Celebrities, Costumes and Comics, but real Comic-Con is about Friendships

Last year HHSA's Desiree Wolford went to Comic-Con as a steampunk version of Alice in Wonderland.

The lit-up yellow eyes peered out from under a cloak of brown-robed mystery. Her face was obscured by the hood, which a “real” Jawa used to hide their rodent-like appearance.

Despite the mysterious appearance Desiree Wolford was hardly out of place. That was just one of the costumes she’s worn over the years to the San Diego Comic-Con.

Wolford, who works in the Health and Human Services Agency’s Aging & Independence Services, has been attending Comic-Con since 2002. Her cubicle gets a lot of attention.

“It looks like a small kid lives here,” she said. “I get a lot of compliments.”

The 34-year-old describes herself as a huge kid.

“That’s why I like Comic-Con so much - It’s a great break from being an adult for a few days.”

One year she was Kaywinnet Lee “Kaylee” Frye from “Firefly,” one of her favorite TV shows. Last year, she was ahead of the trend, dressing as a steampunk version of Alice in Wonderland.

“Steampunk is the new movement,” said Wolford. “You take Victorian style and mix it with a futuristic style - think H.G. Wells and some older science fiction authors.

“But some years, I just throw on my most geeky t-shirt and head out the door.”

Wolford said even then you find yourself approached by fellow convention-goers.

“You can wear the most obscure t-shirt and think no one would know the reference and someone will,” she said. “They’ll come up and say, ‘I know what that t-shirt means.’”

Wolford is a fan of sci-fi in general with affection for things like “Star Wars” or aforementioned “Firefly.”

“I’m kind of a little everything,” she said. “But that’s the great thing about Comic-Con, there’s always something new to see.”

She’s had the chance to meet plenty of celebrities, but the other convention-goers are the real reason she attends every year.

“I’ve met most of the hobbits from “Lord of the Rings,” Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams from “Star Wars” and Nathan Fillion who is on “Castle” now,” Wolford said. “People go to Comic-Con to see the celebrities and costumes and buy comics, but in the end the whole reason they go is for the fandom and camaraderie.

“That’s why I go,” she added. “I’ve met some of my best friends through Comic-Con.”

It’s a friendship that continues year-round. Besides other fan-based conventions, Wolford and her friends do various outings throughout the year like trips to Disneyland, movie nights and bonfires.

“You get a bigger sense of friendship out of these people since they have a similar interest,” she said. “The friendships that come out of events like this are amazing.”

Wolford said every year you learn about new characters or products at Comic-Con and discover new shows or movies.

And even though she’s running out of space at home for her collections, she never knows when she might start a new one.

“I have a collection of ‘Star Wars’ action figures, a lot of ‘Firefly’ pictures and I’m also a big Disney fan with a small ‘Alice in Wonderland’ collection,” she said. “I’m trying to scale back though because I’m running out of space.

“But if anything strikes my fancy, I could start a new collection any day. Comic-Con is good for that.”

Many County Employee Organizations Reach Labor Agreements

Many employees will receive 2 percent lump sum payments over the next two fiscal years, under labor agreements reached between the County and six of the County’s eight employee organizations.

These and other agreed upon changes will affect non-represented employees as well as employees in the following employee organizations: Deputy District Attorneys Association, Association of San Diego County Employees, San Diego Deputy County Counsel Association, District Attorney Investigators Association, Public Defenders Association and the San Diego Supervising Probation Officers’ Association.

An additional two organizations –the San Diego County Probation Officers Association and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 221--are still in negotiations with the County.

The agreements recognize County employees for their hard work and dedication, while balancing the County’s policy of living within its means. It’s critical for the County to be able to recruit and maintain a skilled, adaptable and diverse workforce, while also staying fiscally stable.

Among the major provisions reached in the agreements:

• One time 2 percent salary payments in July or August 2013 and July 2014. Employees in the specified employee organizations and non-represented employees will receive a separate paycheck on July 19 or August 2, 2013. Members of the Board of Supervisors, other elected officials and the Chief Administrative Officer will be excluded from these payments.
• Increases to the flex credit amounts of 5 percent in January 2014 and depending on enrollment tier, a 5, 7, or 9 percent increase in January 2015.
• Employees in some units will also receive $250 on July 19.
• In exchange for a reduction in retirement offsets, employees will receive ongoing salary increases. Amounts will vary depending on what was negotiated in each bargaining unit. The Board of Supervisors and the Chief Administrative Officer will not receive a salary increase in exchange for the reduction.
• Eligible employees will see the elimination of 30 year retirement in-lieu payments.

