettinger serves as a Director At-Large member and Events Coordinator. Sue worked at Berkeley for 11 years in the College of Chemistry after spending 32 years in the laboratory glassware field. She retired in 2014.

Joan Kaskis the current Treasurer of UCRAB. Her career at Berkeley spanned 40 years and four positions, the last as manager of the Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs. Her career covered student advising, research and financial administration, program development and coordination, and academic and staff personnel. In retirement, she spends her time traveling, birding, drawing, and reading (she's belonged to the same book club for 25 years). Joan holds an MA in Asian Studies from Berkeley.

Pari Khodayari serves as a Director At-Large member for UCRAB. Pari’s UC career spans decades in the UC System and her experience covered a broad range of consulting roles working with staff members across the system. Pari conducted technical analysis, produced technical SME and strategy recommendations on multiple projects at University of California and Berkeley Lab. As a key member of the University of California Office of the President's Information Technology Services Systems Engineering team, Pari developed and implemented projects of criticality to a large end-user population in multiple organizational units using enterprise class software with high consequences of success or failure. Pari was a core team member hired to combine all UC payroll systems into one UCPATH payroll system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. Pari took early retirement from University of California Office of the President's Information Technology in 2019, and does independent IT consulting as IT STRATEGY. She loves spending time with friends and family and her favorite sports are pickleball, tennis and golf.

Kurt Libby serves as a Director At-Large member for UCRAB. Kurt Libby graduated from the University of Minnesota. He has a BA in English and an MS in Management,. Upon graduation, he spent 30 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy. A highlight of his career was a visit by President Clinton while Kurt was serving as Commanding Officer of the Naval Supply Center Oakland. Following the Navy, he spent 5 years as a consultant before coming to UC. Berkeley in 1999. Kurt is a member of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a member of the Board of Directors for Pacific Coast Community Services, on the Board of Directors for the Navy Supply Corps National Foundation, and a Trustee for the USS HORNET Museum.

Andrea Sohn serves as a Director At-Large member for UCRAB. She began her career at Berkeley in 1997 in Marketing Communications for Residential and Student Service Programs. She also worked at Graduate Division as Director of Communications and Events until she retired in 2019. She is now enjoying traveling, creating mosaics in her art studio, water aerobics, and playing with her 5 year-old granddaughter. 

Jonathan Winters serves as a Director At-Large member for UCRAB. He retired in 2021 after working in six positions over 36 years at Cal, all within Residential Student Service Programs; the last as a Facilities Supervisor at University Village Family Housing. He finished his B.A., History at Cal in 2012. He enjoys traveling to the SoCal desert, attending Cal football & men’s/women’s basketball games, campus lectures and performances, and retiree access of campus libraries & archives.