Meet the 2026-27 CUCSA Executive Board

By the Council of UC Staff Assemblies

The systemwide Council of UC Staff Assemblies, aka CUCSA, is pleased to introduce its 2026-27 Executive Board, installed on July 1, 2026: chair, Brian Light, UC Berkeley; chair-elect, Michael McCormack, UCLA; operations officer, Laleh Coté, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; communications officer, Sarah Dillon, UC Riverside; and immediate past chair, Greta Carl-Halle, UC Santa Barbara. Collectively, the Board brings 91 years of UC service and decades of experience serving in staff leadership.

CUCSA was established in 1974 to maintain and enhance communication within and across the university on matters of interest to staff employees. Its accomplishments have included supporting benefits for non-traditional families, advocating for paid family leave and advocating for pay increases before the UC Board of Regents. CUCSA also developed and advocated for the Staff Advisor to the Regents position and established a Systemwide Staff Engagement Survey.

“CUCSA is guided by the belief that investing in staff is fundamental to the university’s continued success. Every recommendation developed by CUCSA is grounded in the understanding that the employee experience directly influences the university’s ability to educate students, advance research, provide world-class healthcare and serve the people of California,” says Carl-Halle.

The new board looks forward

Throughout the coming year, CUCSA’s chair and chair-elect will attend all Regents meetings, and the Executive Board will meet quarterly with the university president and other members of UC leadership. The full delegation — which includes two staff representatives from each of the 10 campuses, the Office of the President, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Agriculture and Natural Resources — will meet in person four times a year to share best practices and discuss staff issues.

The first quarterly meeting of the 2026-27 academic year took place at UC Santa Barbara in September. Future meetings will take place at UC Irvine in December, UC San Diego in March, and at the UC Office of the President in June. Outside of these meetings, the delegation will form workgroups to research and address issues impacting staff.

“Staff are essential to the UC System, and over the past year, they have faced a great deal of uncertainty,” says Light. “Conversations about AI and the accretions that are shaking up the employment structures on our campuses are just a couple of examples. CUCSA is a place where we can have serious conversations with leaders regarding these and other critical topics while promoting the value and impact of staff on the University System.”

“The work completed during the 2025–2026 reflected a deliberate approach to improving the workplace for staff, and I am excited to see the direction this year’s delegation takes in improving the staff experience,” says Carl-Halle.

Learn more about CUCSA’s leadership team

Chair Brian Light is chief operations manager for UC Berkeley’s Social Sciences Division Libraries. During his 27 years with the Berkeley Library, he has advanced from an entry-level position to managing multiple libraries. He earned his bachelor’s degree at The Ohio State University, where he worked in the main library, and his master’s in library and information science at San José State University. Brian enjoys helping students, staff, faculty and community members find the information they need. He helped establish equity and inclusion committees for Berkeley’s Staff Assembly and Library. As a CUCSA delegate, he advocated for staff access to campus food pantries and raised awareness of staff food insecurity. Outside work, he enjoys time with his wife, teenage daughter, dog and two bunnies, along with basketball and video games.

Chair-elect Michael McCormack is assistant director of leadership and involvement for UCLA Residential Life and has nine years of UC service. He advises the student government, develops programming based on student needs and serves on the crisis management rotation. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership from California State University, Los Angeles, a master’s in education from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s degree from New York University. Through strategic, community-centered advocacy, Michael champions a stable, valued UC workforce connected to the university’s mission across all locations, shifts and roles. Outside work, he enjoys concerts, running marathons and people-watching in new coffee shops.

Operations Officer Laleh Coté is a STEM education program manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and has 12 years of service. She develops, manages and evaluates internships, outreach events and other programs supporting students and faculty. She has also been active in Berkeley Lab’s employee resource group community for many years. Laleh holds associate degrees from Laney College, a bachelor’s in biology from San Francisco State University, and a master’s in microbiology and Ph.D. in science and mathematics education from UC Berkeley. Outside work, she enjoys music, art, storytelling, reading and time with her family.

Communications Officer Sarah Dillon is the human resources director for UC Riverside’s College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and has 10 years of UC service. A Staff Assembly volunteer for five years, she served as director of administration and director of professional development before becoming president. She also serves on UCR’s Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women. A UC San Diego alumna, Sarah is passionate about improving the staff experience by building connections within UCR and across the UC community.

Immediate Past Chair Greta Carl-Halle is business officer for UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Computer Science and has 33 years of UC service. She has served on UCSB’s Staff Assembly for more than 20 years and completed three terms with CUCSA, including as board chair in 2015–16. She has also served on UCSB’s Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Women and the Gaucho Mentor Connection and is a founding member of the Staff Engagement Workgroup. A UCSB alumna, Greta moved from Pennsylvania to pursue her bachelor’s degree and advanced from student employee to her current management role. Outside work, she enjoys sewing, gardening and traveling.

More information about CUCSA, the delegation and this year’s workgroups can be found on the Council of UC Staff Assemblies website.