To best ensure that staff concerns are recognized in planning and budget decisions, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef has added the role of "Special Advisor to the Chancellor" to the title of Dennis Shimek and given him a new assignment - minimizing the impact of anticipated budget shortfalls upon staff and formulating new programs to ensure that UC Davis continues as a respected and respectful employer.

Shimek, senior associate vice chancellor for human resources, will lead the development of new programs to benefit staff and the reinstatement of programs employed during the recession of the early 1990s to soften budget cuts' impact on staff. Programs will include training - and retraining, especially in the event of layoffs - career development, diversity, child care, transportation and health-related initiatives.

"As we await information regarding the state of our future budget, I want to clearly state to the campus the importance of our staff," Vanderhoef said. "Our record of accomplishments and future success is very much linked to these members of our campus family. To ensure that priority consideration is given to issues of staff concern, I have given Den-nis special res-ponsibility for leading efforts in this area."

In his expanded role, Shimek will be consulting broadly with the chancellor and provost, deans and vice chancellors, constituent groups, unions, Staff Assembly, managers and staff at large.

"I feel very strongly about the role of staff and know that, with the support of Chancellor Vanderhoef, Provost Vir-ginia Hinshaw, Vice Chancellor Janet Hamilton and Interim Vice Chancellor Stan Nosek, we can make a difference," Shimek said. "I look forward to working with managers, staff groups and our campus unions to ensure full consultation, participation and support. All of these groups and, in particular, our union leaders will be important participants in everything we do. I am committed to making a difference."