Karl Engelbach, UC Davis’ director of federal government relations and a higher education policy veteran of more than 25 years, is joining Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi’s management team as associate chancellor and chief of staff.

Engelbach will fill a vacancy created by the departure of Maril Revette Stratton, who will be retiring as associate chancellor-chief of staff on Jan. 1, after 24 years of service to UC Davis.

In his new role, Engelbach will report directly to Katehi. He will provide counsel and principal management support to the chancellor and will be responsible for helping to conceive programs, and for leading and coordinating projects and initiatives to advance the chancellor’s vision.

In addition, he will be the chancellor’s primary liaison with other units on campus and with other UC campuses, the UC Office of the President and the UC regents. And he will provide general oversight of the chancellor's calendar, draft sensitive and high-level correspondence and reports, and help organize and participate in meetings with key UC Davis constituents.

“Karl’s breadth of experience in higher education, his impressive people skills, his eye for detail and his knowledge of the political landscape make him an ideal match for this position and a great addition to our senior management team,” Katehi said. “In his new role, he will be a tremendous asset to our entire university, and we all look forward to working with him.”

Engelbach will take up his new duties on Jan. 1, moving to Mrak Hall from the Office of Government and Community Relations.

He joined the government relations staff in March 2008 after having served for nearly three years in the UC Office of State Government Relations, first as legislative director and then as acting associate director. Prior to his UC service, he worked for six months at the California Performance Review Commission, and, before that, he served for more than 20 years in a variety of roles at the California Postsecondary Education Commission.

Engelbach has two degrees from UC Davis: a bachelor’s degree in economics (1988) and a master’s in business administration from the Graduate School of Management (1990), with a concentration in public administration, finance and accounting.

Stratton was recruited to UC Davis in 1986 to head what was then called the Public Communications office within University Relations. Throughout her tenure, her title changed from director of Public Communications to assistant vice chancellor of Public Communications. In 2004, she joined the chancellor's office under then-Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, first as assistant chancellor and then, in 2007, she was promoted to associate chancellor.

“Maril has been at my side since before I was even appointed chancellor at UC Davis,” Katehi said. “Her knowledge of the campus, her institutional memory, her high standards of quality and her counsel have been invaluable to me and to this university. I wish her only good things in her retirement.”