Hidden Talents

June 14, 2023

This week we celebrate Hidden Talents within FAS, talking with two staff from Audit and Advisory Services. Learn more about Josephyne Fahlberg’s flair for flowers and how Bill Sicord’s pastime became a beloved annual tradition.

FAS Hidden Talents: Josephyne and Bill

My decoration style could be called ‘happy accident.’ I want the room to feel like a fancy place without the fancy price.
Josephyne Fahlberg
Principal Associate
Audit and Advisory Services

Josephyne's Flower Power

Audit and Advisory Services’ Principal Associate Josephyne Fahlberg helps UCSF teams get a different perspective of their business. “First, I listen and learn,” she says. “They are the experts of their operation. I can offer a fresh pair of eyes to focus on risk related to compliance or regulation, or where weak internal controls could increase risk of fraud, cost errors or problems.”

Tell us about your hidden talent.

I only learned later in life that I was creative. It started when my family pushed me to host Thanksgiving. It was intimidating because our family gatherings are about 25 people, and I didn’t know how to cook much at that time. To make it easy, my husband does a prime rib and my family brings the side dishes. As a host, I wondered how to make it a special experience for my family. I decided to go all out with flowers. My decoration style could be called “happy accident.” I want the atmosphere to feel like a fancy place without the fancy price. My favorite flower is the David Austin rose. It has so many petals and it’s so beautiful and smells good. To me, a beautiful rose with no smell is not doing its job.

Getting out at 4am with my dog and my duck-hunting buddy is how I unwind.
Bill Secord
Investigation Coordinator
Audit and Advisory Services

Bill's Rave-worthy Ravioli

As the Investigation Coordinator for Audit and Advisory Services, Bill Sicord reviews whistleblower complaints and any other allegations of wrongdoing. “Every year when you get that email about fraud and whistleblowing, I’m the guy at the other end of the email,” says Bill.

Tell us about your hidden talent.

I make ravioli. I’m a process guy, so to me, it’s about the whole cycle of getting up early, setting up decoys and figuring things out. I am a duck hunter in the rice fields in Northern California. Getting out at 4am with my dog and my duck-hunting buddy is how I unwind. My dog retrieves the ducks. Once a year I take all the duck and goose breasts and my wife and I spend more than two days making my annual batch of ravioli. I make my own marinade and rub and smoke them for a few hours, then I grind all the duck and goose meat. I add spinach, onions, cheese, pork fat and traditional Italian seasoning to make the filling for the ravioli. I found a company in south San Francisco with huge industrial pasta machines that roll out the ravioli. We usually have about 60 boxes, with three dozen in each box – more than 2,100 raviolis total. I have many ways to cook them. We give them to co-workers and friends and have dinner parties featuring the ravioli, of course. It's a production.