Olivares Earns Team Achievement Award

June 2, 2020

Fredda OlivaresCongratulations to TechTransfer Conference and Events Manager Fredda Olivares, along with fellow team leaders of the the 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Leadership Summit — Lupe Gallegos-Diaz, Paola Alonso, and Ralph Serrano, who earned a Team Achievement Award.

This team led the 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Leadership Summit in the Berkeley campus/Division of Equity & Inclusion and UCOP on Jan. 9-10, 2020. Along with the Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion (VCEI), these four integral staff members from different spaces across campus spent months assuring that all details such as program development, speakers, accommodations and virtual program guide were completed for the 2nd UCOP/UCB Chicanx/Latinx Leadership. 

The summit is only the second of the UC System, and UCB was extremely proud to host following UCSD. This year's planning committee convened in January 2019 to start planning for the Jan. 9-10, 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Leadership Summit. Since January 2019 there were weekly meetings and monthly calls with the UCOP team and the system-wide planning committee to develop the framework for the summit itself.  Working closely with the VCEI, Lupe, Paola, Ralph and Fredda volunteered their time to ensure that all details such as coordination with UCOP, the 2-day agenda, speakers, accommodations, logistics and virtual program guide were completed. They responded to questions from colleagues across the system and managed communications and many moving parts in designing the summit in a timely manner. More than 275 participants from around the state attended the summit. The RSVP was extremely strong and there was a long waitlist. At the conclusion of the summit, a feedback survey was administered and the attendees expressed feeling included, welcomed, and expressed overall appreciation for a well thought out logistics and program.

Fredda was the backbone of the conference. Her work over the course of about a year, both behind the scenes and out front, was critical to the success of the summit. As co-lead, Fredda brought her invaluable event management skills to negotiate with vendors, usher contracts, and bring the project in on budget. Fredda oversaw most logistical details that included registration management; venue sourcing; and contracting of food & beverages, AV services, and entertainment. In addition, she coordinated efforts for on-site check-in, managed the AV staff, the house event staffs, and was the point person for most on-site logistic questions/ issues. We have no doubt that Fredda’s work, dedication, and efforts contributed to the overall success of the summit as well as positive participant experiences. On the back end, she managed the finances, tracked expenditures, and at the conclusion of the summit, reconciled the budget. Fredda has a keen eye for details and her profession as an External Relations Specialist was a huge asset. Fredda believes in service, community and the public good.  She embodies all of our operating principles. She is collaborative and has a natural gift when working in a team setting. Fredda also coordinated efforts for the live streaming of day one of the summit, allowing a UC-wide audience to participate. She worked tirelessly with me to ensure all other areas were taken care of and that all were meeting their commitments. The virtual program and Guidebook App were extremely successful!  

Even after the conclusion of the summit, her commitment remained until every loose end was tied – a commitment for which we were grateful.

The volunteer work and contributions of Lupe, Paola, Ralph, and Fredda to the 2020 Chicanx/Latinx Leadership Summit Committee embody the following operating principles: 

We include and excel, together: The successful planning and execution of a high caliber, high visibility system-wide summit relied on the planning team to be thoughtful, deliberate and inclusive in all aspects of design, facility selection, programmatic themes and speaker selections. UCB is often considered to be a system leader, and it was imperative that the event was seamless in all aspect while upholding the values that guide the work: community, education, outreach, service, belonging, and the public mission.

We include and excel, together: UCB and the Division of Equity & Inclusion are proud of the high caliber of the summit.  The four members of the planning team each brought respective skills, knowledge and energy to create a focused and well executed 2-day event.  All were content experts, but amongst the group there were also advocates, an event planner, a development professional, and all were strategists. Efforts were collective and energies focused.

We simplify: The UCB planning team parceled out roles and responsibilities based on areas of expertise and strength. There was a speaker team, a logistics team, a communications team, and content team. The budget for the event was over $105,000; needless to say, budget tracking and vendor sourcing had to be meticulous in order to stay within budget and timelines.  The design, process and templates used by the planning team can serve as a streamlined process for other campuses to emulate or adapt for future planning.