Employee Relations

As director of Employee Relations and Engagement, Robert Cancellieri oversees UF’s comprehensive employee and labor relations program and strategy for faculty and staff. Cancellieri and his team work to promote a fair and respectful work environment, allowing employees the opportunity to achieve their professional and career goals. Cancellieri brings many years of experience as an attorney whose work focused primarily on labor and employment matters in both the public sector as Deputy Director of Labor Relations for Nassau County (NY) and in the private sector as an associate with Jackson Lewis P.C. Most recently he served for 6 years as the director of Employee Relations at Albert Einstein College of Medicine located in New York City.

Rebecca oversees the E&G Satellite Office, which provides employee relations services and resources to nine colleges and several administrative units involving faculty and staff, as well as Workers Compensation, Unemployment Compensation, and the Commercial Drivers Licensing programs. Rebecca has over 30 years of human resources experience in both the private and public sectors. Her goal is to always have an open door, and to provide timely and sound HR advice to her customers. Rebecca is a strong believer in Dr. Stephen Covey’s philosophy of “seek first to understand, then to be understood,” which aids in solving many workplace concerns.

As Assistant Director for Employee Relations & Engagement, Ron Casper oversees employee relations services across all Health Science Center colleges, Health Affairs units, and affiliated research institutes. He offers timely, consistent guidance on employee relations and works collaboratively with both leaders and employees to navigate performance, conduct, and complex workplace concerns with clarity, respect, and fairness.

He joined UF in 2022 and has held roles in both Employee Relations and college-level HR before returning to Employee Relations in 2025. Before UF, he spent nearly 26 years as a Human Resources Officer in the U.S. Army, including service as an Assistant Professor of Military Science for UF’s ROTC program, where he taught leadership and organizational management and helped develop emerging leaders.

Ron holds a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Upper Iowa University. He is a SHRM-CP and has completed conflict resolution and equal opportunity training. His leadership philosophy emphasizes people-first development and integrity, guiding his approach to partnering with both leaders and employees in ways that foster fairness, accountability, and a supportive, consistent employee relations environment.

Catherine serves as the Employee Relations Assistant Director for IFAS and the College of Veterinary Medicine team located throughout the state of Florida. She started in UFHR Employee Relations in 2018 and has worked as an Employee Relations Specialist in both the E&G and Business Affairs satellite offices. Prior to coming to UF, Cat worked for many years as a human resource professional with Aramark. In addition to her extensive background and experience in employee relations matters, Cat’s love for horse riding; and a degree in Agricultural Education from The Ohio State University make her a great match for this role.

Noah originally joined the Employee Relations investigative team in 2014 after moving to Gainesville. Noah returned to the investigative team in 2017 after a short hiatus in 2016, during which time he lived in Tanzania and later worked as a substitute teacher in Alachua County. Prior to his time at UF, Noah served as a civilian investigator for the City of New York for five years, first for the city’s Civilian Complaint Review Board where Noah investigated civilian complaints directed against New York police officers. Later, Noah worked for the New York Correction Department’s internal investigation division (resulting in Noah making more than one trip to Rikers Island). Noah attended Columbia University where he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees with distinction.

Petra is a licensed attorney, arbitrator, assistant mediator trainer and trained family, civil and dependency mediator who has spent the past four years working with the eighth judicial circuit. She previously worked as a pro se case manager who helped to walk litigants through their case filing, provided general procedural guidance and judicial support.  Most recently, Petra served as the mediation services coordinator for all six counties in the eighth circuit. She facilitated volunteer and staff trainings, conducted investigations, maintained mediation statistics and drafted contracts and agreements. Her passion for alternative dispute resolution has motivated her current career focus on creative problem solving opportunities. Petra is a double gator, having earned both her undergraduate and law degree from the University of Florida.