For more details, visit the County’s special new labor agreement website, which is designed to keep employees notified on the latest updates. A link to the website can also be found in the Top Links section of the InSite home page.

Employee Gets Bike Club Rolling

Members of a Child Welfare Services bike club out on a ride.

Adrianna Alvarez’s bike was just sitting at home, accumulating rust and spider webs.

Three weeks ago, she cleaned it up and after a bit of W-40, her bike got a second life.

What motivated her to do it?

After much convincing from co-worker Jesus Salcido, she decided to join the bike club he started at the Child Welfare Services office in Chula Vista.

“Jesus is very motivational, so I decided to give it a try,” said Alvarez, a protective services supervisor who has been working at the Health and Human Services Agency for 16 years.

Salcido, a protective services worker, is an avid street and mountain bike rider who pedals his way to work each day.

“Biking is not hard, plus it’s good for you,” said Salcido. “It’s fun and it’s better than sitting in front of the TV.”

Jesus SalcidoHe should know. Salcido has been biking for nearly 30 years and used to bike race for fun.

Salcido said he decided to start the bike club in May because there was a growing group of workers wanting to do more physical activities, encouraged by the County’s Live Well San Diego initiative. He organizes three rides per week, one for beginners, and two for the more advanced riders.

One of the club’s routes is both safe and scenic. From the corner of H Street and 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista, the group goes south to Imperial Beach and then across the Silver Strand to Coronado – 22 miles round trip along a bike path with little traffic

Another one of his routes is more challenging. He goes mountain biking in Bonita and Eastlake once a week with his more advanced riders.

He takes beginners only half way, so they don’t get discouraged.

And it’s working.

Alvarez said if she’d known how long the entire route was, she probably would have tried to convince herself she could not do it.

“The first time was a pain. But by the second I was prepared to go further,” said Alvarez.

She did. But her two teenage children did not make it all the way.

“They waited for me at the half-way point,” said Alvarez.

She is encouraging her family and other co-workers to join the group, which has 10 members so far “Right now, I am only doing it once per week, but I hope I can increase it,” she said.

Sheriff’s Community Services Officer Helps Deliver Own Grandchild

Sheriff's CSO Scott Robbins' new granddaughter Katelyn Noel demonstrates with her tiny arm how fast she can be when she sets her mind to it. She was delivered in a quick and early birth by Robbins and his wife Friday night at home.Had any excitement around the house lately? Whatever you did, Sheriff’s Department Community Services Officer Scott Robbins has likely got you beat. He suddenly found himself helping deliver a baby - who happens to be his new granddaughter.

Not only that, but his daughter was standing in a tight shower stall when she delivered the baby girl in Robbins’ El Cajon home.

Luckily, both his daughter and the baby girl are doing great despite the dramatic and frantic unplanned home birth – the baby was born eight days before her due date and came so fast they didn’t have time to get to a hospital.

Robbins said he's been “playing it over and over through my mind.” He is assigned to the County Administration Center where he guides people through security. Robbins, 57, retired as a Sheriff’s reserve deputy and has now worked as a community services officer for nearly 6 years.

It was his 19-year-old daughter Kalene Robbin’s first baby and everyone kept telling them that she would be in labor for hours and probably wouldn’t have it until the next day. So, no one rushed to get her to the hospital when her water broke about 4:30 p.m., he said. In fact, Kalene decided to take a shower.

When she got out of the shower, she was in active labor and was lying on a bed in a fetal position. No one could reach her labor coach. Suddenly, she darted up and ran into the bathroom. Minutes later, she announced that she felt like she had to push. Robbins said his wife told her to hold it in but the baby had other ideas.

In the Sheriff’s Academy, potential deputies watch a video to learn how to deliver a baby, but Robbins says when it came down to it, viewing a video and reality are two different things – especially when it’s your own loved one. His wife Mary remained calm and stepped in to help her daughter and actually caught the baby while Robbins was on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator, whom he calls a “godsend.”

He described what was happening and the 9-1-1 dispatcher was trying to coach them through the birthing. The dispatcher was obviously looking through a manual and trying to keep up with the baby’s fast progress.

“She was going down her list and the baby’s two steps ahead of her,” Robbins says. “Then the baby just came out in my wife’s arms . . .  As soon as the baby came out, she started crying, which is a good sign.”

The paramedics arrived moments after the 7 p.m. birth and everyone was crowded in the small shower area trying to walk the mother and baby out and onto a bed so they could do their assessment.

Once they were out, the baby’s father, Vinnie Barteloni, was able to cut the umbilical cord. Beautiful baby Katelyn Noel was born at 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Both mom and baby have been discharged from the hospital and are home now.

