MARK DEPPE currently serves as Director of UCI Esports, leading the effort to create the world-renowned program at UCI. Working closely with student leaders, administrators, faculty, and industry partners, Mark built a business plan that is both cost-neutral to the university and that broadly approaches the world of esports through the five pillars of Competition, Research, Community, Entertainment, and Careers. While at UCI, Mark has helped UCI break six world records and led their League of Legends team to a 2018 Collegiate Championship. Mark has a B.S. in psychobiology from UCLA and a MBA from Cal State Fullerton's Mihaylo College of Business and Economics.
Tom Turner
Chief Education Officer
TOM TURNER has been an educator for the last 20 years, working as a classroom teacher, Principal, and Director of Instruction. At Orange County Department of Education, he regularly interacts with classroom teachers, site administrators, and district leadership in implementing STEM professional learning and program development. He also is a member of the Board for Discovery Cube Orange County and supports grants from the National Science Foundation.
Samantha Anton
Chief Operating Officer
SAMANTHA ANTON currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer for the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF). Operating out of UCI Esports, Samantha oversees daily operations including tournament governance and organization, event production and marketing. In her previous roles, Samantha worked in higher education event production, coordinating and supporting events for prospective and incoming students. Samantha is a proud graduate of the University of California, Irvine, with a bachelor’s degree in Film & Media Studies and Political Science. Go Anteaters!
Mike Beteag
Chief Technology Officer
MIKE BETEAG is the Chief Technology Officer at H&S Ventures supporting the Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center, San Diego Gulls and The Rinks organizations.
Mike previously lead Forebrain Technologies Inc, a team of programmers, graphic designers, and project management consultants that provide information technology solutions for critical customer needs, including such companies as 20th Century Fox, Edison International, Disney, Toyota, Hewlett Packard, and Motorola. Mike previously served as president of Convergence Inc and has generated more than $14M in revenue during his tenure. Mike earned his Bachelor of Science from San Diego State University and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
Claire LaBeaux
Communications Director
CLAIRE LABEAUX has significant experience directing communications efforts to help companies and non-profits reach their objectives through strong sales, involvement, and support. She has obtained positive company and product stories in outlets ranging from niche to national blogs and magazines, papers, TV, and radio. She ensures that key audiences are informed and engaged through relevant channels and integrates traditional-style media outreach with native content and social elements. Her experience spans a variety of well-known software products and web sites, retail consumer products, and science and education projects. Recognizing the important role of STEM education to our future, she has intentionally focused on organizations with a mission to educate and empower youth, including the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), SciStarter, Science Cheerleader, Science Buddies, STEM Learning Ecosystems, and now, the North America Scholastic Esports Federation.
Jessamyn Acebes
League Operations Coordinator
JESSAMYN ACEBES serves as the League Operations Coordinator. She has been an active leader in the esports community since 2008. Previously, she worked as a supervisor and intern for UCI Esports, helping shape and cultivate the program in its inaugural years. She specializes in event planning, media production, team management, and training future generations of esports talent. Jessamyn is a recent graduate of the University of California, Irvine, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science.
Justin Jia
League Operations Intern
JUSTIN JIA is an avid gamer and a strong believer in creating social good through esports. With his experience building local communities for high school esports, Justin founded a national organization named Youth Esports of America back in 2017. His vision is to be able to allow students to develop lifelong skills that can be applied in any career field through a collective interest in gaming. Justin currently attends the University of California, Irvine, where he studies business economics and serves as League Operations Intern for the North American Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF).
