Edgemoor Program Gets National Recognition

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About two years ago, Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility created a program specifically designed for patients suffering from dementia, mental illness and aggression.

The goal of the program, called Sierra Stroll, was to engage these residents in social and physical activities to improve their physical and mental health.

The improvements in residents’ behavior and attitude led Edgemoor to be named the 2013 Not for Profit Program of the Year by the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living. This group represents more than 12,000 non-profit and for-profit skilled nursing centers across the country. The award will be presented in Phoenix in early October.

“Sierra Stroll is special because it adapts more traditional outpatient behavioral therapy to residents in skilled facilities with significant cognitive, physical and interpersonal limitations,” said Edgemoor Administrator Walter Hekimian. “We’re very proud of the positive impact the program is having on our residents.”

Sierra Stroll encourages residents to engage in activities such as walking, listening to music, dancing, or playing cards outdoors.

The program has also helped improve interaction between residents and to decrease aggression and other negative behaviors. It also has led to a reduction in the residents’ need for psychoactive medications and has increased their physical activity.

 

County Employees Recognized By Juvenile Justice Commission

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Correctional Deputy Probation Officer Naomi Eddy was one of the recipients of the Juvenile Justice Awards.Last January, the Probation Department, the Juvenile Court and the County Department of Education were turned upside down to deal with a tragic and complex situation: a 10-year-old juvenile detainee, who had fatally stabbed a playmate, said Kathleen Edwards, a Juvenile Justice commissioner. The boy’s age alone would have been complex but he also was diagnosed with several emotional and behavioral disorders and he stayed in custody for 15 months, she said.

Juvenile Hall Director Craig Stover went above and beyond to create a safe place for the boy while the court system determined if the boy was competent to stand trial. The first thing Stover did was to provide educational seminars for the staff that would be working with the child on the disorders that the boy was being treated for, and he personally escorted the child to court, Edwards said. He also made sure he was able to visit his adoptive mother and family when they came to visit him.

“He became like a grandfather figure,” said Edwards.

Correctional Deputy Probation Officer Naomi Eddy, assigned to Juvenile Hall, stepped in as his mom-away-from-home while he was there, she said. She read him stories, praised his artwork and comforted him when the older children gave him a hard time, Edwards said.

“It’s no exaggeration to say, she loved him and he loves her,” Edwards said. So much so that when it was time for him to go, it was hard for him to leave, she added.

“I know their compassion made a difference to him,” said Edwards.

Stover and Eddy both were honored with a 2013 Juvenile Justice Commission award for their extraordinary efforts. They were among the dozens of law enforcement, courts employees and youth programs employees who   were given awards at a luncheon Thursday at the University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. Many of those who received awards were County employees who work with troubled youths.

The boy, who turned 11 while at the Kearny Mesa Juvenile Hall, was ultimately found not competent to stand trial, was released from Juvenile Hall, and placed in a residential treatment facility until his mental competency can be resolved.

“We’re all happy to hear he’s doing well at his new placement,” said Eddy. She said the child’s attorney sent her a photo of the boy playing at the facility to show her he was adjusting well and was happy.
Stover did not attend the luncheon because he was on vacation, but Supervising Probation Officer Judy Goldberg said his efforts “set a precedent for how to deal with young cases. He really educated everyone involved.”

Also honored were:

  • Kim Ranson, Protective Services Supervisor, was given a Child Welfare Services award for her work with drug court clients. She collects toys every year at Christmas for drug court clients to give to their children.
  • Jason Rouse, San Diego County Sheriff’s Detective assigned to the San Marcos station, was presented with a Law Enforcement award for his work presenting the START SMART teen driving program at North County high schools
  • Michele Linley, San Diego County District Attorney’s Juvenile Branch Chief, received the Juvenile Court award for  making sure  the best interests of minors are served while also serving the safety of the community
  • Pam Medhurst, a volunteer with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Search & Rescue team, won the Volunteer award for creating a “Don’t Run Away, Stay Found” educational program for children featuring Simon, the beagle puppet (Watch video of a lesson)
  • Cyndi Jo Means, Deputy District Attorney in the Juvenile Branch and the San Diego County Truancy Court Collaboration which includes Christina Nyikes, Probation Director, and deputy probation officers Elizabeth Oyler, Elizabeth Santillan, and Lisa Aguilera of the truancy supervision unit for their work to help youth overcome habitual truancy.
  • Carol Isackson, Superior Court Judge, won a Judges award for educating new judges about the issues they will encounter in family court
  • Richard Cline, Superior Court Judge, received the Community Involvement award for participating in a youth day at the courthouse

Probation Department workers were recognized as part of the collaborative truancy court.From L to R: Probation Director Christina Nyikes and deputy probation officers Elizabeth Oyler, Elizabeth Santillan, and Lisa Aguilera. Sheriff's Search and Rescue volunteer Pam Medhurst (center) won the volunteer award. Sheriff's Search and Rescue volunteer and Pam's husband Rich Medhurst and Capt. Sherri Sarro nominated Medhurst for the award. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis (center) congratulates deputy district attorneys Cyndi Jo Means (L) and Michele Liinley for their work with troubled youth.Sheriff's Deputy Jason Rouse (holding the award) received an award for his work with teen driver education. From L to R: Capt. Duncan Fraser, Deputy Randy Avila, Capt. Scott Ybarrondo, Lt. James Bolwerk, and Sgt. Daniel Deese.

HHSA Employee by Day, Novelist by Night

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She is a terrible poet and a mediocre autobiography writer; however she has written, and published, her first novel.

Say what? See, once upon a time…

No, no, no. That is not how the story begins.

Selena Jones’ novel is about super villains. But more on that later.

