Zumba Helps Employee Get Joy of Life Back

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Cordelia Neill has lost 40 pounds doing Zumba.Cordelia Neill has had a devastating year. Two major losses left her grieving and heartbroken.

Luckily for Neill, she found an outlet that would help her heal and mend her heart: Zumba.

See, in November, Neill’s mother died.

Neill, a receptionist at the Child Welfare Services office in Escondido, had been taking a Zumba class offered at her worksite every Tuesday through the County’s Wellness Program.

“I needed some outlet,” said Neill, 61. “I needed something to lift me up.”

Neill began taking the Zumba class months before her mother’s passing. She wanted to improve her health.

Inspired by the County’s Wellness Program, and encouraged by her three sons, Neill tried boot camp and yoga classes. She did not like them.

She then tried Zumba, a fitness program that involves dance and aerobic elements. She loved it.

“I needed a change. I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol,” Neill said. “The scale kept going up. I had reached 235 pounds. I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to stop.’”

She liked Zumba so much, Neill tried not to miss a single class.

“Zumba is addicting. But it’s a healthy addiction,” she said.

When her mother passed away, Neill continued to go and found the classes had another important benefit. The combination of music and activity improved her mood. Her co-workers’ support also helped.

Neill was getting over the loss of her mother when death struck again. Her father died in April.

Again, Neill stuck with Zumba classes, but she added three more private lessons each week and also started to attend a bereavement support group.

“I went numb. I had so much grief,” Neill said. “But I kept going to Zumba. The music lifts my spirits. It really soothes me.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, regular aerobic exercise can help with depression and to relieve stress because it stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.

Nearly a year later, Neill has lost 40 pounds. Zumba and healthier eating habits have returned her cholesterol and blood pressure to normal levels.

“Zumba helped me with my grief. It took my mind off things and helped me improve my self-image,” Neill said, adding she will continue doing Zumba because she wants to lose 60 more pounds. “Zumba really helped me. It’s a relief. It helped to get my joy of life and my smile back.”

RELATED: Employee Assistance Program

Your Colleagues Take Home Ribbons at the Fair

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Holly Simonette's large loom has overtaken one of her bedrooms and was used to make her fair creations.

Sure, the San Diego County Fair is a chance to feast on fried fare, take a spin on the tilt-a-whirl and win that over-sized stuffed animal. But for some County employees, the fair is also a chance to show off their hidden talents and hobbies.

Take Holly Simonette, for example. The Community Services Group Program Manager has been weaving for only three years, but three of her pieces took ribbons this year at the Fair in the Weaving/Spinning category – two second-place ribbons and an honorable mention.

“I was competing with myself in one of the categories!” said Simonette, who spent hours upon hours weaving each item: two shawls and a vest.Holly Simonette's woven shawl earned a second-place ribbon.

Simonette inherited a loom three years ago and took up a weaving apprenticeship with a weaver in Santa Ysabel. Since then, the large loom has taken over one of her bedrooms and weekends are dedicated to the intricate craft that dates back centuries.

“The longest part is dressing the loom,” Simonette said. “I consider myself still a beginner, so it takes about five to seven hours to fully dress it. But I can finish a shawl in two hours. It’s very meditative.”

Before working the loom, Simonette spent her extra time knitting – a craft she passed on to Kelly Duffek, assistant director of Housing and Community Development. Duffek also submitted her own labors of love into the fair this year – nabbing a coveted blue ribbon and a second place win.

“Holly Simonette actually taught me to knit in 2009, when I was expecting my first grandchild, Chloe,” Duffek said. “This year, I entered two baby cardigans, hand-knit for my 1-year-old grandson, Jonah.  They were both entered in the infant sweater category, where they essentially competed against themselves.”

The first place winner was a traditional, natural-colored cabled Irish cardigan knit in a silk blend yarn; the second place winner was a baseball jacket-styled cardigan knit in a cashmere blend yarn, made to be a replica of a full sized official St. Louis Cardinals jacket.  

Kelly Duffek's infant Cardinals jacket won a second-place ribbon at the 2014 San Diego County Fair.“My son-in-law and his father are huge Cardinals fans, so Jonah is the third generation to catch Cardinals fever,” Duffek said. “They don't sell official baby jackets so I made him one instead!”

Another County employee, known for breaking rules and being creative, entered numerous threaded items in the fair and used a type of fabric that’s sure to create conversation.

Shirley Chin, who’s been entering her needlepoint items into the fair for the past 10 years, didn’t win any blue ribbons this year, but she did take home two second place prizes and five honorable mentions.

“A lot of my friends thought I was robbed of the first place ribbon!” said Chin, who works in Agriculture, Weights and Measures. “But it’s just meant to be fun.”

Chin, who’s experimented with fun threads in the past – like 18-karat gold thread – used glow-in-the-dark thread for some of her creations in this year’s competition. She said she’ll continue entering her items into the fair, even if she doesn’t win.

“It’s really cool going and seeing your ribbon. It’s fun to see people like your stuff!” she said. “I would encourage people to submit entries, because the County fair determines what categories to have based on entries.”

Find a full list of winners at the fair’s website.

