Who We Are
A complete biography and contact information is available by selecting an individual's name.
- Jenny Kao - Executive Director
Jenny Kao has served as the executive director of IMPAC since its inception in 2009. Jenny has worked at UCOP since 2000, primarily as a member of the president's immediate staff and in external relations. Prior roles include serving as associate director at the UC State Governmental Relations Office in Sacramento, deputy to the executive vice president of external relations, and special assistant to two UC presidents. Her policy areas have primarily focused on admissions, standardized testing, and executive compensation. Prior to joining UCOP, she worked in former Governor Gray Davis' administration as the higher education policy analyst, at UC Berkeley in admissions and enrollment, and in the private sector. She has a B.A. in American history from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in public policy from Princeton University. Contact Jenny at (510) 987-9077 or .
- Jenna Fahrner
Jenna White Fahrner joined UCOP in 2006, serving as legislative coordinator for IMPAC since 2009. She currently focuses on legislation pertaining to campus life and energy policy. Before joining UCOP she served as legislative/community liaison, and assistant manager of public information for the Office of the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Prior to her work in Nevada, Jenna was a principal with Public Strategies Inc., a San Francisco public affairs consulting firm. She holds a B.A. from UC Santa Barbara and an M.A. from CSU Sacramento in history. Jenna is a Bay Area native. She also attended Santa Barbara City College, so she is a product of all three of the public higher education systems in California. Contact Jenna at (510) 987-0261 or
- Sarah Goodheart - Administrative Specialist
Sarah Goodheart has served as IMPAC's Administrative Specialist since May 2009, shortly after relocating from Boston to California. Sarah has worked in a business environment since 2000, and, prior to joining UCOP, Sarah supported senior executives in a small team setting at Fleet/Bank of America and at Wellington Management Company, LLP, a Boston asset manager. In her role in IMPAC, Sarah focuses on managing the administrative needs of the department, including calendaring, meeting coordination, purchasing, travel arrangement, and budget issues. Sarah also supports the Institutional Research department at UCOP. Sarah studied music theory and composition at Principia College. Contact Sarah at (510) 987-0937 or .
- Heather Kopeck
Heather Kopeck has served as a coordinator in IMPAC since March of 2009. Her primary policy areas focus on institutional advancement, the public records act, procurement and data privacy. She joined UCOP in 2008, serving as a research compliance analyst in the Office of Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services. Prior to joining UCOP she worked for the California Bureau of State Audits as a senior auditor where she evaluated state and local government's management of a variety of programs including the DNA Identification Fund, the K-12 High-Speed Network, and the Federal Family Education Loan Program. She is a graduate of UC Davis and holds a master's degree in Public Policy from UCLA. Contact Heather at (510) 987-0873 or .
- Matt Perry
Matt Perry has served as Director, Business Operations in IMPAC since June 2009. Prior to coming to UCOP, Matt was a financial consultant with the UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall) for one year, working with the Dean and his senior staff on financial matters pertaining to the Berkeley Law research centers, and other special projects. Before moving to the Bay Area in the fall of 2008, Matt worked in higher education for several years in New York City, most recently as a Director of Administration at New York University (2 years), and as a human resources director at Columbia University (6 years). He has a B.A. in political science from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, and an M.A. in cultural studies from Columbia University. Contact Matt at (510) 987-0406 or .
- Kimberly Peterson
Kimberly Peterson has served as a coordinator in IMPAC since February 2009. Kimberly joined UCOP in 2002, serving as a policy and legislative analyst for the Academic Senate and Educational Relations. Her policy areas have primarily focused on research, textbook affordability, and campus safety. Prior to joining UCOP, she worked for Harvard University managing the graduate admissions and corporate recruiting programs for the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Kimberly has a B.A. in Economics and Art History from Wellesley College and a master's degree in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA. Contact Kimberly at (510) 987-0227 or .
- Ed Stewart
Ed Stewart joined the IMPAC unit in 2009, and his primary subject areas include admissions, Master Plan issues, capital planning, and land use-related matters. Prior to coming to UCOP, Ed served as an Associate Director in the Community & Government Relations Office at UCSF. In addition, Ed has held a number of positions in public agencies with duties in urban planning, finance, and legislative analysis. He earned a B.A. in political science from Rice University and holds a master's degree in City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. Contact Ed at (510) 987-0721 or .
- Frank Thomson
Frank Thomson has been the Director, Academic Affairs in IMPAC since February 2009. Frank has worked at UCOP since 2005, and in his prior position at UCOP focused on legislative analysis in Academic Affairs' Educational Relations department. Before coming to UC, Frank worked for five years as an international trade analyst at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. He has a B.S. in International Business from Georgetown University and a master's degree in Public Affairs from the University of Texas-Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs. Contact Frank at (510) 987-9320 or .