Board of Advisors

Established in 2018, the UCSB Department of Economics Board of Advisors is a group of dedicated alumni and long-term supporters who care deeply about the future trajectory of the Department. The Board of Advisors provides counsel and advice on strategic planning and issues that impact the vitality and success of the Department.

Photo of Marc Ackerman
Photo of Marc Ackerman

Marc A. Ackerman ‘94

Mr. Ackerman graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1994 with a BA in Communication Studies. He is founding partner and Managing Director- Investments of IFC Private Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors.   Marc has advised company founders, entrepreneurs, executives, corporations, foundations, and ultra-high net worth families for over 20 years. He helps families integrate their unique values into their wealth plans and focuses on philanthropic planning and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing .   

Marc was named to Forbes' Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Gospel Music Association Foundation and of Hope Heals.  

Photo of Michael Byron
Photo of Michael Byron

Michael J. Byron ‘87

Mr. Byron graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1987 with a BA in Business Economics. He currently serves as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of NVIDIA, a position he has held since 2011. From 2002 to 2010, Mr. Byron served as NVIDIA’s Corporate Controller and Director of Finance, and then later as Vice President and Corporate Controller. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Byron served as the Corporate Controller for Vicinity Corporation and from 1998 to 2000 as Financial Reporting Manager for Informix Corporation. Mr. Byron is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, and has worked for eight years as an audit manager with Deloitte LLP, serving in its Silicon Valley- and Spain-based practices.

Photo of Peter Corsa
Photo of Peter Corsa

Peter Corsa

In November 2022, Mr. Corsa was named Chief Executive Officer of the newly created Home Furnishing Division at Franchise Group which includes American Freight, Badcock Furniture, and Buddy’s Home Furnishings. Prior to Franchise Group, Mr. Corsa was President and COO for At Home Group, growing the company from $330 Million to over $2 Billion in sales resulting in a successful IPO in 2016. Previously, Mr. Corsa served as Vice President of KSL Resorts from 2011 to 2013, which operates luxury resorts throughout the United States. Before this, he served as Executive Vice President of Retail for Stuart Weitzman from 2006 – 2011. In addition, he served as Senior Director of Store Operations of GAP from 2004 to 2006, Senior Director of Loss Prevention for Old Navy from 2002 to 2003 and Director of Store Operations for Old Navy from 1999 to 2002.  Mr. Corsa received his MBA from St. Mary’s College of California and Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Photo of Rafael Costas
Photo of Rafael Costas

Rafael R. Costas, Jr. ‘86

Mr. Costas graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1986 and holds a BA in Economics and an MA in Economics from Golden Gate University. Currently, Mr. Costas is a Senior Vice President of Franklin Templeton Investments and Co-Director of Franklin Templeton's Municipal Bond Department. He has been with Franklin Templeton in various roles his entire career, and also holds membership in the National Federation of Municipal Analysts and the Society of Municipal Analysts. 

In his free time, Mr. Costas is also an amateur musician in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Photo of Jody Dolan Holehouse
Photo of Jody Dolan Holehouse

Jody Dolan Holehouse '81

Ms. Holehouse graduated UC Santa Barbara with high honors in 1981 and holds a BA in Economics with an Accounting emphasis. Currently, she is a CPA, a CMA, and partner in the firm of Nasic, Hicks, Harris & Co., LLP. She serves individual and business clients in tax planning and preparation, accounting and business analysis. In the past, she has served as President of the California State Society of Certified Public Accountants Channel Counties Chapter and the Institute of Management Accountants Santa Barbara Chapter. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants and the Western Pension Benefits Conference.

Photo of Keith Lupton
Photo of Keith Lupton

Keith Lupton ‘90

Mr. Lupton graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1990 and holds a BA in Business Economics. He is currently an Assurance Practice Partner of Ernst & Young LLP. For over 20 years, he has provided auditing, accounting and other business advisory services to companies operating in financial services, real estate and cleantech industries. In addition to client-based responsibilities, Keith has served as part of the firm's Professional Practice Group as an area resource on technical accounting and auditing matters. Prior to joining EY, he served as Senior Manager with Arthur Andersen for over ten years. Keith and his family live in Manhattan Beach, California.

