Board Of Directors 2023 Election

Felicia Becerra (Wilde 2005-'06, Davis '06-'07 and '08-'09, Hillegass-Parker [HiP] '09-'11) *new

Felicia is grateful for the social support and growth the co-ops foster as well as teaching important skills such as leadership and cooking. In every co-op she lived in, she cooked dinners weekly (and still has housemates tell her they miss dishes she made for house dinner over a decade ago). Since leaving the co-ops, she has had many roles on various teams (support, operations, project/program/product management, managing teams) and working cross-functionally. She has spent 10 years working at health-tech companies, including various startups and larger companies such as Apple. During her career, she has made an effort to help underserved populations and volunteered for diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts through volunteer work, active participation in events, and serving on committees. She is eager to give back to the co-ops and support alumni connections.

Gillian Brown (Chateau 1991-'92, Kingman '92-'94) *new

It has been said that all we need to know we learn in kindergarten. However I needed to live in the co-ops to learn how much more I needed to know. Inspired by the example of my housemates contributing to our community and my semester stint on AdCom in the early 1990s, I was motivated in my years after Berkeley to serve on the board of directors of non-profit organizations, including the Boalt Hall (now Berkeley Law) Alumni Association and the Beverly Hills Bar Association. I also was a member of the Advisory Board of the Western Center on Law & Poverty. Increasing the BSC’s visibility, particularly to low-income incoming students, is an issue I would like to explore with the Board. Because of my work as a lawyer during the past 24 years, I hope to bring to the Board my disparate skills in identifying legal risks, revising governance documents, and planning social events.

James (Jim) Ausman (Chateau House 1990-'93) *returning

Jim served on the Board of Directors of the USCA for two years, mostly as the VP of Finance. He was the Board President one summer, the summer they decided to foreclose on Barrington and get it back from the man they had sold it to. Other accomplishments were to raise rent slightly to tackle the backlog of deferred maintenance and to allow any students from any college to join the USCA, not just Berkeley. There was a vacancy problem in this era. Jim is the Alumni rep on the Berkeley Student Cooperative Board and is always willing to collaborate.

Jennifer (she/her) was destined to go to and love living in Berkeley. From a young age, her parents brought her to Cal; indeed she has been frequenting Lama Beans (formerly Jimmy Beans) since 1990! While living in the co-ops, she applied for a position as a Receptionist at the BSC Central Office. CO was to become her new home. She worked first as Receptionist, then Communications Coordinator and then acting Development Director between 2001 and 2009. Some of her key accomplishments were: two complete website overhauls, the development of the online application, and the 75th Anniversary Gala. While living at Kingman, she served as Social Manager for two years. Following her time as a staff member at CO, she served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors until August 2012. In 2010 she founded Artsy Geek, a design and marketing agency. In the past decade, she has had the opportunity to continue to work with various non-profits and small businesses on branding and marketing. She looks forward to bringing this experience to the Alumni Association Board of Directors. She will be forever grateful to the BSC not only for the professional experience but for introducing her to her best friends and her husband. All of the people she is closest to in the world she met through the BSC. She currently lives in San Leandro with her husband (Lothlorien, Castro, Casa Zimbabwe, Rochdale) and six-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. She enjoys baking, gardening and reorganizing closets.

Justin Erickson (Cloyne 1990-'92, '97-'99, NSC '99-2001) *returning

Justin was a member of the BSC throughout his time at Cal and held leadership positions at the house, board and central levels, including; Cloyne House President, Cloyne House Manager, Board Member, USCA President, Assistant Housing Supervisor, BSCAA Board Member and BSCAA President. He currently works in Construction Project Management on large capital projects for public agencies, typically in the range of $150M - $900M. He brings a longstanding love of the organization and deep resonance of the mission – providing affordable housing to students who might not otherwise be able to afford college, as well as the spirit of cooperation and a desire to give back to the community that gave so much to him.

