Terri White, executive administrative and program assistant, retired from UC ANR on April 10 after 14 years.  

White joined UC ANR in 2012 as a temporary worker doing special projects for facilities. In 2013, when UC ANR moved into the building at 2801 Second Street in Davis, White became the first receptionist for the building. During the move, she became acquainted with all 150 employees in all 13 departments while delivering mail and keys. She provided support for various units – inputting data for Academic Human Resources, doing insurance reviews for Risk Services and assisting the Program Support Unit with program team meetings and two statewide conferences. 

In 2015, she became a career employee serving as the administrative assistant for the four directors in Communication Services and IT before transitioning into the Business Operations Center.

“I worked on many meetings and events for IT, Pubs, Cal Ag magazine, Strat Comm and BOC before starting with The VINE in 2017,” White said. With The VINE, she helped organize the first ANR hackathon in 2017 and numerous VINE events and meetings. Most recently she worked at the VINE booth at World Ag Expo and attended the World Agri-Tech conference in San Francisco. 

“Terri and I worked hand-in-hand from the day she started until the day she retired," said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR Chief Innovation Officer. "She followed me from IT to help co-found the Office of Innovation and then UC ANR Innovate, and without her, none of it would have happened.” 

“What people may not know is how much she did behind the scenes: the long hours, the logistics, the thousand small things that made our work possible,” Youtsey said. “Whether she was the first smiling face people saw at the registration desk, quietly setting up signage on a busy highway, or navigating the internal processes of UC so the rest of us could focus on the programmatic work, Terri brought steadiness, grace and genuine care to everything she touched. I could always count on her, and I will miss her calm and supportive presence more than I can say.”

White enjoyed working with people.

“My favorite part of my time with ANR was working with and meeting all the wonderful people and learning about the exciting work they all do and being part of such as wonderful organization,” she said.

With her strong people skills, understanding of UC systems and willingness to pitch in wherever needed, White was instrumental in the growth of The VINE to UC ANR Innovate.

“Terri was the glue that held our department together in so many ways,” said Hanif Houston, UC ANR Innovate associate director for communications and marketing. “She kept us organized, kept us on task and helped make sure we had what we needed to do the work. But she also became much more than an administrative lead for our team.” 

“I first met Terri in 2022, and over the past four years, we spent many hours on the road together, traveling to events across California, sharing meals and getting to know each other beyond the day-to-day work,” he said. “She became a trusted friend and someone whose advice I valued, both professionally and personally. Terri always brought care, steadiness, good judgment and humor to everything she did. I’m grateful for her many contributions to the team, and even more for the friendship we built along the way. She will be missed.”

Prior to joining UC ANR, White worked at Bank of America for 23 years, Providian Credit for two years and Travis Credit Union for 10 years.