Over the past decade, the University of California (UC) and U.S. Bank have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership through our Bank Card Program, with campuses and participating sites using a variety of card products. In October 2022, UC Irvine graciously hosted UC’s annual Commercial Card Meeting, the first in-person event since 2019!
There were about 75 attendees from 30 organizations, ranging from UC Campuses, Medical Centers, Laboratories and associated contracting sites, U.S. Bank and Visa. Participants had the opportunity to network, socialize and share experiences. It was truly memorable, informative, and illuminating for all that attended.
The three days featured topics from all Commercial Card Programs including Purchasing, Travel, and Payables. Sessions covered site highlights, best practice discussions, growth and optimization, efficiencies, and overcoming operational challenges. A favorite was a special session in which campuses and participating sites shared optimization and growth strategies and advised other campuses on how to implement similar approaches.
We were also excited to celebrate and recognize annual Award winners, including the Best-in-Class Award: UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz & UC Davis. UC also created the new Spotlight Award, a peer-nominated recognition for outstanding efforts and positive program outcomes. The 2022 Spotlight winners were: Carla Manacop (UCLA), Kelli Sanchez Zamora (UCSD), Vartan Vartkessian (UCD), and Sandia Corporate Card Team.
2022 U.S. Bank Student Engagement Fund Awardees
Additionally, UC and U.S. Bank announced seven Student Engagement Fund awardees for 2022. Participating campuses include UC Davis, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, and UC San Francisco. These projects employ student interns to work with staff on projects to improve UC’s procure-to-pay systems, processes or programs while providing students with a unique experiential education opportunity.
2022 U.S. Bank Partnership Fund Awardee
UC and U.S. Bank also announced the recipient of the 2022 Partnership Fund Award. For the third year in a row, U.S. Bank selected UC Irvine’s Born in California™ Startup Pitch Competition. This UC Irvine and Beall Applied Innovation-produced event showcases all ten University of California campuses and uniquely highlights U.S. Bank’s commitment to innovation and communities. This competition identifies and funds the most promising UC student and alumni-founded startups, which create jobs and build companies, increasing opportunities and economic prosperity in our communities.