Management Team

Senior Associate Vice President, University Personnel

Joanne M. Wright, J.D | 408-924-2458

Joanne Wright joined SJSU in October 2015 in the Office of Faculty Affairs within the Academic Affairs Division. She moved into her current role in April 2018. As Senior Associate Vice President, Joanne provides strategic leadership for the department closely aligning with the goals of the Division of Institutional Affairs and the SJSU Strategic Plan. Providing excellence in customer service to current and potential SJSU employees is a daily goal as it is the most effective way to help and care for those requiring services from University Personnel. Joanne has an open door policy and welcomes the opportunity to speak with constituents to talk about UP’s role at SJSU as well as when concerns and questions arise. Biggest achievement: her four children!

Senior Director, University Personnel Operations

Anita Vasquez | 408-924-2271

Anita began her SJSU career in 1995 as a clerical assistant in the Office of the President. She joined the Payroll team a year later and the rest, as they say, is history. In her current role as the Senior Director for University Personnel Operations, she manages all functions related to employee services, payroll and benefits, including leave programs and workers' compensation. Anita also acts as a liaison with the State Controller's Office and the California Public Employees Retirement System.

Senior Director, Technology and Training

Carrie Medders | 408-924-2280

Carrie worked at SJSU from 1998-2008 in Human Resources and the CMS Project Office then returned to the University in 2011 after spending time on the CSU East Bay campus. Her background in Human Resources and technology gives her a unique vision for leading the technology, training, well-being and compliance functions in University Personnel. In addition to her focus on process improvements and ensuring campus systems such as PeopleSoft and PageUp are utilized correctly and efficiently, she leads the department's marketing and communication efforts, ensuring messaging is consistent, informative and timely. When not sitting in front of a computer Carrie can be found reading, watching TV, checking out the latest Broadway show, or cheering on the San Jose Sharks.

Senior Director, Faculty Services

James Lee | 408-924-5866

Dr. James Lee joined SJSU as an Assistant Professor in 2005. He became full Professor in 2015, and after serving six years as Chair of the Justice Studies Department, in May 2019 he accepted the position of Senior Director, Faculty Services. His Faculty Services team administers evaluation processes for all faculty, ensures compliance with University Policies pertaining to faculty lifecycle, recruitment through retirement, assists with applying provisions of the collective bargaining agreements to faculty and academic student employees, and works closely with the Provost’s Office to facilitate faculty success. James works with a variety of leaders, from department chairs, deans, and senior leadership to achieve campus goals, including for diverse faculty recruitment and retention, equitable review and promotion through ranks, and fair and just compensation. James enjoys things he’s not particularly good at, including gardening, hiking, and home projects.

Senior Director, Employee Relations, Retention, and Equal Opportunity

Julie Paisant | 408-924-2255

Julie joined SJSU in May 2012 in the Human Resources Department as the Equal Opportunity Manager. In 2013, she was promoted to Director, adding Employee/Labor Relations to her team. With the merger of Faculty Affairs and Human Resources, Julie now manages not only the Employee/Labor Relations and Equal Opportunity units which ensures compliance with collective bargaining agreements and policies, but is also responsible for investigating complaints and providing guidance to campuswide leadership related to equal opportunity and employee relations. In addition, the newly formed Retention unit (Classification/Compensation and Recruiting) reports to her. When not at the University Julie enjoys a wide variety of activities including live music, festivals, travel and good laughs!!

Manager, Payroll & Employee Support Services

Terryn Ashley | 408-924-1708

Terryn worked at SJSU from 1999-2001 in the Police Department and Payroll. She returned in 2022 after spending 20 years at CSU Monterey Bay. Her background working in a department, systems support, and central HR gives her a unique perspective focused on excellent customer service, streamlined processes, and a drive for 100% accuracy. Terryn manages the day-to-day operations of the Payroll and Employee Support Services units. This includes the accurate and timely processing of all employee job actions, leave accruals and usage, various leave programs, and all types of employee pay. When not working, Terryn enjoys spending time outdoors with her three dogs.

Manager, Recruitment & Retention

Tony Garcia | 408-924-2143

Tony has been a Spartan since 2005, initially hired at the Front Desk in Human Resources. He's held several positions in HR/UP and currently oversees the daily operations of the Recruitment and Retention unit. In addition to Recruiting, the team is responsible for all Classification and Compensation processes for Staff and Management positions, such as in-range progression and classification reviews.

Manager, Employment Authorization and Compliance Services

Christie Martinez | 408-924-6670

Christie joined SJSU in 2014 in the Faculty Affairs department. She has served in various positions learning different aspects of the faculty lifecycle including temporary faculty appointments, additional employment, academic labor relations, retention, tenure and promotion (RTP), and immigration. In her current position, she manages the operations of the Academic Employee Relations unit including I-9 processing, immigration, front desk operations in UP North (ADM) and faculty records in OnBase. When Christie is not working, she loves to spend time with her kids and granddaughter. She loves hiking and going on daredevil adventures.

Manager, UP Operations

Crystal Mercado | 408-924-2023

Crystal joined SJSU in 2015 as an Administrative Services Representative working at the then HR front desk. After serving a few years as an Employee Services Representative she has returned to overseeing the front desk as the Interim Manager of UP Operations. Crystal now manages front desk operations in UP South (UPD) to ensure optimum customer service, maintains records in OnBase, analyzes business processes to ensure efficiency, and works with auditors. Outside of SJSU, she enjoys traveling, exercising, and eating good food.

Manager, Employee and Labor Relations

Stacey Elsibai | 408-924-2142

Stacey joined University Personnel in 2015 as an Analyst for Equal Opportunity and is currently the Manager of Employee and Labor Relations. She works closely with diverse labor unions to ensure the employer-employee relationship is collaborative and collegial while ensuring compliance with respective collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, Stacey is responsible for advising management on personnel matters and investigates complaints related to employee relations or policy violations. Stacey enjoys hiking, perusing through recipes, and spending time with her family and small dog.

Manager, Leave, Workers' Compensation, and Accommodation Programs

Yazmin Perez | 408-924-2155

Yazmin joined SJSU and University Personnel in 2021 amidst the COVID pandemic. As Leave, Workers' Compensation and Accommodations Manager, Yazmin manages all leave and accommodations programs and processes on campus including the Employment Accommodations Resource Center (EARC). Yazmin has expertise in mandated leave programs such as Family Medical Leave and CA Pregnancy Disability Leave as well as the various, recent leave programs offered for COVID related issues. She and her team are available to assist campus constituents navigate these complex areas.

Manager, Organizational Development and Enrichment Programs

Holly Quinones | 408-924-6891

Holly joined SJSU and University Personnel in the Summer of 2023 as the Manager of Organizational Development and Enrichment Programs. Her background in student services includes faculty and professional advisor training, professional and personal wellness program development, curriculum development, and facilitation of campuswide DEI initiatives. Holly manages the development programs that aim to enrich the lives and wellness of SJSU’s faculty and staff. Outside of work, you’ll find her on some new adventure, reading, or at the beach.