Robbins says when it was all happening he was fearful of a complication such as a breach or umbilical cord around the baby’s neck. He was also nervous his daughter, who stood through the entire ordeal, could lose her strength to stand. As a father, you tend to think your daughters are fragile, he says, but after this, he now knows that his daughter is anything but.

“I know she’s going to be a great mother,” he said. Katelyn is Robbins’ second grandchild and says her tiny features favor his future son-in-law. “She’s very quiet now, a very good baby,” he says.

Robbins plans to meet with the Heartland Fire dispatcher who helped guide them through the sudden delivery and see if he can get a recording of his frantic call. The experience was the most amazing thing he has been part of since the decidedly less dramatic birth of his own three children, who were all born in a hospital.

Sheriff's CSO Scott Robbins

Mix It Up Challenge Names Top Bananas

They’re first in fruit, the victors in veggies. They are the winners of the County’s Mix It Up Challenge, a friendly contest to encourage healthy eating.

More than 900 employees signed up either in teams or as individuals. Topping the teams was Wok on the Wild Side, a group of four Department of Child Support workers: Kimberly Highfield, Alex Ware, Kyersten King and Norma Ramirez.

Over a nearly two-month stretch, competitors would log how many servings of fruits and vegetables they ate. Bonus points were awarded for certain “Top Choice” foods such as spinach and tomatoes. Ramirez said their strategy was to focus on those high-value items.

“I tried to get a lot of kale in,” she said, adding that the positive changes are sticking with her.

“Even though the competition is over, I’m still looking at choosing those with higher nutritional value.”

Ramirez said they were very competitive and watched other teams’ point totals very closely.

Running one-two in the individual competition were Veronica Flores and Marshelle Newby – co-workers in the District Attorney’s Office. Flores says the heavy diet of fruits and vegetables was a drastic shift from what she had been eating, and she would steer away from things like fast food just so that she could rack up more points. And she is planning to stay on the right path.

“I’m still drinking smoothies in the morning. I’m continuing to make my salad for lunch,” Flores said. “I’m consciously more aware that that’s what I need to be eating.”

Supervisor Dianne Jacob will be sending each of the team captains a congratulatory letter. These are the top winners from the Mix It Up Challenge:

Team

1st Wok on the Wild Side!
Kimberly Highfield, Alex Ware, Kyersten King and Norma Ramirez

2^nd Team Candy Crush
Ruth Dela Rosa, Christopher Hanger, Marilou Yamanaka, Nick Del Valle

3^rd Rainbow Eaters
Michele Curley, Cheri Nicolas, Katherine Trintchouk, Mary West, Cynthia Emerson, Sue Barrows, Janet Maroge, Karen Avilla, Virginia Tamayo, Alem Gebrehiwot

4^th Kale Chips
Rita Garrity, Maritza Rodriguez, Kevin Kellbach, Christine White, Adrianne Soriano

5^th 13th Floor Leaf Eaters
Ginger Coleman, Lara Hajjar, Julie Martin-Sexauer, Susan Paul, Susan Romero, Connie Han, Jeana Semano, Rosalina Pringle, Evangeline Valk, Kelly Lyons

Individual

1st  Veronica Flores

2nd Marshelle Newby

3rd Modesta Mantes

New African American, LGBT Employee Resource Groups Forming

Employees will soon have a chance to join two new resource groups, if efforts underway to create African American and LGBT employee organizations happen as expected.

Currently, employees can participate in two Employee Resource Groups: the County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees Association and the San Diego County Latino Association. Both are well-established, with well defined missions: to provide professional development, offer cultural activities, participate in recruitment and retention, provide networking and social opportunities and support County initiatives such as Live Well San Diego. Both offer regular events and are led by officers and boards of directors.

The new groups have the full support of Chief Administrative Officer Helen N. Robbins-Meyer and other County executives, said Joe Cordero, Director of the Office of Ethics & Compliance and the executive liaison to the Employee Resource Groups. Cordero said these organizations give voice to employees and send the message that the County values its staff. The organizations encourage higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

“The Employee Resource Groups are a real important part of the organization’s success and part of our diversity initiative,” he said.

Leading the effort to form the African American Association of County Employees is Alison Hunter, an Administrative Analyst III in the Department of Public Works. The longtime County employee said she wanted to create an organization in which African American employees can share their perspectives, culture and professional experiences with each other and the rest of the County. The County government is large and she said African Americans would like to feel better connected.

“A smaller organization creates a sense of community and a central location for other County agencies to invite us to participate in County initiatives,” Hunter said.

