Karen Mendoza is Director of the Project Management Office at the California Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program.

What most stood out to you about this program?
The instructors were highly engaging and knowledgable about their subjects. My classmates were all great leaders in their fields, as well, and they added another level of enrichment to my learning experience.

Marnie Norris was working for a computer hardware company as a principal business operations analyst when her office was suddenly closed. Her unemployment was covered by a federal program that helps pay for training for dislocated workers, so Norris decided to enroll in the Business Analysis Certificate Program from UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education. “I enrolled in the program to put structure and context around what I already knew,” said Norris.

Moving across an ocean is daunting enough, but starting a new career in a new country was a task Carmel Gacho was more than capable of undertaking. Gacho used to work for a government research institute in Manila, Philippines as a Supervising Science Research Specialist and Environmental Committee Chair, focusing on hazardous material management and environmental compliance. “My job exposed me to the complex health and safety issues in an R&D [research and development] environment and perked up my interest to learn more on the science of safety,” said Gacho.