Meet our 2020-2021 Executive Committee!
CHAIR
Below is a description of each of our five branches and their members:
MEMBERSHIP BRANCH
Name: Eric Manzo
Year: 4th Year, Class of 2021
Hometown: Fresno, CA
Position: Vice Chair of Membership
Major: Society & Environment
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Keeping the 2017 Bonfire burning by being a part of “freshmen more wood.” I felt incredibly connected to the campus getting to participate in a long standing campus tradition.
Fun Fact: I am a huge Disney Parks fan! Ask me about new developments. :)
What I’m most excited about for this year: I’m excited to help the Cal community come together during these trying times. It has never been more important to keep up the Golden Bear spirit!
Name: Alyssa Hurtado
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Salinas, CA
Position: Director of Member Events
Major: Environmental Economics and Policy; Minor, City Planning
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: My favorite memory is definitely when my team took second place at golf party (golf party in general was also a great mem)!
Fun Fact: I own 10 pairs of crocs!
What you’re most excited about for this year: I am so excited to welcome new members to the committee and host events that will bring everyone closer and instill an even stronger familial bond! Even if we have to do virtual spell out at the club penguin ice rink, I’m so stoked for this year!
Name: Aidan Newboles
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Dana Point, CA
Position: Director of Athletics
Major: Chemical Engineering
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Snow trip to Lake Tahoe this year was so much fun!!!
Fun Fact: Everyone in my family (besides my parents) has a name that starts with the letter A! That includes my older brother, my older sister, my cat, and my 2 dogs!
What I’m most excited about for this year: I’m excited to meet all of the new members joining the committee this year and to bring them all of the excitement and joy of being part of the Committee!
Name: Sara Smith
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Position: Director of Athletics
Major: Bioengineering
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Singing while giving out lanterns after Big Give.
Fun Fact: I used to throw swords competitively.
What I’m most excited about for this year: Waving flags with everyone!
SPIRIT BRANCH
Name: Kristina Hernandez
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Whittier, CA
Position: Vice Chair of Rallies
Major: Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Snow Trip 2019 holds a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons. The ride up to Tahoe was terrible because of all the problems that our car had. First we couldn’t find snow chains anywhere, got some but they fell off because they were the wrong size, got someone to resize them which made them too small, and once we got a hold of snow CABLES (not the same), were told to take them off a couple miles before we got into a storm and ended up having to call for help to get the Alexa’s car up to the house. By the time we made it to the house we were greeted with cheers and hugs and that whole weekend brought me so much closer to the Rally Comm family and especially Alexa and Kate for having to deal with me in the car for the long ride there and back. I had never been on any sort of road trip with the committee and I hope to be able to go on many more because I loved that weekend so much.
Fun Fact: My high school was very similar to Berkeley in that everyone referred to it as “Cal”, the cal script was on all of our gear, and our fight song was a rendition of “Sons of California”.
What you’re most excited for about this year: I’m most excited to be on spirit branch and work with my branch to do some amazing things and spread the Spirit of California to a larger part of the general student population. I’m also really excited to plan Bonfire Rally and hopefully make it a very memorable experience for everyone, and we can show off that WE WON THE AXE!!!
Name: Paulina Nguyen
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Vista, CA
Position: Director of Stunts
Major: Political Science; Minor, Music
Favorite Rally Comm memory: One of favorite memories has got to be Oregon Trip! Not only did I really get to know a lot of my friends on the committee, it was so nice making the trip in Tina and spending quality road tripping time with some amazing people.
Fun Fact: I create animated graphics for Quokka Brew and I occasionally make memes for the UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens. (My top post has 3.4k likes ;)
What I’m most excited about for this year: I’m so excited to work with this years amazing excomm and older members to make a super fun year for all new members! Stunts are going to be a blast!
Name: Melissa Regalado
Year: 4th Year, Class of 2020
Hometown: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Position: Director of Stunts
Major: Molecular Environmental Biology; Minor, Classical Civilizations
Favorite Rally Comm memory: The first midnight rally I attended. It was my first ever spell out and I just loved how energetic everyone was and it truly felt like we were a family. All the spirit groups get to have fun all over the place and it’s amazing because we get to show our pride for our school and bring that joy to everyone.
Random fact: I volunteer at a rabbit society in Richmond where I help in the OR by being in charge monitoring the rabbits vitals and anesthesia during surgery!
What you’re most excited about for this year: I am super excited to make the best out of my senior year and collaborate with everyone!
Name: Ryan Ackles
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Position: Director of Special Events
Major: Media Studies and Political Economy
Favorite Rally Comm memory: There are so many that it’s impossible to choose! My first ever general meeting. Seeing Cal upset ranked Washington during Haas Lock-In. That game in particular a 2.5-hour rain delay, so I remember singing songs with the rest of the Committee and playing some intense volleyball and basketball games as we were waiting for the game to start back up. Cal won on a game-winning field goal to take the lead with eight seconds to go and I just remember the Committee going bonkers (myself included)! I can’t forget the first time I did Spellout at the Cal home opener in 2019 and road trips to Oregon and LA. But I’d be lying if I said Big Game 2019 wasn’t one of the best memories I will ever has as a Cal student and member of the Committee. Seeing Cal take the lead with just over a minute to go and racing onto the field at Stanfurd Stadium with my fellow Bears after clinching the victory is something I won’t ever forget.
