CUPA-HR Southern California Chapter Fall Event
“Human at the Core”
October 23, 2026 | 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. PT | University of California, Riverside
Keynote speaker: Cyprian Yankey
Bio: Cyprian Yankey is a Future of Work Strategist at ADP, where he helps organizations navigate workforce transformation, leadership challenges, and emerging workplace technologies. Drawing on experience partnering with executives across industries, Cyprian explores how organizations can harness innovation to create stronger employee experiences, increase engagement, and drive business outcomes. His work focuses on helping leaders prepare for the rapidly changing world of work while keeping people at the center of organizational success.
Presentation: The future of work is ultimately a human story. While artificial intelligence is reshaping how work gets done, people will continue to define why that work matters. In this keynote, Cyprian will explore how higher education leaders can embrace AI in ways that strengthen the employee experience, create capacity for more meaningful work, and preserve the qualities that make great institutions thrive: trust, culture, empathy, creativity, and connection. Attendees will gain practical frameworks and actionable strategies to help navigate AI adoption with confidence, balancing technological advancement with the human elements that drive institutional excellence.
Plenary speakers: Hannah Casey and Alysha Stein-Manes
Bios:
Hannah Casey, Associate - Hannah Casey is an Associate in the Los Angeles office of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, where she advises clients on education, labor, and employment law matters. Her practice also includes business transactions and facilities matters, where she represents clients in all phases of contracts, procurement, construction, and real property issues. As part of the firm’s Business and Facilities practice group, Hannah focuses on protecting client interests while helping clients navigate complex regulatory requirements.
Prior to joining LCW, Hannah gained valuable legal experience through various legal clerkships and internships. Most recently, she served as a Law Clerk and Post Bar Clerk, where she drafted motions, discovery documents, and legal memoranda; conducted comprehensive file reviews; and collaborated with clients and opposing counsel to advance litigation matters. Hannah initially developed her skills as a Summer Associate, drafting legal documents under strict deadlines; observing hearings and trials; and participating in post-proceeding debriefs with attorneys.
Hannah’s early legal experience includes serving as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Ruth Bermudez Montenegro of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, where she conducted legal research and authored memos analyzing relevant case law. Additionally, she worked as a legal assistant, drafting legal documents, coordinating with clients, and managing case files.
Alysha Stein-Manes, Co-Managing Partner, Los Angeles Office - Alysha Stein-Manes is Co-Managing Partner of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore’s Los Angeles office and primarily represents the firm’s educational institution clients in a broad range of employment, labor, governance, retirement, and student matters. Alysha regularly advises public educational clients on academic and classified employee evaluation and discipline; administrator contracts and evaluation; equal employment opportunity recruitment and hiring practices; discrimination, harassment, and retaliation investigations; general governance matters; California and federal Voting Rights Act compliance; government transparency under the Brown Act and California Public Records Act; and a variety of student matters. She is also experienced working with governing boards on conducting CEO evaluations and contract negotiations, as well as advising and training boards on ethics, Brown Act, and other governance issues.
Alysha also regularly represents community college districts in arbitrations and administrative proceedings regarding discipline of permanent employees and the release of probationary faculty members, and in matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and California Office of Administrative Hearings.
Alysha provides counsel to private institutions of higher education, in matters including the intersection of student disability accommodations and discipline; personnel policies and practices; employee evaluation and discipline; Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”); and discrimination and harassment complaints and investigations.
Alysha is also a leader in the retirement and health arenas. She regularly provides counsel to LCW’s clients about the Affordable Care Act and disability interactive process, and to LCW’s public agency clients in the areas of the post-retirement work restrictions, PEPRA compliance, and reporting employee compensation to CalSTRS and CalPERS.
Alysha has extensive experience as a litigator, representing public agencies and non-profit educational institutions at all levels of the litigation process in state and federal court.
Alysha serves on the Executive Committees for LCW’s Public Education Practice Group and Retirement, Benefits, and Disability Practice Group.
More speakers to come.
We are so grateful for our event sponsors:
Platinum Sponsors:
Attention potential sponsors: If you are interested in being a sponsor for our in-person events, please reach out to [email protected] as soon as possible. Space is limited. There is also an opportunity to be a year-long sponsor for SoCal CUPA-HR events, find out how today.