Staff Advisory Council

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in the Office of Communication, 2023–2026

Mónica Hernández Williams (she/her/ella) joined Whitman in September 2021 and has served in various roles within the Office of Communication. Throughout her time at Whitman, she has actively sought out opportunities to meet and connect with students, staff, faculty and alumni. She is passionate about connection and inclusivity and has served on several campus councils and committees.

Mónica joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2023, which led her to the opportunity to serve on hiring committees for campus leadership positions and represent staff at the Board of Trustees Whitman Experience subcommittee meetings. She also serves on the Inclusive Excellence Council and Employee Relations Committee.

She encourages others to attend Whitman's Staff Coffee Breaks, saying it is a great way to meet new people while getting to know the various offices across campus. When you see her around campus, please stop her to say hi and share your ideas for strengthening the staff experience.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in the offices of Development & Alumni Relations, 2023–2026

Alison Wallisch ’05 (she/her) joined Whitman in August 2019 and currently serves as the Director of Annual Giving. Originally from the Midwest but came to Walla Walla to attend Whitman, graduating in 2005. As an alumna, Alison is committed to seeing her alma mater step up to make Whitman a good place to work. Alison joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2023 and has contributed to bylaws rewrites, an overview of ways staff can contribute to the college, and overall greater transparency. She has also served on Whitman's Alumni Board. Alison’s office is in Baker Center and you can often see her grabbing leftovers for events or being dragged around campus by her two large mutts. 

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Student Life, 2025–2028

Halley Munoz joined Whitman College in 2023 and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Security. She joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2025 in efforts to bring a security perspective to the council’s efforts. Through her roles on campus, she hopes to contribute to creating a safe, welcoming and equitable environment for all members of the Whitman community.

Outside of work, Halley partakes in hooping, collecting sports cards, playing trading card games such as Pokemon and One Piece, and keeping up on a plethora of topics in pop culture.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Academic Affairs within the offices of the Provost & Dean of Faculty, 2024–2027

Nadir Ovcina ’17 (he/his) was born in Croatia, yet as a refugee, he was raised in Aloha, OR. He attended Whitman College to study History and Philosophy. After graduation, he taught at a military university in the People's Republic of China, and soon after the global pandemic subsided, he returned to Whitman to work as the Assistant Director of Off-Campus Studies.

Nadir enjoys reading and playing the bass in his free time. He also writes, and has been published several times.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Admission & Financial Aid, 2025–2028

Mara Lewis (she/her) joined Whitman College in 2024 and currently serves as the Campus Visit Coordinator in the Office of Admission. She joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2025. She feels that transformative workplaces happen through connection and communication and is looking forward to being available to help make those connections stronger across campus.

Mara is also passionate about the impact student supervisors can have on a student’s college experience and loves creating impactful visits for prospective students.

Feel free to say hi when you see her across campus to share your ideas for strengthening the staff experience—she’s so here for it.

Everardo Carranza
Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in the Division of Finance & Administration, 2022–2025

I live in Milton-Freewater and have been working as a custodian for Residence Life for nine years. I’ve worked in different buildings around campus and currently work in Stanton Hall.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff working in the division of Finance & Administration, 2025–2028

Connor Stone ’17 (he/him/his) joined Whitman College in 2014 as a part-time member of the Security team. A Whitman graduate, Connor earned his degree in Economics in 2017. After graduation, he transitioned into the Student Accounts and Business Office annex. He took time away before returning in 2023 as a full-time member of the Accounts Receivable and Billing Services team.

Connor began serving on the Staff Advisory Council in 2025 as a representative for staff in the Finance and Administration division. He is particularly interested in improving access to staff course registration, especially for employees whose work schedules may otherwise make it challenging to participate.

