Advisory board

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Board of Advisors

Established in 2018, the AUA Board of Advisors is a group of dedicated alumni and long-term supporters who care deeply about the future trajectory of the Department. The Board of Advisors provides counsel and advice on strategic planning and issues that impact the vitality and success of the Department.

Marc A. Ackerman ‘94

Mr. Ackerman graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1994 with a BA in Communication Studies. He is founding partner and Managing Director- Investments of IFC Private Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. Marc has advised company founders, entrepreneurs, executives, corporations, foundations, and ultra-high net worth families for over 20 years. He helps families integrate their unique values into their wealth plans and focuses on philanthropic planning and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing .

Marc was named to Forbes' Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Gospel Music Association Foundation and of Hope Heals.

Michael J. Byron ‘87

Mr. Byron graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1987 with a BA in Business Economics. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of NVIDIA, a position he has held since 2011. From 2002 to 2010, Mr. Byron served as NVIDIA’s Corporate Controller and Director of Finance, and then later as Vice President and Corporate Controller. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Byron served as the Corporate Controller for Vicinity Corporation and from 1998 to 2000 as Financial Reporting Manager for Informix Corporation. Mr. Byron is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and has worked for eight years as an audit manager with Deloitte LLP, serving in its Silicon Valley- and Spain-based practices.

Rafael R. Costas, Jr. ‘86

Mr. Costas graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1986 and holds a BA in Economics and an MA in Economics from Golden Gate University. Currently, Mr. Costas is a Senior Vice President of Franklin Templeton Investments and Co-Director of Franklin Templeton's Municipal Bond Department. He has been with Franklin Templeton in various roles his entire career, and also holds membership in the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and the Society of Municipal Analysts.

In his free time, Mr. Costas is also an amateur musician in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jody Dolan Holehouse '81

Ms. Holehouse graduated UC Santa Barbara with high honors in 1981 and holds a BA in Economics with an Accounting emphasis. Currently, she is a CPA, a CMA, and partner in the firm of Nasic, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP. She serves individual and business clients in tax planning and preparation, accounting and business analysis. In the past, she has served as President of the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants Channel Counties Chapter and the Institute of Management Accountants Santa Barbara Chapter. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants and the Western Pension Benefits Conference.

Steven V. Macko ‘93

Mr. Macko graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1993 and holds a BA in Business Economics. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunication (TMT) for Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking in San Francisco. In his position, Mr. Macko brings Wells Fargo’s full capabilities to clients across the TMT vertical, including all investment banking, corporate banking and credit/underwriting activities.

Mr. Macko is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and served on the Wells Fargo Wholesale Diversity & Inclusion Council. He is also a former board member of the California Commercial Finance Association and the Turnaround Management Association.

Tracey Newell '88

Tracey Newell graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1988 and holds a BA in Business Economics. She is currently the President of Informatica’s Global Field and Marketing Operations, responsible for worldwide field sales, alliances, marketing, sales operations and customer success. As the market leader in digital transformation, she is instrumental in driving Informatica’s growth strategy. Ms Newell also serves on the Board of Directors for Sailpoint, which is a next generation security company, leading the industry in identity management and governance.

Prior to joining Informatica, Ms Newell has held sales and leadership positions at Proofpoint, Polycom, Juniper Networks, and Cisco Systems. Under her leadership, Proofpoint underwent a five-year period of hypergrowth, becoming a top five leader in the cybersecurity market, leading to her recognition as a Top 100 Sales Leader by The Modern Sale.

Bryan S. Rosenberg ‘87

A 1987 Magna Cum Laude graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Mr. Rosenberg holds a BA in Business Economics. He has been President and CEO of Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods (COSFF) since he established the Company in 2006 in partnership with Thai Union, one of the world’s largest integrated seafood companies. Under Mr. Rosenberg’s leadership, COSFF has become the largest importer of shrimp, lobster, and crab meat in the US, selling into all channels of trade. Today, COSFF has over 120 employees and is approaching $1B in annual sales. Mr. Rosenberg also serves on the National Fisheries Institute Board of Directors, a non-profit dedicated to seafood sustainability, safety and nutrition education.

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