Meet Your Conference Team
Our team at UCSC Conference Services is composed of expert staff with years of experience in event planning, conference coordination, and customer service. We are dedicated to providing exceptional support, ensuring that every event—big or small—runs smoothly and successfully.
Michael Luttrell
Associate Director
I joined the Conference Services team in 2008 after working on the campus as a student for 4 years. I get great joy welcoming new and returning groups to our beautiful campus. There are not many campuses that you can walk from a redwood forest to a great meadow and then down to a beach. When not working, I enjoy photography, cooking, playing/watching sports and spending time with my wife, Caitlin and our pug, Moose.
(831) 459-4828
Neil Miller
Operations Manager
I have been contributing to UCSC’s vision and mission since early 2018. I find it easy to be passionate about my work at UCSC as I enjoy ensuring our students and staff are supported in their individual journeys at our campus. I am blessed daily in my home life with an amazing life-partner and three wonderful school-age children. When not engaged with work and family responsibilities, I am a lifelong gaming nerd, lover of all music and musical performance, and partaker in any sport or outdoor activity that life offers.
(831) 459-1904
Christine Marez
Conference Coordinator
I have extensive experience in the conference and events industry and truly enjoy the dynamic nature of this work. What I love most about UC Santa Cruz is the opportunity to work with our dedicated staff and students, and get to know the amazing people who make this place so special. I also enjoy working with our diverse clients, to provide them with a memorable event experience. Outside of work, I love hiking on local trails and spending time with my family and my two dogs.
(831) 502-7058
Heather Robinson
Conference Coordinator
UC Santa Cruz is a special place and I’m grateful to be part of such a great Conference Service department for the past 11 years. Each summer I look forward to building a team of committed, collaborative, and action oriented students who lead the summer conference operation. We welcome various groups to campus including, sports camps, youth and adult academic groups, family reunions, outreach, and professional development retreats. Having grown up in Santa Cruz I enjoy all that this area has to offer, from the redwoods to the ocean. I love to spend time with my son staying busy outside in the garden, hiking at one of the local parks, beach picnics, or listening to live music at a neighborhood brewery.
(831) 459-5092
Ema Ivanusa Heydenreich
Conference Coordinator
Working for Conference Services for me means having the privilege of welcoming our guests to one of the greenest and most beautiful university campuses in the world. I never get tired of seeing the excitement of our conferees experiencing the vibrant culture and stunning nature of the UCSC campus for the first time. Outside of work, I love exploring mountain bike trails around the campus, trying new baking recipes, dog-sitting, and hiking with my partner, Sven.
(831) 435-9566
Pam Ambris
Financial Analyst
I enjoy collaborating to streamline processes and innovate solutions that elevate the overall quality of our conferences. Outside of work, I enjoy paddling/steering 6 person outrigger canoes from the Santa Cruz harbor, which encourages teamwork. I really enjoy being on campus during the summer, meeting all the conference participants, and working with our student staff.
(831) 459-4067
Angel Saucedo
Reservations & Events Coordinator
I have been contributing to the Conference Services team since the summer of 2024. I began as a student in the Coordination Assistant role, where I worked closely with conference coordinators to ensure our guests had nothing short of an exceptional experience. After graduating from UCSC with my bachelor’s degree, I was grateful for the opportunity to return to the team as a staff member in the Reservations and Events Coordinator role.
I am deeply appreciative of the support and confidence the UCSC community and the Conference Services department have shown me. I look forward to continuing to contribute to the campus and the division by working to make our space reservation process more streamlined and efficient, while also enhancing our facilities to better serve students, staff, faculty, and the wider community.
I moved to Santa Cruz in 2022 from Ventura County to begin my undergraduate studies and, although I’m fairly new to the area, I’ve truly come to love everything it has to offer. From the breathtaking views of the bay to the serenity of the redwoods and the vibrant energy of the city and the greater Bay Area, Santa Cruz has quickly become home. In my free time, I enjoy spending time at the beach, walking through the forest, taking photos, having picnics, or simply exploring the beautiful surroundings.
(831) 334-0804
Zofia Kayian
She/Her/They/Them
Reservations & Events Coordinator
My name is Zofia Kayian, feel free to call me Z, and I am 1/3 of the new Reservations and Events Coordinator Team! I graduated from UCSC in 2023 with an Education, Democracy, and Justice B.A. This is my second year of being a professional staff member here, having 1 year of assisting Oakes/RCC CPC in planning events and supervising students. My work this past year and as a Cantú Queer Center Intern has been student centered, using my education background to uplift student vision and ideas that benefit their communities. Working under Conference Services, I am excited to support our staff of 30 students and provide them with many opportunities to learn and grow while they are here. Outside of work I enjoy many hobbies and silliness, but to highlight one: I am a huge WNBA fan, Go Valks! 💜
(831) 435-1308
Ann Manchester
Reservations & Events Coordinator
I’ve been working at UCSC for about three years, and one of my favorite parts of being here is being surrounded by the redwood trees. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, taking walks on the beach at sunset, and getting lost in a good book. I also love going to the movies, cheering at my son’s soccer games, and catching Warriors games at the Kaiser Center in Santa Cruz.
(831) 435-1309