Random fact: I’m a triplet!
What you’re most excited about for this year: I’m most excited to meet and get to know all of the new members of the Committee and help carry the incredible spirit and tradition of Cal and its loyal fans from 2019 into 2020! I can’t wait to lead Night and Noon Rallies and help create an unforgettable Big Game Week in November!
MARKETING BRANCH
Name: Joseph Gonzalez
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Indio, CA
Position: Vice Chair of Marketing
Major: Theater and Performance Studies
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: It is so hard to name just one! One is being on the field for Football games this past season and taking pictures of everyone. It was cool to be up close to the field and being able to look out to see a packed student section. Another is getting to rush the field when we got the Axe back! It was truly an unforgettable experience.
Fun Fact: All of my immediate family’s initials end in A.G.
What you’re looking forward to most this year: I’m excited to meet the new members and welcome them into the Rally Comm family. Also I’m hyped to work with my branch and seeing their amazing work!
Name: Joey Montoya
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Camarillo, CA
Position: Director of Mixed Media
Major: Media Studies
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Seeing Stanfurd overrun with Cal Spirit after winning the Big Game.
Fun Fact: Grape flavor is the best flavor.
What you’re most excited about for this year: Meeting the new members!
Name: Kori Amidei
Year: 2nd year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Indio, CA
Position: Director of Mixed Media
Major: History
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Witnessing the Axe coming back. Everything about that day: the game, seeing the field be rushed, celebrating at Tom’s house, and the Axe rally the next Monday. It was legendary!
Fun Fact: I’ve never broken a bone.
What I’m most excited about for this year: Being apart of ExComm and getting even closer to everyone!
TREASURER’S BRANCH
Name: Jazz Van Horn
Year: 4th Year, Class of 2021
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Position: Treasurer
Major: Economics and Political Science; Minor, German
Favorite Rally Comm memory: Being on the field as we won axe and just watching the sea of people head towards me all cheering as loudly as possible.
Fun Fact: When I was in high school I studied abroad in Germany even though I didn’t speak German beforehand.
What you’re most excited about for this year: Just to make make more amazing memories with the amazing people of this committee.
Name: Marissa (Mari) Wong
Year: 2nd year, Class of 2023
Hometown: San Mateo, CA
Position: UC Cannoneer
Major: Political Science, Conservation and Resource Studies; Minor, Dance and Performance Studies
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Playing shotput with a coconut we found on the beach while playing in the water watching the sunset at Santa Monica during Beach Trip
Fun Fact: I can sew! In High School I made almost all of my dressed for school dances and started a clothing company with my best friend.
What you’re most excited about for this year: I am super-soaker-stoked for Bonfire Rally! I am so excited to be a part of this big history and bring my own creative touch to the biggest rally of the year, the night before Big Game while we have the Axe! I can’t wait for all the spirit, memories, and laughter to come.
Name: Jana Roper
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Position: UC Cannoneer
Major: Integrative Biology Major (focus in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology); Minor, Data Science
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Dancing and passing out lanterns at the Light the Way kickoff, until band left but that didn’t stop us from singing to the donors!
Fun Fact: I am absolutely obsessed with sharks and the ocean, I will gladly tell you everything I know if you are interested.
What you’re most excited about for this year: To become closer with everyone in Rally, and bringing Cal spirit and pride to everyone at Berkeley through the California Victory Cannon!
Name: Bridget Bernet
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Valley Center, CA
Position: Director of Security
Major: Philosophy and Rhetoric
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: The Joe Roth game.
Fun Fact: I have a twin sister who’s extremely jealous there’s no such thing as Rally Comm at her school.
What you’re most excited about for this year: I’m so excited for football season with the axe.
COMMUNICATION’S BRANCH
Name: Joseph Toman
Year: 3rd Year, Class of 2022
Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA
Position: Vice Chair of Communications
Major: Molecular Environmental Biology
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: This past year’s Cable Car Rally in San Francisco would have to be my favorite. Jamming out with Cal Spirit and bringing the Spirit of California to Union Square was a phenomenal way to start off Big Game week.
Fun Fact: I work as a CSO and do Bearwalk, so if ya need to walk home from campus late at night and need a buddy, try requesting officer 201.
What you’re most excited about for this year: Spending time with returning members and getting to know all the new ones!
Name: Mark Maffeo
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Clovis, CA
Position: Director of Traditions
Major: Applied Math
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: Storming the field after winning the Big Game.
Name: Wesley Christian Lu
Year: 2nd Year, Class of 2023
Hometown: Diamond Bar, CA
Position: Director of Outreach
Major: Psychology and Social Welfare; Minor, Education
Favorite Rally Comm Memory: My first time firing the Victory Cannon at the 2019 ASU Night Game.
Fun Fact: I can do the middle splits (and I hope this holds true until my 30’s)
What you’re most excited about for this year: Touchdown Mondays! (Save Money, Live Better, Rally Committee)