Ms. Agrela serves as the senior human resources leader for UC Irvine and UCI Health, overseeing all human resources administration and operations and leading a team of 180-plus professionals supporting more than 21,000 staff co-workers. As a member of the chancellor’s cabinet and the president’s cabinet for UCI Health, she champions people-centric decision-making while protecting and elevating the organizations’ employer brand during rapid growth and change. Over the past two years, she spearheaded strategic workforce planning and a broadened talent acquisition model as UCI Health expanded from one hospital to six, enabling hundreds of clinical and administrative hires amid a highly competitive market. In mid-2025, Ms. Agrela directed the onboarding and integration of more than 200 employees following UC Irvine’s acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art, completing the transition with minimal disruption to operations or employee experience. An early adopter of AI in human resources, she has accelerated responsible experimentation and governance, including hosting the 2025 “ZotBot Challenge,” where 16 human resources teams built AI bots in a single day to address pain points, with solutions now being vetted for secure deployment as part of an expanding toolkit. She also serves on the Gartner CHRO Executive Council and holds leadership roles with national higher education human resources organizations.
