May 2026 Employee of the Month: Deborah Huertas

ITS proudly recognizes Deborah “Debbie” Huertas, Lead Admissions Systems Analyst, as the May 2026 Employee of the Month. Debbie was nominated by Senior Facilities Coordinator Charo Peralta for her key role in the successful transition of the School of Medicine to 25Live, UCR’s new room and event scheduling system.

Debbie has been working with Charo and the School of Medicine from the very beginning of their transition to 25Live. Charo shared, “[Debbie] provided clear guidance, technical expertise, and continuous support, ensuring that a complex, campuswide change moved forward smoothly. Her partnership, responsiveness, and willingness to go above and beyond made her an invaluable resource throughout the implementation process.”

Fostering Teamwork and Collaboration

Transitioning to a new room and event scheduling system requires seamless coordination across multiple departments. Throughout the implementation of 25Live, Debbie encouraged collaboration by being approachable, proactive, and willing to share her knowledge.

"Debbie consistently demonstrated exceptional teamwork and collaboration," Charo shared in her nomination. "She worked seamlessly across departments, listened to stakeholder needs, and ensured that all voices were heard in the decision-making process."

Charo recognized that Debbie’s ability to connect people, clarify expectations, and keep everyone aligned was essential to the success of their shared projects.

A Deep Commitment to Customer Success and Innovation

At the heart of Debbie’s work is a dedication to customer success. When 25Live was introduced to campus partners including the School of Medicine, Debbie took the time to understand user needs. She provided thoughtful guidance and ensured that students, faculty, and staff received accurate and timely support. She anticipated challenges before they arose and offered solutions that are both practical and user-friendly. 

Charo added, “[Debbie’s] dedication to ensuring that our teams felt confident and supported throughout the 25Live transition has positively impacted our entire community.”

Debbie played a critical role in the data migration process, ensuring data integrity and system readiness. She is praised for delivering results efficiently, accurately, and with exceptional attention to detail. Charo honed in on Debbie’s outstanding work ethic:

“She consistently met deadlines, communicated progress clearly, and resolved issues quickly. Her work directly contributed to a successful rollout, and her ability to manage complex tasks with professionalism and consistency has made a significant difference.”

In addition, Debbie demonstrated her strong technical skills by translating complex system functionality into practical, real-world solutions. She introduced workflows and processes that enhanced scheduling accuracy, improved data structure, and strengthened system usability.

“Her creative approach to problem-solving and her willingness to explore new methods helped streamline the implementation and improve overall operational efficiency,” Charo said.

Modeling Effective Change Management

Change can often be stressful, but through her leadership, Debbie helped SOM successfully manage their major system transition. She laid the foundation for effective change management by guiding SOM through every stage of the transition with expertise, clarity, and patience. 

She provided them training, resources, and continuous support which helped them understand the system and adapt new processes confidently. Finally, Charo highlighted the key to SOM’s successful change management:

“[Debbie] communicated change in a way that reduced anxiety, built trust, and ensured that the community felt supported rather than overwhelmed.”

Through her commitment to customer success, collaboration, innovation, and effective change management, Debbie successfully helped one of ITS’ key campus partners adopt a new system. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Do you have colleagues who deserve recognition for their hard work and dedication? Nominate them for one of ITS’ Employee Recognition Programs!

Staff members can be nominated for Employee of the Month or Team of the Quarter. Use our form to submit your nomination for the next Employee of the Month.