Photo of Steven Macko
Photo of Steven Macko

Steven V. Macko ‘93

Mr. Macko graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1993 and holds a BA in Business Economics. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President and Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunication (TMT) for Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking in San Francisco. In his position, Mr. Macko brings Wells Fargo’s full capabilities to clients across the TMT vertical, including all investment banking, corporate banking and credit/underwriting activities.

Mr. Macko is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and served on the Wells Fargo Wholesale Diversity & Inclusion Council. He is also a former board member of the California Commercial Finance Association and the Turnaround Management Association.

Photo of Bryan Rosenberg
Photo of Bryan Rosenberg

Bryan S. Rosenberg ‘87

A 1987 Magna Cum Laude graduate of UC Santa Barbara, Mr. Rosenberg holds a BA in Business Economics. He has been President and CEO of Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods (COSFF) since he established the Company in 2006 in partnership with Thai Union, one of the world’s largest integrated seafood companies. Under Mr. Rosenberg’s leadership, COSFF has become the largest importer of shrimp, lobster, and crab meat in the US, selling into all channels of trade. Today, COSFF has over 120 employees and is approaching $1B in annual sales. Mr. Rosenberg also serves on the National Fisheries Institute Board of Directors, a non-profit dedicated to seafood sustainability, safety and nutrition education.

Photo of Michael Stewart
Photo of Michael Stewart

Michael P. Stewart ‘91

Mr. Stewart is a 1991 graduate of UC Santa Barbara, holding a BA in both Business Economics and English. He is currently a Managing Director at Credit Suisse in New York, where he is responsible for Global Equities and sits on the Global Markets Management team. Previously, Mr. Stewart was a group managing director at UBS in Zurich, Switzerland where he ran Global Investment Products and Services and sat on the wealth management executive committee. From 2011-2014, Mr. Stewart was global head of Equities for the UBS Investment Bank, based in New York.

Mr. Stewart has served on a variety of boards in the securities exchange and financial technology spaces. He also serves on the advisory board of UCSB’s Center for Research in Financial Mathematics and Statistics. In 2014, Mr. Stewart was elected a trustee of the UC Santa Barbara Foundation.

Photo of Michael Trovato
Photo of Michael Trovato

Michael J. Trovato ‘95

Mr. Trovato graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1995 and holds a BA in Business Economics and an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at USC. He is currently the Director of the Western Region at Wellington Management, a Boston-based global investment management firm. Mr. Trovato leads Wellington’s San Francisco office and manages their institutional client relationships on the West Coast. Prior to joining Wellington, Mr. Trovato spent 15 years with PIMCO, an investment management firm, where he was an executive vice president and worked in the company’s London and Newport Beach offices.

While in London, Mr. Trovato was able to remain connected to the UCSB community as a co-founder of the UC Santa Barbara UK EAP Fund. The fund provided support to UCSB students through scholarship opportunities for study abroad in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Trovato is a native Californian, a devout SF Giants and 49ers fan, and is an avid golfer.

Photo of Michael G. Turner
Photo of Michael G. Turner

Michael G. Turner '91

Mr. Turner graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1991 and holds a BA (cum laude) in Business Economics. He is an Assurance Partner in Ernst & Young's technology industry practice with over 29 years of experience. He began his career in 1991 in EY's Silicon Valley practice in the San Jose office, where he assisted technology clients through numerous IPOs. Mr. Turner currently serves as EY's Global Coordinating Partner for several technology companies listed in the S&P 500 as well as select venture capital-backed Unicorns. He is also a leader in the EY's National Quality Network and has led internal quality review engagement teams on-site in South America and Israel in improving the quality of EY's client work.

Mr. Turner currently lives in the Silicon Valley with his wife and 2 children. He enjoys surfing, golfing, and snowboarding.

Photo of Sue Wilcox
Photo of Sue Wilcox

Sue Wilcox, ‘70, ‘72, ‘75

Dr. Wilcox graduated UC Santa Barbara in 1970 and holds a BA in Mathematics. She continued on at UCSB to earn her MA in Economics in 1972 and a PhD in Economics in 1975. Dr. Wilcox is active in investing and has assisted in several start-up biotechnology companies. She plays a leadership role in various charity and volunteer organizations, while maintaining a single digit golf handicap. She previously served as an adjunct Professor of Economics at Pepperdine University and worked for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) from 1974 to 1983.

Dr. Wilcox serves on the UC Santa Barbara Alumni Association Board, working to create a new venture incubator in the Mosher Alumni House.