Dear Colleagues:
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Deven Desai will be joining UC Santa Cruz, Staff Human Resources (SHR), as our next Director of Employee and Labor Relations, effective August 29, 2022. Deven will report to me and have oversight of our employee and labor relations team. He brings a strong background and many credentials to our campus and we are thrilled to have him join our SHR team and slug community.
For the past fifteen years Deven has been working for the city of Austin, Texas in several different roles. He has served Austin as an Assistant City Attorney, Assistant Human Resources Director, Police Monitor and since 2011 up until now he has been the Chief Labor Relations Officer. Deven has also worked as an attorney in private practice, for the United States Small Business Administration and for the Texas office of the Attorney General. He has an undergraduate degree in psychology from The University of Texas, Austin and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.
Deven has a passion for building healthy organizational cultures and he sees labor relations as integral to this work. As an attorney, he understands the legal issues involved in the labor and employee relations work in the public sector. Deven was attracted to our campus and the UC system based on our educational, research and public service mission and our Principles of Community.
Deven told me how excited and enthusiastic he is about meeting everyone and becoming a member of our campus and University community. I am so pleased we have found someone with talent, training, and a profound enthusiasm for both UC Santa Cruz and the position.
Deven plans to relocate to the Bay Area within the next year. In the meantime, we will be crafting a schedule that allows him to spend some time in Santa Cruz during September and periodically after that to meet face to face with colleagues.
Many thanks and much gratitude to the entire search committee for their effort, time, and dedication to the recruitment process:
Colette Grey (chair), Adrienne Harrell, Barbara Greening, Bill Prime, Danny Gray, Eréndira Rubin, Sabrina Shaver and Tony Cobb.
I also would like to acknowledge the superb work and fine leadership of Barbara Greening and Sabrina Shaver, who have been serving in interim roles leading our employee and labor relations team. They have done an excellent job leading the unit in the wake of Jennifer Schiffner’s departure and preparing the ground for Deven’s arrival.
Please join me in welcoming Deven to UC Santa Cruz!
Thank you.
Steve
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Steven J. Stein
Associate Vice Chancellor & CHRO
UC Santa Cruz
408.420.2224
