People profiles

Lisa Habel

President

Term of office: 2023–2026
(2024–25 as president)

Pronouns: she/her

"I wanted to get more involved and give voice to those who felt they weren’t being heard. I hope to make an impact and ensure staff is being treated equitably across campus and recognized for all we do. We are the backbone of the institution."

Alyssa Kuron

President-elect

Term of office: 2024–2027
(2025–26 as president)

Pronouns: she/her

"My vision for the UWSA is to build a supportive, transparent, and inclusive environment where every staff member feels valued and empowered to thrive within our university community. I hope to work together to find opportunities for positive change that will elevate staff voices and shape the future of UWaterloo."

Read Alyssa's full profile.

Yessenia Guerrero

Past President

Term of office: 2022–2025
(2023–24 president)

Pronouns: she/her

"At its core, I believe the UWSA should defend, protect, and advocate for staff. We should be the ones dealing with the concerns voiced by our members. We should be working collaboratively with the University to make important changes that will improve our working environment on campus. I want to encourage our staff to be involved within the association so that we can hear the voices within our community. I hope to see our association grow and with everyone’s support, we can build a better workplace."

Read Yessenia's full profile.

Gitanjali Shanbhag

Chair (2024–2026)

Term as director: 2023–2026

Pronouns: she/her

“The voices of the BIPOC community need to be amplified and I am here to advocate for and be the voice of my community. I am dedicated to instigating positive change for our staff contending with unfair workplace challenges. This commitment entails ongoing learning, promoting awareness, and championing the cause of our staff, aligning with UWSA's strategic priorities.”

Read Gitanjali's full profile.

Sara Perkins

Vice chair (2024–25)

Director term of office: 2022-2025

Pronouns: she/her/they

"I have always been a vocal advocate for safer and healthier work conditions, physically and psychologically. I want to make the University a better place for ALL workers, and represent the needs of neurodivergent staff."

Read Sara's full profile.

Kosi Ike-Orji

Director

Term of office: 2024

"I ran for office because making an impact in every situation I find my self is, is very important to me. When I started working for University of Waterloo, I set out a task to find ways I could provide a positive impact not just for myself but for others."

Read Kosi's full profile.

Kathy Becker

Secretary (2024–25)

Director term of Office: 2022–2025

Pronouns: she/they

"I care about the people who make up our campus and I’m driven to make things better."

Read Kathy's full profile.

Agata Antkiewicz

Director

Term of office: 2022–2025

"I take true joy in meeting and talking to people, resolving differences and finding a constructive way forward to advocate for and empower staff as well as to help ensure the growing influence and appreciation of staff in the decision-making processes on campus."

Read Agata's full profile.

Bill Baer

Director

Term of Office: 2022–2025

About bill: I'm the Information Technology (IT) Director in the Arts Computing Office and have worked on campus for twenty-plus years. During my Engineering undergraduate years, I volunteered with ESQ and realized I had a passion for outreach.

Gail Bender

Director

Term of office: 2024–27

Pronouns: she/her

"This is an interesting time for UW. Given the large number of employees facing retirement, budget constraints, and the 'new way of working,' this is an opportunity to look holistically at what best serves the staff for the future."

Read Gail's full profile.

Ken Berry

Director

Term of office: February–October 2024

"As a strategic thinker, I am a firm believer in thinking long term while maintaining a focus on the vision of the board in guiding the high-level strategic governance of the UWSA."

Read Ken's full profile.

Matthew Grant

Director

Term of office: 2024–27

Pronouns: he/him

"I'd like to see us continue evolving to meet the needs of our members, including those who have traditionally been excluded from representation. I want to build a better, more resilient, equitable and respected environment for staff to have their voice heard and, more importantly, to have their concerns addressed."

Read Matt's full profile.