Hunter has been busy in recent months laying the groundwork for the group. With help, she has compiled a list of 140 additional employees interested in joining, written draft articles of incorporation and preliminary bylaws now being reviewed by attorneys. She designed the organization’s logo, website and formed an interim board of directors. Executive sponsors have volunteered to help with advice and direction, including Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins, Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten, Public Defender Henry C. Coker and Financial Policy and Planning Director Ebony Shelton. Hunter said she envisions the group offering opportunities for professional growth and a greater sense of community as well.

The next big step will be to choose a Board of Directors and other committee members. Nomination forms are available on the new African American Association of County Employees webpage. Hunter said any employee is welcome to join.

An InSite web page for the new LGBT employee group is also being developed.

The idea for that group came from Supervisor Dave Roberts and is being led by Wes Moore, one of Roberts’ policy advisors.

Roberts said once he heard about the County’s Latino and Filipino-American employee groups, he decided that a similar group for LGBT employees made sense. He envisions the group being a place where employees can connect and discuss issues affecting them. It could host outside speakers and even hold joint events with outside organizations such as the North County  LGBTQ Resource Center in Oceanside, the Lambda Archives LGBT museum in University Heights or other groups. 

“We are a diverse county and an employer that welcomes diversity,” Roberts said.

Roberts said there’s a large number of LGBT employees at the County, and that some have reached out to him since hearing about the plans for this group. All employees will be welcome to join the group, which already has a few executive sponsors: April Heinze, Director of the Department of General Services, as well as allies Jose Aponte, Director of the County Library and Joe Cordero, Director of the Office of Ethics & Compliance. 

Roberts and Moore said there’s already been a lot of enthusiasm towards creating the group, which is in the midst of choosing a name. A kickoff meeting took place June 14 and about 40 people have expressed interest in joining so far. Moore said he’s been studying the bylaws of the other current Employee Resource Groups and that at the next meeting in July, the group plans to finalize its name, bylaws and begin developing a logo. 

For more information on the Latino, Filipino-American or African American employee resource groups, visit their pages on InSite. For more information on the new LGBT employee group, email Wes Moore at wesley.moore@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Moving on Up … to the Top 20!

Talk about bragging rights. General Services’ Fleet Management Division was just recognized by Government Fleet Magazine as being in the top 20 of government fleets in North America. Yes, top 20. Last year, they were in top 100. They came in at 78 and did I mention there are about 38,000 public sector fleet operations in North America?  

Fleet Operations Manager Sharyl Blackington predicted they’d move up in the rankings. Last year, she said the fleet was very proud to be in the top 100 and that next year the fleet was looking forward to being in the top 20. Sure enough, it ranks at 17 now. Numbers one through 16 – look out!

The 100 Best Fleets annual award program is currently in its eighth year and rates fleet performance in 12 categories including: Accountability, Technology Implementation, Resource Stewardship and Competitive Pricing. The program solicits applications from more than 19,000 fleets and performance is judged by an independent panel of recognized Fleet Managers including former winners.

“The reason for our success is the entire team’s dedication and commitment to continuous improvement,” said Blackington. “High quality and cost-effective fleet services are essential to keeping County departments operating to serve the public.”

Fleet Management operates a fleet of approximately 3,900 vehicles and mobile equipment including fire apparatus, law enforcement vehicles, snow plows and lawn mowers as well as cars, trucks and vans.

From a ranking of 78 to 17 in the space of a year, that’s quite an accomplishment. Hmmm, what will happen next year? No pressure…

Adding to Our Apps – There’s a Handbook for That

Renew your library book. Check air pollution levels. Look up property information. And do it all from the coffee shop, the beach, gym or anywhere else you’re “on the go.”

Those are just a few of the things you can do from your smartphone with the County’s latest mobile apps. They’re joining the rest of the quickly expanding lineup in the County App Center, the one-stop shop to get the County’s mobile goods. Some of them are full-fledged phone apps. Others are websites or pages designed for easy access on a smartphone.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to getting in the mobile game,” said David Lindsay, who led the SDCounty2Go initiative. “Different approaches are going to work for different customer services.”

The SDCounty2Go initiative was launched to help the County respond to the skyrocketing demand for information and services on mobile devices. Sales of tablets and smartphones combined already outstrip desktop and laptops together, and the trend is only picking up pace.

The need to make services available to the mobile customer is clear; the road there is less so. Part of the SDCounty2Go team’s task was to help show the way for County staff. Team members invested a lot of effort in analyzing what works and what doesn’t in the mobile field, drawing from research, case studies and industry analysts. They reviewed lessons learned from the County’s early work in the mobile field. Then they sketched out the major steps staff should take to create an app.

