Six new members of the UCLA Alumni Association Board, joined by president-elect Ann Wang, who graduated in 2013 with a degree in international development studies, began their terms July 1. Wang — a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur, creative strategist and producer — will be the first Asian American woman elected to serve as the association’s president.
The volunteer-led board of directors includes alumni who work together with campus leaders to further the association’s mission to enrich the lives of alumni around the world and involve them in UCLA’s future. The new cohort joins four incumbent members in serving more than 500,000 alumni and supporting more than 100 alumni networks worldwide.
From launching the Bruin Promise to hosting more than 2,000 virtual programs this past year such as alumni town halls, career development resources, and cultural, wellness and educational events, the association has emerged stronger than before the pandemic and its connection with the UCLA community even more essential, said D’Artagnan Scorza, current president of the UCLA Alumni Association.
Wang co-founded the award-winning startup Enrou, an online marketplace aimed at creating a positive social, financial and sustainable impact on global communities. She’s currently building a creative studio that develops content around mental health and social justice, and has joined Friends at Work, a creative artist management company, where she works with clients such as Proctor and Gamble, musician John Legend, General Mills and others. Wang has served on the board of directors of the UCLA Alumni Association for the last five years and most recently co-chaired the career advisory committee. She also sits on the Delta Airlines Innovation Advisory Council and the Forbes Under 30 Council.
Three alumni representatives were elected to the Associate Students UCLA board and graduate students association. Joining Scorza and the re-elected and elected directors of the UCLA Alumni Association board are:
- Cathy Choi, senior director of programs, the Eisner Foundation. Choi earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 1996 and a master’s in public administration from Syracuse University in 2002. (incumbent)
- Harvey Englander, consultant. Englander earned an associate arts degree from Los Angeles City College in 1970 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 1972.
- Dean Florez, CEO/president, Balance Public Relations. Florez earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 1987 and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 1993.
- Matt Kaczmarek, director, BlackRock. Kaczmarek earned a bachelor’s degree in geography and political science from UCLA in 2005. Kaczmarek earned a master’s in international economics and Latin American studies from John Hopkins University in 2009.
- Corey Matthews, chief operating officer, Community Coalition. Matthews earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010 and a master’s degree in education in 2011 from UCLA. Matthews earned a master’s in public policy from UC Berkeley in 2015.
- Sahil Punamia, marketing strategy and operations, Netflix. Punamia earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 2013. (incumbent)
- Paco Retana, vice president of programs, Wellnest Emotional Health and Wellness. Retana earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCLA in 1987 and a master’s in social welfare from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs in 1990. (incumbent)
- Matthew Saucedo, manager, entertainment partnerships, Facebook. Saucedo earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from UCLA in 2011 and a M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2015. (incumbent)
- Jenn Wells, director of equity and inclusion, Marlborough School. Wells earned a bachelor’s degree in American literature & culture from UCLA in 2007 and a master's degree in higher education and student personnel administration from New York University in 2009. Wells is currently a doctorate candidate at the University of Southern California.
- Steve Yu, chief financial officer and assistant dean, UCLA School of Law. Yu earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA in 1995 and a M.B.A. in 2003 from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Read the board member’s full bios on the UCLA Alumni website.
The alumni representatives elected to campus boards are:
- Associated Students UCLA (two appointments): Jonathan Franklin, director of social justice and football development, Los Angeles Rams. Franklin earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA in 2012. Octavio Navarro, senior diversity marketing manager, Kia Motors America. Navarro earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Chicano studies from UCLA in 1994 and a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan in 1996.
- Graduate students association: Devon Dickau, co-lead diversity, equity and inclusion consulting practice, Deloitte. Dickau earned a bachelor’s degree in American literature and culture from UCLA in 2007 and masters of education from Harvard University in 2011. He earned his M.B.A. in 2015 from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.