This July, six new directors joined the University of Oregon Alumni Association Board.
Board President Anthony Lambatos, BS ’04 (business administration, economics), and UOAA Executive Director Raphe Beck welcome these new board members as they begin three-year terms. The board is responsible for overseeing and managing the association’s finances and advising the UOAA staff on how best to engage over 275,000 living alumni.
The UOAA board maintains between 38 and 44 voting members and represents the broad diversity of UO alumni in all respects, including but not limited to age, class year, school, degree, and participation in various student and alumni programs.
Members of the board are UO alumni who have remained active with fellow alumni and/or students, or who have demonstrated a history of service to other communities.
Meet the new board members
Jada Allender, BS ’18 (business administration)
Phoenix, Arizona
Jada Allender is co-chair of the Sports and Entertainment Industry Group and a member of the Corporate and Securities Practice Group at Snell & Wilmer. Her legal practice spans mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital financings, and cross-border transactions, with particular experience in professional sports team investments, media deals, and collegiate name, image, and likeness (NIL) matters. She earned her JD, summa cum laude, from Arizona State University and holds a master’s degree in sports law and business. Allender was named one of Arizona’s Most Influential Minority Business Leaders in 2026 and is a member of the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business’s Forty Under 40 Advisory Board.
Matt Hochstein, BS ’92 (physical education)
Lynnwood, Washington
Matt Hochstein is a deputy fire chief at Shoreline Fire Department, entering his 30th year in the fire service this September. He is in his third year as the UOAA Seattle Ducks chapter president and is also a longtime season ticket holder and fan of Oregon football, traveling to most home and away games. Hochstein and his wife have four kids and love time with family and travel.
Emily Matsuba, class of 2027 (business administration)
Student representative
Emily Matsuba will be a fourth-year student this fall and is studying business administration with a concentration in marketing. On campus, she serves as a resident assistant, helping students navigate their experience in university housing. Additionally, Emily works as an administrative assistant within the University Communications department and is the director of marketing and communications for the Lundquist College of Business Honors Program. She serves as the director of leadership and operations for the UOAA’s Student Alumni Association.
Michael Sámano, BA ’92 (sociology)
Eugene, Oregon
Michael Sámano has been the ethnic studies program coordinator at Lane Community College in Eugene since 1999. At Oregon, he was in Alpha Kappa Delta, the sociology honor society. He participated in both MEChA and the Native American Student Union, where he met his future wife. He received a Centurion Award which "honors up to 100 students each year for their dedication, outstanding leadership, and service to the campus community." He previously served on the Veteran Alumni Network board and is a member of the Patos Alumni Network. He has two sons. This fall, one son will be a fourth-year student and the other a first-year student at the University of Oregon. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from the UO, Sámano earned an associate's degree from Lane Community College, a master’s degree from Humboldt State, a master's degree from UC Davis, and a PhD from Oregon State University.
Sydnee Walker, BA ’21 (journalism, public relations)
Roswell, Georgia
Sydnee Walker is the founder and CEO of The Collaborative LLC, an organization focused on connecting aspiring journalists and public relations professionals with leaders across the sports and entertainment industry through fireside chats, mentorship, and career development opportunities. Based in Roswell, Georgia, Walker works with Bleacher Report Women’s Sports and previously supported marketing and public relations initiatives at Turner Sports. At the University of Oregon, she served as the student commencement speaker for the School of Journalism and Communication and earned Pac-12 All-Academic Honors as a member of the women’s track and field program.
Ed Weaver, BA ’88 (math, chemistry, Clark Honors College)
Seattle, Washington
Ed Weaver is a professor of otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat surgery) at the University of Washington and Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle. At the UO, he was a member of the Clark Honors College and baseball club team. He earned his MD at Yale University and MPH at the University of Washington, where he remains on faculty as a surgeon, researcher, and educator. He hails from a family of proud Ducks spanning three generations (father, brother, and two daughters).
Lambatos and the UOAA also thank departing board members, whose terms concluded June 30, 2026, for their dedicated service to the UOAA:
Fawzi Alkadi, BS ’96 (marketing and management); Jasmin Hartmeier, BA ’14 (advertising); Olivia Ortery, class of 2026 (business administration); Erik Parrish, BS ’03, (accounting, economics) MActg ’04 (accounting); and Erin Watkinson, BA ’00 (Spanish, international studies).
About the board president
Anthony Lambatos, BS ’04 (business, economics)
Denver, Colorado
A native of Denver, Anthony Lambatos and his wife and partner April run Footers Catering, as well as MIBE (“Make It Better Everyday”), a sister company that focuses on education around heart leadership and intentional culture building for the hospitality industry. As a student at Oregon, Anthony served as a peer advisor in the business school, was a member of the club ski team, and did an internship for University of Oregon Athletics. He is a past president of the Denver Ducks and served on that chapter’s board for 15 years. He has served on the UOAA board of directors since 2018.