The result is the just-completed SDCounty2Go Handbook, a simple guide to getting a mobile app from concept to someone downloading it – and keeping it – on their phone.

“Mobile apps are a great way for us to connect with our customers,” said Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas. “But like anything, there are pitfalls to avoid. Our goal can’t be to just get an app out there. It has to be useful, and the customer has to have a good experience. This handbook is a key resource for making that happen.”

The handbook has factors to consider when you’re trying to define what a mobile app should do, compares different methods of getting one launched, and explains the importance of monitoring reviews of apps after launch. It also includes style guidelines for those designing an app.

Even though he helped write the County’s book on it, Lindsay emphasizes apps are rapidly evolving and there will be more to learn as we progress. For that reason, it’s important that anyone working on apps keep their group IT manager in the loop.

“On each app we’ve launched, it’s been a little different process. The key is to share these experiences and keep newcomers aware of how the field is changing,” Lindsay said.

Volunteers in Probation Annual Golf Tournament is Friday

Some of our County probation officers spend their free time ... helping probationers.

For Maritza Rodriguez, Volunteers in Probation—or V.I.P—means a chance to change lives in a way that’s different from when she’s on the clock.  

“For me, it’s really thinking outside the box, not looking at it through justice system, but seeing the other side of it, as a community member helping,” Rodriguez, a senior probation officer, said.

And, of course, a nonprofit can be a lot of fun too. This Friday, V.I.P’s annual golf tournament and fundraiser promises a good time for a great cause.   

The 17^th annual tournament will begin at noon at the Carlton Oaks Golf Course in San Diego. The $115 entry fee includes the Polynesian-themed tournament, 18 holes, a cart lunch and a dinner banquet. Golf goes until 5 p.m. and is followed by dinner and a silent auction.

Rodriguez says teams of four can register, or, if you don’t play golf or don’t have the day off, you can attend the dinner and auction for $26. It’s all open to anyone, so feel free to spread the word.

The tournament is V.I.P’s major fundraiser, and the money raised pays for items or services that help people, generally probationers, make positive change in their lives. V.I.P helps with things that public funds and other community resources don’t cover, for example, bus passes so probationers without transportation can attend job training. V.I.P funds scholarships for juvenile probationers on the path to college. It helps impoverished families of at-risk adults and juveniles with emergency needs, so that a person trying to make positive changes isn’t set back by financial troubles at home.

Rodriguez says V.I.P is a flexible funding source that embraces creative approaches to changing lives. Recently, a boxing program in Pacific Beach that serves former gang members and at-risk youth and adults lost grant funding and was on the brink of closing its doors. After evaluating the program, V.I.P offered temporary assistance to help the gym stay open while it secures a new grant.

V.I.P’s members are active and retired probation officers and community members who are passionate about helping former criminals ready to move forward and contribute to their families and community.

“Although people do make mistakes, there’s always a chance for improvement, there’s always a chance to make that happen,” said Rodriguez.

To sign up for the golf tournament or learn more about Volunteers in Probation, visit http://www.volunteersinprobation.org/.

New Clinical Director for Behavioral Health

Health care reform is coming and Dr. Michael Krelstein couldn’t be happier.

Why? The new clinical director of County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Behavioral Health Services division believes healthcare reform will lead to easier access to mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.

“This is a great time to be in health care. With the broadening of health care, accessibility is going to increase and there is going to be more parity for mental health, as well as alcohol and drug treatment programs,” said Krelstein. “This is a great time for creativity and the creation of new partnerships that will result in more services to benefit more people.”

As clinical director of BHS, Dr. Krelstein, 47, is now overseeing the planning and directing of countywide and regional behavioral health programs and services, which serve more than 70,000 children and adults every year. Dr. Krelstein is also a member of HHSA’s Clinical Leadership Group, which is working to advance Live Well San Diego, the County’s ongoing initiative to improve the overall health and wellbeing of area residents.

Dr. Krelstein brings an impressive resume to his new position. Over the past seven years, he has provided exemplary medical and clinical leadership to the County Psychiatric Hospital.

Before arriving in San Diego, Krelstein held a clinical leadership role in Las Vegas and worked in emergency and outpatient psychiatry in the Bay Area.  

He received his psychiatric training at UC San Francisco and is board certified in both general and forensic psychiatry.   He is a recognized expert in a range of forensic and medical-legal topics and has received several U.S. Congressional awards for his work with law enforcement.

Dr. Krelstein said he is very excited and enthusiastic about his new position.

“The challenge will be how to design services that offer the best quality of care to the most number of people in a cost-effective way,” Krelstein said. “That will require more partnerships between the public and private sectors.”