June 6, 2012

Northridge, Calif. – Five staff members from the Cal State Northridge Athletic Department were honored Wednesday morning for their years of dedicated work and loyalty at the 46^th Annual Cal State Northridge Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards Event at CSUN’s Northridge Center Complex.

“Congratulations to this truly outstanding group of workers in the CSUN Athletic Department,” said Rick Mazzuto, Athletic Director. “I’m proud of their work ethic, and their dedication to the goals of the athletic department. LeeAnna Berkeland, Thomas Ford, Howard Garcia, Geoff Herberg and Bob Vazquez add to the rich fabric of Cal State Northridge Athletics.”

LeeAnna Berkeland (10 years – Accounting Technician)
LeeAnna is completing her tenth season as CSUN’s Athletic Financial Assistant in 2011-12 … LeeAnna is the buyer for the department and is instrumental in making sure that all items are purchased and paid for … Her responsibilities include facilitating purchases, processing and recording expenditures, and maintaining accounting records … LeeAnna’s main focus is reconciling to ensure that the various departments, funds and accounts are charged appropriately … Prior to CSUN, LeeAnna worked for the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department for eight years.

Tom Ford (5 years – Associate Athletic Department, External Relations)
Tom’s expertise includes program development, fund raising, corporate sponsorship, strategic planning, and marketing at Cal State Northridge … Previous to CSUN, Tom served as Managing Partner of the National Purchasing Alliance (LLC) and National Camp Alliance (LLC) from 2004-07, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (1992-2004), and as Athletic Director at UC Irvine (1990-92) and the University of Houston (1984-86) … Has also served on numerous NCAA committees.

Howard Garcia (30 years – Events Manager)
Howard has the distinction of having the longest tenure of any current CSUN Athletic staff worker … Howard began his CSUN athletic department in 1982 as an Instructional Support Technician and Youth Summer Camp Director … He served in both capacities until the 1992 season when he became Events Manager … Since becoming the Events Manager, Garcia has served at numerous post-season tournaments and championship events hosted by CSUN, with the most recent being the 2008 NCAA Track & Field Western Regional and the 2005 NCAA Men's Soccer Championships … In addition since 2008, Garcia oversees the CSUN Equipment Room … Prior to CSUN, Garcia coached baseball for two years (1980-82) at Edison High School in Huntington Beach. 

Geoff Herberg (5 years – Assistant Media Relations Director)
Geoff began his fifth season on the CSUN staff in 2011-12 after working two years in the Media Relations office at the University of Kansas … His public relations responsibilities include women's basketball, women's soccer, softball and women's tennis … Whenever and wherever there is a Matador athletic event, Herberg is there … His responsibilities at Kansas included track & field, cross country, and he assisted with men's and women's basketball, football, softball, women's volleyball and women's soccer.

Bob Vazquez (5 years – Assistant Athletic Director, Media Relations)
Known to everyone as Bobby V, he is completing his fifth season at Cal State Northridge in 2011-12 as Assistant Athletic Director (Media Relations) … Vazquez has worked in college athletics over a span of five decades starting in 1977 at UC Santa Barbara (1977-83), Stanford University (1983-2007) and now at Cal State Northridge (2007-present) … Vazquez oversees the publicity efforts of the Matador's 18-sports intercollegiate athletic program, with a main emphasis on men's basketball, women's water polo and the CSUN website (www.gomatadors.com) … In addition, Vazquez is a member of the Cal State Northridge Hall of Fame Committee.