HR News

Congratulations to Anca Kokinakos, our new Facilities Manager for Structural & Small Projects

Nancy Portner — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:17:08 +0000

Congratulations to Anca Kokinakos, our new Facilities Manager for Structural & Small Projects Nancy Portner Tue, 09/29/2026 - 15:17

I am pleased to announce that Anca Kokinakos has been selected as our new Facilities Manager for Structural & Small Projects.

Anca brings more than ten years of progressive experience in facilities and operations management, security programs, workforce development, project coordination, emergency response, and customer service across higher education and federal research environments. Most recently, she served as CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s Access Services Manager, where she led a multidisciplinary team supporting campus-wide operations, electronic security, emergency response, project coordination, and stakeholder communication.

Her broader University of Colorado experience includes serving as Operations Manager for CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics and Manager of the Chancellor’s Operations at CU Denver. She also worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies, supporting operational improvement, workflow automation, security logistics, and national research programs.

Anca’s collaborative leadership style, commitment to customer service, and experience improving complex operations will be valuable as she takes on this role. Please join me in congratulating Anca and welcoming her to the Structural & Small Projects team.

Jason Schlosser
Director, Facilities Maintenance and Operations

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Congratulations Mykala - our new Capital and Controlled Maintenance Program Manager

Nancy Portner — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 14:00:09 +0000

Congratulations Mykala - our new Capital and Controlled Maintenance Program Manager Nancy Portner Tue, 09/29/2026 - 08:00

I am thrilled to announce that the Capital and Controlled Maintenance Program Manager position has been filled, and I could not be more excited about who will be stepping into this role. Please join me in congratulating Mykala Keuter on her new position on our team!

It was a competitive pool with several highly qualified candidates. Mykala’s drive, organizational skills, and the proactive ideas she presented to improving our Controlled Maintenance Program made her the clear choice. The CM Program has already benefited from her creativity and holistic thinking in the past five months as she has covered this position’s vacancy, and that momentum is going to keep building! I have every confidence she will continue to make a positive impact within our team and for CU �Ǹ�Թ�.

Mykala will fulfill this new role effective this Thursday, October 1^st, and will be reporting to me.

Please take a moment to congratulate Mykala!

Meg Hohnholt, RA, PMP

Assistant Director | Design & Construction

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Welcome Claire Heath to PD&C

Nancy Portner — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:35:30 +0000

Welcome Claire Heath to PD&C Nancy Portner Tue, 09/22/2026 - 13:35

Claire joins CU �Ǹ�Թ� as a Campus Landscape Architect – Senior Planner, bringing more than 15 years of experience in landscape architecture, campus planning, and sustainable design. Prior to joining CU �Ǹ�Թ�, she worked in private consulting, leading multidisciplinary planning and landscape architecture projects focused on resilient communities, sustainable landscapes, and public spaces.

Claire is excited to bring her experience in campus planning and sustainability to CU �Ǹ�Թ� and contribute to the continued stewardship and evolution of the �Ǹ�Թ� campus.

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Welcome Patrick Mancuso to the I&R IT Team

Nancy Portner — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:27:36 +0000

Welcome Patrick Mancuso to the I&R IT Team Nancy Portner Thu, 09/17/2026 - 15:27

We're excited to welcome Patrick Mancuso to I&R IT as a Business/Data Analyst within the Enterprise Systems team. Patrick recently earned a degree in Information Science from the �Ǹ�Թ�, where he developed a strong foundation in data analysis, visualization, AI, and application development. His experience includes building data dashboards, developing web applications, and transforming complex data into actionable insights using tools such as Python, SQL, and Power BI. Patrick is passionate about making data accessible and helping organizations make informed decisions through technology.

Welcome to I&R IT, Patrick!

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Congratulations Christopher Valdez: Facilities Manager of Mechanical Trades

Nancy Portner — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:25:38 +0000

Congratulations Christopher Valdez: Facilities Manager of Mechanical Trades Nancy Portner Fri, 07/31/2026 - 10:25

Please join me in congratulating Christopher Valdez on his new role as our Facilities Manager of Mechanical Trades here in the Operations and Maintenance division.

Chris brings more than 20 years of experience in facilities operations, maintenance, skilled trades leadership, and building systems management. His career spans progressive technical and supervisory roles, with expertise in HVAC/R systems, building automation systems, plumbing operations, workforce leadership, budget management and customer service.

Chris has served the �Ǹ�Թ� for nearly 15 years, advancing through a series of increasingly responsible positions within Facilities Operations. He began his CU career in a Pipe Mechanic Trades position before moving into an HVAC/R Technician role, where he supported campus mechanical systems, building automation controls, refrigeration equipment, and critical infrastructure maintenance. He later transitioned into leadership as the HVAC/R Shop Supervisor and has recently filled interim leadership roles as the Pipe/Plumbing Shop Supervisor. Currently Chris is filling an interim appointment as the Manager for the Structural Trades Shop.

