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WILLIAMS
ASUCLA executive director

Bob Williams has worked a long time at UCLA, starting out as an undergraduate employee in the residence halls almost 30 years ago. Now he is the head of Associated Students UCLA, an organization that deals in almost $70 million in sales annually.

Williams, whose appointment to be the association’s executive director begins June 1, stepped in as interim executive director after former Executive Director Pat Eastman resigned late September 2003. Williams was previously the association’s director of food service operations.

“I consider it a great honor to have been selected by the ASUCLA Board of Directors to fill the position of executive director,” Williams said in a press release. “I look forward to working with future boards to help move this great organization forward to even greater accomplishments and to a closer connection to all members of the campus.”

Williams’ tenure as interim executive director was an active one. In the past year and a half, the student-majority board of directors voted to end Taco Bell’s contract, prompting a petition campaign from students wanting the eatery back. He also headed the association when undergraduate and graduate students voted on the SAFE referendum, which increased the student association fee. The majority of the funds will go to renovating food facilities on campus.

The board permitted Williams to negotiate a contract to bring Taco Bell back, and students passed the referendum in this spring’s student elections. But in addition to the growth that will be fueled by the fee increase, Williams also has to deal with challenges such as declining sales and increasing expenses.

Charles Harless, a graduate representative on the board and chair of the personnel committee, said that Williams’ ability to “think outside of the box” is what ASUCLA needs in order to adapt to the changes in higher education.

“I think Bob is the perfect person to lead us there,” Harless said.

The chancellor is also pleased with the Board’s decision to appoint Williams as ASUCLA’s executive director.

“As interim executive director of ASUCLA, Bob Williams demonstrated outstanding abilities as an innovator, manager and leader,” wrote chancellor Albert Carnesale in an e-mail. “We are fortunate to have him assume the position on a regular basis.”

Hoi Ning Ngai, a graduate representative who will be serving on next year’s board, said Williams exceeded the expectations of someone in an interim position.

“The idea (of someone in an interim position) is to maintain the status quo,” Ngai said.

“I think he’s really moved the organization forward as opposed to keeping it in a sort of equilibrium.”

Williams has had a long history with UCLA, first as a student and then as a food services employee. When he was a student, Williams worked on the Rieber Hall food services team and moved up to be a student supervisor for the residence hall.

After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1980, Williams started his career within ASUCLA, first as a night manager for the Treehouse, a cafeteria that was located on Ackerman Union’s first floor.

Williams rose up the ranks and became the divisions manager for Ackerman’s first floor in 1994, then the associate director for food services in 1996 and then eventually the director of food service operations in 1999.

While the past two executive directors, Pat Eastman, who served from 1996 until 2003 and Charles Mack, who only served for one year before Eastman, came from outside of the association, Jerry Mann, the director of the student union and student support services said that Williams’ experience with ASUCLA is what the association needs.

“He lives and breathes ASUCLA and the ASUCLA mission, and it’s entirely appropriate ... that the (board of directors) has selected him as executive director,” Mann said.