Alumni Last Name: A-F

Name: Jessica Aquis
Graduation Year: 1997
Degree: BS Textiles and Clothing
Biography: Jessica Aquis is a 1997 graduate of the UC Davis Textiles and Clothing department. Immediately following her UCD graduation, she began her career in the Assitant Buyer (currently called ATP) program and was promoted to Inventory Management where she was a Replenishment Specialist for 2 years. A promotion to Replenishment Manager followed, and she currently holds this position.

Name: Willa J. Benning
Graduation Year: 1978, 1980
Degree: BS Textiles, Masters of Education with an emphasis in Textiles and Clothing
Biography: Willa Jerrene (Jerre) Benning received her B.S. in Textiles in 1978 and her Masters of Education with an emphasis in Textiles and Clothing in 1980, both from UC Davis. In June 2003 she retired from the Sacramento City Unified School District after teaching high school for 20 years. The first 10 years she taught "Family and Consumer Education," and the last 10 years she taught "Careers with Children" in the Sacramento County Regional Occupational Program (ROP). She and her husband, Otis, also retired, reside in El Dorado Hills. Now she is persuing her interest in patchwork and quilting. She is a member of the International Quilters Association and The American Quilters Society and she continuously takes classes to learn new techniques and also improve her skills.

Name: Joan Busch-Daley
Graduation Year: 1979
Degree: BS Textiles
Biography: Joan Busch-Daley is a 1979 graduate of UC Davis Textiles and currently lives in Bend Oregon with her husband of 14 years, Dan, and two children, Ben (12) and Allison (8). Following graduation, Joan entered Macy's training program in SF, CA where she pursued a position of Buyer from May '83 - July '86. She then was hired by the manufacturer L.A. Movero in LA and was responsible for merchandising and selling their bodywear line. She retired after 11 years with them in 1997 in order to raise her children. She looks forward to sharing information and helping anyone entering the workforce in the retail, design fields.

Name: Amanda Cattermole
Graduation Year: 1989
Degree: MS Textile Chemistry
Biography: Amanda Cattermole is a 1989 graduate of the UC Davis Textiles and Clothing department who currently lives in San Rafael with her husband of 12 years, Jose, and two children Zeke (7) and Chloe (5). Immediately following her UCD graduation, she moved to Berkeley and worked as a Dye Plant Manager for a small clothing company called Cut Loose for 6 months. She was recruited by Levi Strauss And Company and moved to El Paso Texas to work as the Technical Service Representative for one of the garment finishing facilties for denim. After 2 years, she became the liason between Design in San Francisco and the finishing facilities and collaborated with the Design and Merchandising areas to develop new denim finishes such as acid wash and stone wash. In 1993 she was promoted to the R&D Manager for LS&Co. She was responsible for Product Development for both demin and non-dem finishing. In 1997, she moved back to San Francisco as a technical qualification of all seasonal fabrics in the line. In 2001, her focus changed to look at more future oriented opportunities for both Levi's and Dockers. Her current position as Technical Director for the Global Innovation Group, Amanda is responsible for the technical pipeline of innovation as well as managing global projects and products from concept through to commercialization. She frequently travels to New York City, Asia and Europe to identify technology partners as welll as oversee the development of global products.