He encourages every staff member to take at least one class that sparks their curiosity, just as he did at Whitman. For a quick reset during the day, Connor recommends taking a break to watch the ducks at Lakum Duckum—it's wonderfully soothing.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in the Division of Inclusive Excellence & the Office of the President, 2025–2028

Shelby Hearn (they/them) joined Whitman College in 2024 as the Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services and currently serves as Interim Director of Identity & Belonging. They have been involved in other committee work at the college related to campus climate and data and inclusive, accessible policy and infrastructure. 

Shelby joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2025 as a representative of staff in the Division of Inclusive Excellence, which they believe involves ensuring the work of cultivating inclusive excellence across campus extends to all of its staff. They are passionate about coalition building and advocating for staff wellbeing.

Originally from Georgia, Shelby has gradually made their way westward, having received their Master of Education at Loyola University Chicago, then working at the University of Utah for 5 years before landing in Walla Walla. They love to either escape to the woods or into a sci-fi novel. Their favorite fun fact about Whitman is that the majority of its beautiful trees have been cataloged and you can enjoy a nice walk and tree scavenger hunt around campus.

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Academic Affairs within the offices of the Provost & Dean of Faculty, 2025–2028

Victoria Wolff ’12 (she/her) first came to Whitman in 2010 and has served in a variety of roles across campus. For over a decade, she has worked in the Career and Community Engagement Center, most recently as the Director for Career Development. Throughout her time, she has been actively involved in numerous college-wide committees and working groups, including the President's Sustainability Advisory Committee and the Strategic Planning Steering Committee.

Victoria joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2022 as a representative of the Division of Academic Affairs and was re-elected for a second term in the summer of 2025. Over the past three years, she has been a strong advocate for staff, contributing to the College’s strategic planning process, collaborating with external consulting firms like Art and Science, participating in high-level search processes, and representing staff perspectives during Board of Trustees meetings.

Originally from Berlin, Germany, Victoria holds a Master of Education with a focus on English and History. Fun fact: During the 2010–2011 academic year, she taught in Whitman's German department and lived in Das Deutsche Haus (The German House) in the Interest House Community.

Feel free to say hi when you see her around campus or stop by her SAC office hours!

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Admission & Financial Aid, 2025–2028

Makaya Resner (she/her) joined Whitman College in 2022 as the Assistant Director of Admissions with a DEIA focus. Makaya joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2025 in an effort to encourage more collaborative work between departments that uplifts all of the work of the entire college. Makaya also serves on the Pášx̣apa Advisory Council for CTUIR Collaboration (PACCC).

She is passionate about building communal spaces that are welcoming to all, advocating for greater transparency and onboarding support for new staff and encouraging more professional development and continual learning opportunities.

Makaya encourages her peers to be lifelong learners, whether that’s by taking a Whitman class or exploring a new podcast or "nerding-out" with her while sipping an iced coffee. Outside of work, you’d likely find Makaya at the dog park or strolling around the downtown farmers market, but wherever you see her feel free to say hi!

Staff Advisory Council member representing staff in Student Life, 2025–2028

Kiefer Storrer (he/him/his) came to Whitman in the fall of 2022 to help jumpstart a Forensics (competitive public speaking and acting) program alongside the college’s nationally successful Parliamentary Debate Program, assuming the title of Assistant Director of Debate and Forensics. During this time, he has loved working with his Student Activities Involvement and Leadership colleagues and lifting heavy boxes every Move-In Day. 

He joined the Staff Advisory Council in 2025, representing staff in Student Life. He is passionate about creating, improving and maintaining accessible spaces, as well as providing support for students of all marginalized backgrounds. He finds Whitman to be ahead of the curve in many progressive areas, and hopes to help continue to make it a shining example for others to learn from. 

Kiefer served as Student Council President in high school, and took on student government roles and Senior Class President in college. He will swear in as President of Pi Kappa Delta, one of the oldest Forensics organizations, in March 2026.

He loves going to movies, playing video games and writing. He encourages anyone to share their concerns about strengthening the Whitman experience and/or nerd out about pop culture.