Greetings, Division Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that Amanda Preston-Nelson is joining the Division of Finance and Administration as Assistant Vice Chancellor and Controller, leading Business and Financial Services .
Amanda, a San Joaquin Valley native, brings an extensive knowledge of managing business services in higher education. She comes to us from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, where she works as Vice President of Administrative Services. In her role, she directs the activities of business services ranging from payroll to purchasing to maintenance operations.
Prior to her current position, she served for eight years at California State University, Stanislaus, including three years as Controller. In that role, Amanda was responsible for the accuracy and maintenance of financial records for the university and four auxiliary units. Her direct reports included managers of general accounting, accounts payable, cashiering, and accounts receivable.
She is a member of Alpha Alpha Alpha, an honor society for first-generation college students, and of Phi Kappa Phi, an honor society for high-performing professionals and students. She earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture studies/business from CSU-Stanislaus, a master’s degree in business administration from University of Phoenix, and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from CSU-Stanislaus.
Amanda’s first day at UC Merced will be Feb. 14.
I am very pleased to have Amanda join us at UC Merced as our Controller. She has a strong technical background and diverse skill set that will benefit our campus immensely. Her experience in higher education will help elevate the level of service we provide to the university. I look forward to her serving as the leader of Business and Financial Services.
Welcome, Amanda, to UC Merced!
Sincerely,
Kurt Schnier
Interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
