Departing Staff Advisor Andenet Emiru on the “strength, resilience and unity” of UC staff
Andenet Emiru, departing staff advisor to the Regents, entered the role with a commitment to advocating for positive changes for staff, observing, “impact isn’t always immediate or visible, yet you continue forward, driven by purpose rather than applause.”
As Andenet makes way for a new staff advisor designate, who will serve with Staff Advisor Mayté Frías, he shares some of what he learned and offers advice for potential applicants.
Applications for the position of staff advisor to the Regents are open for non-represented and represented staff or non-Senate academic employees who have at least five years of UC service. The application period ends Friday, April 11, 2025, for a two-year term that runs from July 2025 to June 2027.
What motivated you to apply for the role of staff advisor to the Regents?
I’ve always been involved in staff advocacy, starting with my career at Target, and then at UC Davis Health and the Office of the President [where Andenet currently serves as director of external partnerships and projects for UC Health’s Center for Data-driven Insights and Innovation]. This work allows me to connect and gain energy from my colleagues, and I’ve seen firsthand how it can benefit organizations.
I saw the staff advisor role as an opportunity to elevate that impact at the highest level and do what I can to help UC achieve its mission.
How has the experience changed your perspective on UC? What have you learned?
Serving as a staff advisor gave me a better understanding of the intricacies of policymaking, governance, and how decisions are made at the highest level. And then also, how those decisions ripple through our campuses and our medical centers, and how they touch patients and students and communities.
I have had the privilege of seeing how deeply the Regents and UC leadership value staff perspectives, and how powerful our collective advocacy can be. I’m originally Ethiopian, and there’s a proverb my parents have told me many times: when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion. In my short time here, I have witnessed UC staff come together with incredible strength and resilience and unity. And so long as we can unite, there’s nothing that can defeat us.
What accomplishments and challenges stand out for you?
One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is elevating the voice of the staff through our “State of the Staff” message to the Board of Regents. For our first presentation, Jo Mackness [staff advisor from July 2022 to June 2024] and I worked closely with Systemwide Human Resources to better understand what it takes for UC to be an employer of choice. During our visits to campuses we learned so much from staff about what makes them get up each day and say, ‘Yes, I’m still committed to UC.’
I’ve learned from past staff advisors, though, that you don’t choose the issues, the issues choose you. So, dealing with financial and budget constraints has been an important part of my term, and working to protect UC and our commitment to our mission and vision.
To accomplish this, we need to work together and find common ground. UC staff is not a monolith — even my wife and I don’t agree on everything — so it’s critical that we’re open to new ideas, that we speak to people heart to heart and listen to views that are different from our own. It’s been truly enlightening and inspiring as staff advisor to build relationships with UC leadership and the Board of Regents that have allowed us to do that work.
What is next for you after you leave this role?
One of the things that I’ve learned about myself is that I’m a very curious, inquisitive person, with a hunger to continue to contribute. So, this fall I’ll be starting a Public Health doctoral program at George Washington University, designed for working professionals. Nelson Mandela said that education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. I believe that voices like mine need to be represented in boardrooms, and continuing my education will help me continue to contribute at the highest level.
What would you say to people who are considering applying to be the next staff advisor to the Regents?
In the president’s message the other day, he beautifully captured my experience as a staff advisor — even in moments of challenge, UC thrives through unity, determination, and unwavering commitment to the greater good.
To anyone considering applying, know that this role is a chance to shape the future of this extraordinary institution that has an enormous impact in the state, in the nation, and in the world at large. It’s an opportunity that I would wholeheartedly take again without even a thought. It’s the most gratifying experience I’ve ever had.
Learn more about the program and how to apply by April 11 on the staff advisor website.