The CCPA leadership elections for the 2024 calendar year are now open. Please review the candidate statements and biographies below before you vote!

 

Dennis McIver

Candidate Statement

I am applying to be considered for the position of President-Elect of CCPA because, at the core, I think I can help. Since 2019, I have taken on increasing responsibility for staff advocacy, engagement, and empowerment across the University of California. This work has allowed me to grow my technical and soft skills while developing as a presenter, planner, and collaborator. The experiences even inspired me to pursue a doctorate in Leadership Studies, which I will complete next spring. I also credit the experience with having helped me gain friendships that I know will remain with me for life. Having said this, these opportunities have created a debt I hope to repay through service.

In considering CCPA’s mission, values, and purpose, I am confident it is a wonderful opportunity to give back to an industry that has done so much for me as a professional and person. I also am certain that my breadth and depth of experiences – including student advising, academic records, athletics, and currently, DEI – would allow me to effectively navigate the complexity of higher education in California while supporting the work of CCPA.

If allowed to serve as President-Elect of CCPA, my first priority would be to support the work of the President and Leadership Directorate as a colleague and teammate. Beyond this, I would hope to focus on the following goals:

1) Staff engagement and empowerment: Staff are often the second largest population in university settings and could benefit from more attention and intentionality. CCPA is well-positioned to serve as a hub for bringing individuals together and celebrating them across public and private campuses.

2) Holistic leadership capacity development: Leadership comes in many forms and is not limited to a title. CCPA can offer opportunities to help students and staff develop their leadership capacities which will, in turn, help empower them in and outside of their roles. I believe this can come in the form of leadership talks, and book clubs among other opportunities. At the same time, such development must include support in areas such as wellness, as it is hard to pour from an empty cup. A holistic approach to leadership development could be transformative for CCPA and would be a pleasure to help create.

3) Organizational Capacity and Excellence: While CCPA has a Leadership Directorate, much of the success and outreach also comes through its members and advocates. I believe CCPA has significant potential to expand its footprint by enhancing its culture of service and recognition. Looking to the future, I would work to expand CCPA’s capacity for volunteers by articulating the value that service creates, creating more pathways for individuals to get involved, and developing opportunities to recognize those who do.

Biography

Before joining UCOP, Dennis spent nearly seven years at UC Riverside where he was a Staff Assembly President and Black Faculty And Staff Association (BFASA) Chair. During this time, he established UCR Staff Scholars, which connects staff pursuing education while working. He also founded UCR’s Staff Affinity Group Alliance (SAGA), which connected campus staff leadership across organizations. His local service at UCR also included committees such as the North District Naming Committee and Task Force on Campus Safety.

In 2020, Dennis Co-Founded the Black Leadership Alliance Council at the University of California (BLAC@UC), which connects Black organizational leadership throughout the UC.

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Maryland where he was an inaugural recipient of the Geppi-Aikens award. He also earned master’s degrees from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the University of Baltimore. He is currently a PhD student in Leadership Studies at California Baptist University where his research focuses on higher education staff leadership development.