We’ll begin by telling you that Jones, 36, attempted to write her first novel in 8th grade but you will never get to read it.

“It’s awful,” said Jones. “It won’t see the light of day and that is OK.”

She tried writing poetry but it was awful too.

If you think our choice of words is not nice, rest assured they are not ours. They came from her. Well, at least indirectly since her cousin who wrote her short biography on Amazon and the About the Author page in her book. Her cousin also designed the cover and the artwork within the book.

“I am not good at talking about myself,” she said.

 See, what Jones is really good at is writing stories. She has been honing her craft and waiting for the perfect story for over two decades. Along the way, Jones earned two Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre from San Diego State University. She also got married 10 years ago, started working for the County and had two children—two boys, ages 6 and 4.

Jones has written five novels, including one that was published a few months back.

She has been a human services specialist with the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) for the past 10 years. She works at HHSA by day and writes at night, on weekends and practically all of her free time.

 “I just want to write a good story,” Jones said.

 Writing is not the only thing Jones is good at. She is great in her job with HHSA’s California Children Services (CCS), a countywide program that treats children with certain physical limitations and chronic health conditions or diseases.

“She is an excellent worker who continuously receives recognitions for her contributions to the CCS program,” said Maria Castillo, Jones’ supervisor. “We are very proud of her for her accomplishment of having her first book published.”

Now back to Jones’ super villains.

They came to her in three dreams she had several years ago, but did not find their way into her laptop until 2011 during November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an annual event when writers from all over the world attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. Jones has attended the past five years and plans to do so again.

During 2011’s NaNoWriMo, Jones wrote nearly 70,000 words but the majority of her novel had to be discarded and re-written.

The end result was a novel with no super heroes but plenty of super villains. Think of it as the anti-Harry Potter.

“It’s all bad guys and no good guys in the book,” said Jones, who had her novel edited by her brother—also a writer—and some friends who are teachers.

She published it using Createspace, Amazon.com’s self-publishing platform. And if you are wondering whether it’s is easy, Jones said it is not.

“It’s very time consuming because it has to be perfect,” said Jones, who grew up in El Cajon and still lives there. Jones lives with her husband and two children.

How much does self-publishing cost? It’s actually free and Amazon will pay the writers a percentage of the books sold.

Jones’ book sells for $11.36 on paperback and $3.99 on Kindle.

“Every Day is Like Doomsday” has sold 69 copies so far, so Jones has not made a lot of money, but she hopes to make a little more in the future when she publishes her other upcoming novels, including one she is writing about zombies (her brother had the dream this time) and the sequel to “Doomsday.”

In addition to writing, Jones also loves movies like Star Wars, plays ukulele, bakes treats, teaches yoga at work during morning breaks and runs the occasional half-marathon.

Yes, she is a Comic-Con freak and she will be there this weekend giving free e-versions of “Every Day is Like Doomsday” to Kindle users. If you go to the Comic-Con and don’t recognize her from the photo above, look for someone dressed as American McGee's Alice, a dark version of Alice.

“I write because I love it,” said Jones. “I start writing and just let go. I know my characters. Hopefully they take me somewhere interesting.”

 

 

Standout Memories at Stand Down

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Stand Down just wrapped up over the weekend but the three-day event to help homeless veterans left an indelible impression on one of our own. Housing and Community Development’s Julie Odlum was one of several department staffers who volunteered on their own time to help out. In a brief write-up to her supervisor, see what the Housing Specialist had to say about the experience “In Her Own Words.”

 

It was my first time volunteering at Stand Down and I thought it was amazing. I am so impressed with how organized it was and just how many people are involved in making it all happen. I initially wanted to volunteer on the first day (Friday), but the volunteer slots had already been filled for that day, so I accepted a slot on Sunday, from 6 am – 12 noon and I was scheduled to be a volunteer runner. Upon arrival, I was sent to work in the Command Unit.  There was a woman in charge by the name of Linda (from Veterans Village of San Diego) and another person by the name of Jack (retired military, 13-year volunteer at Stand Down). They were both on top of it and just handled everything in stride as it came in. Linda in particular was absolutely amazing. She was a bundle of energy and just seemed to know who everyone was and how to anticipate their needs. The Command Unit had an abundance of volunteers so I took it upon myself to find things to do. I picked up trash, I cleaned off tables, greeted people, etc…… I basically just looked for something that needed to be done and did it.

After having breakfast (volunteers were provided with breakfast which was a pleasant surprise!) I was sent over to work in the clothing tent which was a huge tent, divided in to one side for women and the other side for men. Once again, so much organization went in to this, it was incredible. There were oh, so many clothes available, categorized by size and type of clothing. Then on top of that there was another set of volunteers in the back sorting and bringing out more clothes as the morning went on. I was assigned, along with several others to escort vets, one at a time, through the tent. Each vet could have 15 minutes to go through the tent and was issued two pairs of new underwear and two pairs of socks and then each vet could select one pair of shoes and was allowed to take as much clothing as they could carry (not using a bag). People for the most part, were very appreciative and it was really fun helping people select clothes. It truly was an honor for me to thank them for their service as they left the tent.

The loyalty and dedication that exists at Stand Down is contagious. I loved the environment. People were so friendly. The most memorable part to me about the whole day was early in the morning, perhaps about 7 or 8 a.m. when everyone was called to attention and asked to face the flag (there was a huge U.S. flag hung up on the wall of the handball courts). We listened to the Star Spangled Banner being sung by a man and a woman up on stage and then we were all led to say the Pledge of Allegiance together. It was a very beautiful and emotional experience, as there was such a strong sense of pride for our country that came from the entire camp as it came to a halt to salute and honor the U.S. and our veterans.

 

 

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

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

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

5th 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

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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.