Lee Altenberg (Lothlorien 1977-'79) *returning associate

I grew up in southern California and graduated high school in Marin County. I attended Cal 1975-1979 as an undergraduate where I began my research career in theoretical population genetics. I lived my Junior and Senior years in Lothlorien, which redeemed my entire UC Berkeley experience with its welcoming community, and its demonstration, as part of the USCA, that a democratically run housing system could work magnificently. I went to Stanford for my doctorate and, inspired by Lothlorien, immediately got involved with the Stanford housing co-ops Synergy, Columbae and Theta Chi, and did various projects to attempt to transform them into an independent housing system. When I went to Duke University for postdoctoral work, I sought to transplant the co-op culture I found at Berkeley and Stanford, and founded a vegetarian eating club, an ecological living group, and the student-run campus recycling program. During my 25 years in Hawai`i I have continued to participate in co-op alumni networks and reunions, served as a historian of Stanford co-ops, and joined alumni and students in battle with administrations attempting to terminate co-op communities, or purloin or demolish their houses. I would be pleased to contribute this experience to the BSCAA Board.

Marcella Murphy (Stebbins, Oxford, Sherman, Cloyne, Northside, Rochdale) *returning

I thoroughly enjoyed my nine years of co-op living. I lived in Stebbins, Oxford, Sherman, Cloyne, Northside and Rochdale. I held several positions and did a wide variety of workshifts. I loved welcoming new members and I confess to having cried more than once when the house emptied out at the end of the year. I believe now more than ever co-op principles hold many of the keys to solving the economic problems we face today, and I am determined that the BSC should thrive during this pandemic and beyond.

Margie Greene Guillory (Hoyt Hall 1970-'73, Northside Co-op '74-'78) *returning

Margie graduated from Berkeley with a degree in mathematics, two teaching credentials, and a certificate in accounting. She was involved with the BSC as the BSC’s first woman Maintenance Manager (1970-1972), first woman on Summer Maintenance Crew (1972), Decentralization and Inventory Control Clerk (1972-1975), A/P Bookkeeper (1975-1988) with a 6-month break to convert all houses to the Home Cooking Program in 1980, and BSC’s Accountant (1988-2012). She was inducted into the North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) Hall of Fame in 1990 as an Educator.

Sean Sowell (Lothlorien boarder 1984, Kingman '84-'89, Northside '89-'92) *returning

Born in Boston and grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts. '92 Psychology BA. Credits the USCA for making it possible to work his way through school. Served as Kingman's Board member in '84, House President and Workshift Manager in '85, House Manager '86-'88, USCA Board President for Summer and Fall '88, then as Kingman's and Northside's House President in '89 concurrently. Led membership referenda 1 ('84), 2 ('86) and 3 ('88) that eventually closed and sold Barrington in '89. Sean's fraternal twin sons are Matt and Nick. He served as Zephyr Teachout's volunteer deputy texting director in her '18 run for New York State Attorney General, and volunteered for Pamela Price’s '18 and '22 runs for Alameda County District Attorney. He misses Warren Zevon, Tom Petty and Johnny Cash, and regrets never seeing them in concert. His better half Jennifer is an organizer for SEIU USWW. He works for SEIU Local 1000, representing State of California rank and file employees. Sean welcomes the chance to return in service to the BSC.

V. Nedeltchev (Stebbins, CZ, Rochdale 2016-'22) *new

V (they/he) is a committed coop-er and exciting friend. They lived in the coops from 2016-2022 and have stayed around as a full-time staff member. When they aren't excited about collaborations with the alum association, they play Quadball (formerly known as Quidditch) and work with harm reduction in substances and non-normative relationships.

Wick Smith (Barrington Hall 1974-'75, Ridge Project [CZ] '74-'77) *returning

B.A. '77 & M.S.W. '80 U.C. Berkeley. IT Manager Contra Costa County for 28 years and senior consultant in a firm that specializes in nonprofits and local governments. BSCAA – Past President, current Events Committee Chair. BSA adult volunteer for the last 25 years.

Zoe Hayes *new

Hello! My name is Zoe, I lived at Ridge from 2021 to 2022. I am running for BSCAA board because I want to help the BSCAA reach out to newer generations of BSC alumni and innovate new ways to promote cooperation in the community!

I, the undersigned member of the BSC Alumni Association, submit this ballot to the Secretary to represent my votes for the Candidates and Action Items being decided upon at the Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday, December 09, 2023. 
 
PROXY VOTING: In the event that an action item is brought up at the meeting and deemed in order by the President, there would be a vote. If that were to occur, anyone with a proxy from a member could vote in that item on the latter’s behalf. If you wish, you may give your proxy to any member who will be in attendance at the meeting. To do so, please fill out this ballot in its entirety, including the following information.