After a successful career in accounting, Perry Reyes decided to marry his love of wine with his experience in finance. He is currently the controller of accounting and finance at Korbel Winery. His experience in the OIV Wine Marketing Program gave him the foundation he needed to take the leap from CPA to wine business.

After 12 years of being a stay-at-home parent, Batool Fatima decided to build an entirely new career path for herself. She turned to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education's Paralegal Studies Certificate Program to get the training she needed for a new start.

Noah Williams began UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Human Resource Management Certificate Program in 2020 to open the door for a new career path. Now, as a newly appointed human resources coordinator at Bain & Company in San Francisco, Noah Williams is a fresh face in the HR world.

Nathan Trauernicht is an experienced leader who understands the importance of innovation when it comes to managing and inspiring teams. As a graduate of the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program and the chief of the UC Davis Fire Department, Trauernicht provides overall leadership and direction to a department serving a population of more than 40,000.

As the regional manager at Royal Electric, Dan Kruger has been in the construction industry for a long time. When he landed a few promotions, he decided to supplement his practical experience with UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Construction Management Certificate Program. 

As a principal planner with the San Joaquin County Community Development Department, John Funderburg enjoys the challenge of managing large-scale development projects. Having taken a number of environmental resources classes at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, he recently decided to further expand his skill set and pursue the Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program.

With exposure to the construction business from so many different angles, Jenni Castro understood the nuances and niches within the industry. She chose Continuing and Professional’s Construction Management Program as a way to explore everything the industry has to offer and to supplement her degree in environmental science. 

Kelin Bradley has always had a passion for food and an interest in science.The Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program paved the way for Bradley, providing him with essential training and opening his eyes to a new field.

Despite earning an industrial hygiene degree in her home country of Thailand, Vicky Udomvaranon had never worked in health and safety—that is until six years later when she found herself stepping into the role of health, safety and environment specialist for her company. Her research for health and safety training courses led her to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program.

As a sensory coordinator with Griffith Foods in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Nieto needed to better understand consumer testing to help her excel at her job. As part of her professional development, her supervisor suggested she apply for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program to advance her skill set. “Talking with colleagues from other Griffith units, they highly recommended this certificate to me,” Nieto said.

“I learned skills that I can apply directly to my job, and there are very few classes that I can say that about,” said Katie Metraux, a land use planner with the California Department of State Parks and Recreation and a graduate of the Professional Concentration in Conflict Resolution.

We interviewed Terence Kelley, M.S., a research scientist and evaluation specialist 
with the California Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Control Program partway through the Healthcare Analytics Certificate Program a year ago and he was already applying his learnings. Now, after completing the certificate program, he has a new promotion under his belt.

Pedro Vargas of Vino Vargas in Paso Robles, California, completed UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Winemaking Certificate Program in spring 2011. We asked Vargas to tell us about his recent successes.

Thomas Cernac, a recent graduate of the Winemaking Certificate Program, is a retired U.S. Air Force mechanic and now a vineyard manager and winemaker in El Dorado County, California.

Sanne Poulsen had been working in agribusiness management and marketing when she moved to Marlborough—New Zealand’s wine country. After relocating, Poulsen made friends with people in the wine industry and became intrigued by the profession. Looking to invest in her education to balance the practical and technical skills, she found the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Winemaking Certificate Program.