As the Facilities Manager of Mechanical Trades Chris will provides leadership and management to 50 full time employees (FTE) within the skilled trades work units including HVAC, Pipe/Plumbing, Preventive Maintenance and Research Support teams as well as the Ultra Low Freezer and Cross Training programs.

As Brett Hoag, Associate Director of Mechanical and Structural Operations, transitions into his role Chris will continue to act as the Manager of the Structural Trades Shop until we fill two leadership vacancies in the work unit.

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Welcome to the Team: Brett Hoag, Associate Director of Mechanical and Structural Operations,

Nancy Portner — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:40:39 +0000

Welcome to the Team: Brett Hoag, Associate Director of Mechanical and Structural Operations, Nancy Portner Fri, 07/31/2026 - 09:40

Please welcome Brett Hoag, our new Associate Director of Mechanical and Structural Operations, to our team! Brett’s first day here at CU �Ǹ�Թ� will be Monday, August 3.

Brett brings more than 13 years of experience in facilities management, engineering, energy management, and building systems operations, with expertise spanning higher education and commercial facilities environments. His background includes leadership and technical support for HVAC, plumbing, electrical, structural, preventive maintenance, deferred maintenance, and capital improvement programs.

Most recently, Brett served as Campus Engineer and Energy Manager for the Auraria Higher Education Center, where he supported facilities operations across a 3+ million square foot campus serving approximately 50,000 students, faculty, and staff. In this role, he worked closely with skilled trades teams, managed maintenance and infrastructure projects, provided technical oversight for deferred maintenance and capital construction initiatives, and led efforts focused on energy efficiency, sustainability, and building automation system optimization. Brett also played a key role in a $28.5 million energy performance contract initiative and helped implement more than 120 energy-saving measures that reduced campus-wide energy consumption.

Brett will be filling the Associate Director of Mechanical and Structural Operations position here in the Maintenance and Operations division, providing leadership and management to 89 full time employees within the skilled trades work units including HVAC, Structural, Pipe Trades, Cross Training, Preventive Maintenance, Access Services, Project Support, Small Construction and Research Support teams.

Let’s give Brett a warm welcome to the team.

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Volunteer leave available to I&R staff

Nancy Portner — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:32:02 +0000

Volunteer leave available to I&R staff Nancy Portner Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:32

I&R allows volunteer hours to be granted from work to serve the community in various ways. Volunteer time is credited on a fiscal year basis (July 1 through June 30). Some examples of this service may be as a volunteer worker at a charitable organization or attending a school function for one’s child or relative.

Volunteer leave must be requested from your supervisor and approved by the appointing authority.
16 hours of leave time is granted each fiscal year (pro-rated for appointments less than 100%). Staff who start on or after January 1 receive eight hours of volunteer time to be used before June 30.
Any unused portion as of June 30 is forfeited (hours do not roll forward).

Questions? Ask your supervisor or reach out to any member of the I&R HR team.

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Check out Career Services' photo booth

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 18:08:58 +0000

Check out Career Services' photo booth Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/14/2026 - 12:08

Career Services has a photo booth that’s available to undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty and staff in need of a high-quality professional photo for a LinkedIn or other professional networking platform. The photo booth is located in the lobby of Career Services, S440 in the C4C, and is available during business hours, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The photo booth can be controlled from your smartphone by scanning a QR code. It will take three shots while offering advice on how to pose for an effective professional portrait. You can do some limited retouching on the Iris screen with the photo booth’s software or more retouching on your own device with any photo manipulation program after you receive the files via email.

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Holiday and Winter Break Administrative Leave Details 2026-2027

Nancy Portner — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:16:21 +0000

Holiday and Winter Break Administrative Leave Details 2026-2027 Nancy Portner Mon, 06/08/2026 - 06:16

Winter break for 2026–27 will run from Thursday, Dec. 24, 2026, through Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.

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2026/2027 Holiday and Administrative Leave Calendar

Nancy Portner — Thu, 21 May 2026 20:07:29 +0000

2026/2027 Holiday and Administrative Leave Calendar Nancy Portner Thu, 05/21/2026 - 14:07

On behalf of CU �Ǹ�Թ� leadership, I am pleased to share an update to the holiday and winter break administrative leave calendar for the upcoming fiscal year, which runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. We recognize the importance of communicating these dates in advance to support personal planning, departmental coordination, and continuity of campus operations, while also reaffirming our commitment to employee well-being. I deeply appreciate your service to CU �Ǹ�Թ� and hope this notification helps you plan your time away and spend meaningful time with family and friends while the campus is closed.

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