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Sara Reed to join the department from UC Davis in leadership role

Sara Reed, EdD will be joining the Department on November 27 in the newly formed role of Director of Operations, which encompasses three main areas of responsibility; faculty affairs, staff human resources and oversight of the chairman’s office administrative staff.  Sara comes to us with 20 years of experience in academic and military leadership roles focused on management, organizational change, and leadership development. 

Previous to this role, Sara served as the Executive Director of the Shared Services Center at the University of California, Davis. She joined UC Davis in 2012 as a Chief Administrative Officer, supporting four academic departments. In July 2014, Sara became the Director of the Shared Services Center, providing partner-focused support services, including human resources, payroll, finance, benefits, and customer services for the UC Davis campus and UC Davis Health.

During her tenure at UC Davis, Sara was recognized as a Chancellor STAR, Staff Assembly Citation for Excellence (honorable mention), and Work-Life Champion. In 2017, her team was recognized by the Chancellor for its efforts to support diversity and inclusion. Sara serves as a volunteer for the Western Association of College and University Business Officers and co-chairs the Professional Development Workshops Committee. 

Prior to her transition to higher education, Sara served as an active duty military officer, leading teams of various sizes across the globe, and she continues to serve as a Reserve officer. She earned a doctorate from Drexel University, MA.Ed. from California State University – Sacramento, M.S. from Troy State, and BA from University of Minnesota and was recently a Nehemiah Emerging Leaders fellow in Sacramento. She is married to an airline pilot and mother to three daughters.