Meet the LSFA Executive Board
Learn more about the Latinx Staff & Faculty Association
Joseph A Martinez | Ex Officio
Joe Martinez is the Director of the Cross-Cultural Center at UC Davis and serves in a leadership role in building an inclusive campus community and enacting the mission of the University. Joe earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of La Verne and completed a Master's Degree in Organization Communication at the University of the Pacific.
He has 18 years of experience in the UC system with previous positions at the Riverside and Santa Cruz campuses and over 25 years in CA Higher Education. His committee work at UC Davis has focused on opportunities to learn, raise awareness, and advocate for students and staff in Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives on campus. He has served as the Chair for the Latinx Staff and Faculty Association, member of Hispanic Serving Institution Taskforce, Cesar Chavez Youth Leadership Conference, and serves as a Co-Chair of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program. He plans to use his experience and relationships on campus to further the goals, mission, and values of LSFA. As the Ex Officio, he hopes to provide support to the LSFA Board as they continue to offer opportunities for professional growth and provide a sense of belonging for our community. Most recently he was honored with the Trailblazer award from the Chicano Latino Advisory Council at the UC Chicanx Latinx Leadership Summit.
Celia Lugo | Chair
Celia currently serves as a Policy Analyst for the Academic Senate which is the University of California faculty government.Through the senate faculty work in partnership with administration to fulfill the UC’s missions. She achieved her bachelor's in Psychology and minor in Spanish from Sonoma State University. As a continuous learner, helper, and leader she is excited to be working with LSFA and providing support to the UC Davis community. She hopes to be able to bring unity and collaboration amongst the different resource groups supporting our community to continue growing here at UC Davis. Build structure in our organization and provide our members with the tools, knowledge and support necessary to advance in their careers and education. Celia is excited to collectively work with the LSFA board to bring great opportunities for our members. She enjoys learning, being outdoors, reading, and visiting the beach at least once a month. Celia's strengths are restorative, relator, responsibility, discipline, and developer. "Si lo puedes soñar, lo puedes lograr"-señora sara
Roxanne Flores | Co-Chair
Roxanne is a first generation, Latinx womxn from Los Angeles, California. She graduated from UC Davis with her B.A in Sociology and a minor in Chicano/a/x Studies. After graduating she worked in the nonprofit sector for 7 years focusing in youth programming and development for middle and high school students. Specifically working with diverse, low-income and first generation youth within the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD). She is dedicated to empowering, mentoring, advising and supporting humans during some of their most pivotal years of development. Her passion for promoting healing and building healthy relationships skills among the Latinx Community is what brought her back to UC Davis.
She currently serves as the Office Coordinator at the Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success(El Centro) under the Strategic Chicanx and Latinx Retention Initiative (SCLRI). For the past 2 years, she has dedicated her career to supporting the retention of Latinx students in higher education. From this experience she has further developed her student support skills and enjoys collaborating with campus partners to provide holistic support for hxstorically marginalized and underrepresented students. Her commitment to excellence in her field was recognized when she received the Staff Appreciation and Recognition Award (STAR) in 2023.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Roxanne enjoys a daily cup of coffee, knitting small projects< (Beanies and socks), spending quality time with her dog, Zuko, and playing trading card games such as Lorcana and Magic the Gathering. She also loves traveling and engaging in outdoor activities whenever possible.She is thrilled to serve as the 2024-2025 LSFA Co-Chair.
Crystal Romero | Secretary
Crystal Romero is a Program Coordinator at the Cross Cultural Center creating empowering and educational programming for our diverse student body and overseeing their signature events for the Latinx community. She is a first generation, queer, latinx professional from Southern California dedicated to supporting students holistically throughout their academic journey and finding their community. Crystal is a proud UC Davis alumni, class of 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies and Spanish. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on foodie adventures, connecting with nature, dancing, staying active, and jamming out to music.
Fernando Barragan | Treasurer
Fernando Barragan is a Business Analyst 4 – General Ledger Finance Analyst for Central Payroll. He is a first-generation college graduate who earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of California, Davis and a Master’s in Finance from Saint Mary’s College of California. He is a Central Valley native who moved to the Bay Area to work in the Financial District after graduate school. He relocated to Sacramento during the Pandemic, which allowed him to purse his lifelong goal of working for his Alma Mater. Prior to joining UC Davis, Fernando was part of a Latinx Employee Resource Group where he was selected to attend the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley Latino Board Leadership Academy, which prepared him to serve on a Latinx Leadership Board. He is excited to join the LSFA Board where he hopes to raise funds for the LSFA community that will produce scholarships for staff members that are seeking career development.
Lyzette Perez | Historian
Lyzette Perez is a proud UC Davis Alum! Graduating with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Global Disease Biology. Originally from Wilmington, California, Lyzette strives to use her own lived experiences to support students from under-resourced communities. She currently serves as one of the inaugural Case Managers for Student Housing and Dining Services. She supports first year residents who are experiencing mental health-related challenges, and academic concerns. Lyzette previously served as the Resource Coordinator and Intake Coordinator for Aggie Compass: The Basic Needs Center, where she provided advocacy, intervention, and referrals to students with immediate needs for health/nutrition support, housing, and finances.
Lyzette is a passionate advocate for students, working to create and promote equitable programs and services for marginalized groups. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, working, constructing Lego sets, and hanging out with her cat, Benito. As a Historian, Lyzette hopes to continue to promote the amazing achievements of the LSFA and to document our legacy.
Fabian Meneses | Outreach Chair
Fabian Meneses is a Spanish speaking first-generation, queer, Latine advocate who is passionate about working with students. He currently serves as an Assistant Director for the Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP) at UC Davis. Originally from Los Angeles, he began his higher education journey as a student at El Camino College and Santa Barbara City College. Utilizing the transfer admissions guarantee (TAG) he pursued his bachelor’s at UC Santa Barbara. He concluded his undergraduate journey by earning a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Education. He then continued his education at Loyola Marymount University, where he earned a Masters in Education with a specialization in Guidance and Counseling. He has 13 years of experience in higher education, at the CA community college system, CSU, and UC, private universities. Fabian aims to earn a doctorate in the future to continue supporting and empowering students from marginalized backgrounds. He enjoys traveling, antique and thrift shopping, playing tennis, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. As Outreach Chair, he hopes to expand the LSFA reach and influence while building community.
Sahskkia S. Saballos | Fundraising Chair
Sahskkia Saballos serves as a Contracts & Grants Analyst supporting faculty and graduate students in research administration for the departments of Anthropology and Sociology within The College of Letters and Science. She joined LSFA because she wants to contribute to UC Davis’ strategic direction “To Boldly Go,” whom as a San Franciscan and CCSF alumni felt a passion for public service. She celebrated her ten-year anniversary after joining UC Davis in 2019 and held positions at the Berkeley and San Francisco campuses. As a Board member, she plans to work with other members to meet LSFA financial goals while representing the Latinx community.
Natalie Bernal | Scholarships
B.A. in Psychology. After graduating, Natalie worked for UC Santa Barbara in student-serving roles for the College of Letters and Science Advising Office and Office of the Registrar. At UC Davis, Natalie is part of the Degree Audit and Transfer Credit team in the Office of the University Registrar. She is interested in projects focused on improving student and staff experiences at the university. During her downtime, Natalie enjoys spending time with her dogs and family, outdoor activities, trying new recipes, and dancing Baile Folklórico. LSFA allows Natalie to connect with her culture at work, which positively impacts her mental health and well-being. During her first year on the board, Natalie hopes to meet more members, become an expert in her role, and plan professional development events.