Did you submit entries into any competition at this year’s County Fair? Tell us in the comments or submit photos of your ribbon-winning piece to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Monday is Deadline to Get Your $100 Wellness Incentive

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County employees who had a biometric screening this year have until 5 p.m. on Monday to turn in their Wellness Incentive Program forms in order to receive the $100 incentive pay.

The program, which began in October of 2013, offers an incentive to all county employees who have completed a biometric screening and online health risk assessment.

The number of County employees that participated in the onsite biometric screening increased by 15 percent this year, compared to 2013. A total of 2,231 County employees participated in the Wellness Incentive Program in this year.

If you got your screening, but haven’t turned in your paper work yet, submit your signed forms, including your health risk assessment (found online here) by June 30 to Employee Benefits Division any of the following ways:

Won't Twerk for Fame

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Rueben Rubio, Ana Echeverria and Steve Hilferty are Posse Cafe.

She would never twerk, even if that’s what it would take to be famous.

Ana Echeverria says she sings for the love of music and will continue to perform even if fame never knocks at her door.

“I fulfill my love of singing by performing at free musical events. I feel like I am giving something back to the community,” said Echeverria, a supervising human services specialist for the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). “It means a lot when people sing out loud to our music.”

Echeverria, 30, has been singing since the age of 10. Her love of music, she says, comes from her family. Her father Antonio also plays the keyboard. Her mother Jeronima also sings.

She grew up singing the songs of Mexican icons such as Pedro Infante, Lola Beltran and Juan Gabriel. It wasn’t until later that she discovered soul music is her true passion thanks to her two older sisters who always bought albums of the best of the oldies.

“I sing soul music because it is the music that I feel in my heart,” said Echeverria, who has worked for HHSA for the past six years. “Singing is my way to express myself and my feelings.”

About two years ago, mutual friends introduced Echeverria to guitarist and singer Rueben Rubio—who is now her boyfriend and also works for HHSA—and Posse Cafe was born.

The Chicano soul group got really lucky and kept winning the lottery that allows musicians to perform along the Prado in Balboa Park.

Along the way, Posse Café added percussionist and bass guitarist Steve Hilferty. The group has been performing at free community events and social gatherings and weddings, but only of friends and people they know. They last performed at the NAMI Walk and Live Well Expo in early May.

“We don’t perform often because we’re very busy,” said Echeverria, who shares lead vocals with Rubio and plays the piano and keyboard.

Word of mouth and their Facebook page have given Posse Café some attention, and the group, who is looking for a drummer, is now recording its own music and some covers hoping to land more gigs, especially at free musical events. They are also looking for more opportunities to perform.

But Echeverria says she loves her job and fame is not really what Posse Café is looking for.

“Ruben might disagree with me,” she said. “Never say never, right? But if fame ever comes, I’d have to really think about it.”

She admits she auditioned for American Idol 10 years ago but did it mostly at the urging of friends and family.

“I do not relate to the current music industry. They mold you into what they think it’s going to sell,” Echeverria said, adding that she would never be like Miley Cyrus or Rihanna. “I am not twerking. I am not that person. I take a lot of pride in my singing. It’s a gift.”

National Honors Cap Off Fellowship for HHSA's van Lingen

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HHSA's Leah van Lingen was honored with a national award from her fellowship program for her work with KidSTART, which hopes to prevent behavioral problems in older children by catching warning signs and getting them help before they turn 5 years old.

Sometimes the little things matter.

Instead of waiting for a “big flashing neon light” kind of warning sign, a San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency program looks to head off potential behavioral problems in older children by catching even little indicators when they are under the age of 5.

KidSTART (Kid Screening, Triage, Assessments, Referral and Treatment) is a unique program that is attempting to prevent future delinquent behavior by providing needed services to children birth to age 5 who have developmental and mental health needs.

Leah van Lingen, an HHSA Child Protective Services policy analyst, came up with the idea for KidSTART five years ago and recently won a national award for her innovative approach.

She was honored by the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy with their Capstone of the Year award. (Forty people a year are selected to become a fellow at the Center, and the paper they write on their projects is called a Capstone. Van Lingen began her project in 2009.)

“I wanted to come up with a program that reduces the number of foster kids going into the juvenile justice system,” said van Lingen. “I thought, ‘let’s back up the train, way back to the little guys.’”

The thought is if you intervene with youngsters showing behavioral problems early, there is a better chance they get the services they need and issues can be corrected or minimized.

“We’re hoping 17 years from now we’ll have fewer kids in the judicial system,” she said. “The research so far is good.”

When the program started, kids brought to the County’s Polinksy Children’s Center were the only ones eligible. It’s since been expanded - first to other foster youth and now to siblings of youth in the foster system.

KidSTART works in conjunction with Child Welfare Services’ Developmental Screening and Enhancement Program, which provides the developmental screenings. Together the programs ensure more than 95 percent of the children entering out-of-home care receive a developmental and social emotional screening and link them to services if necessary.

First 5 San Diego funds the program.

HP, County Combine for Innovation

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“Isn’t it neat when science fiction becomes reality?”

That’s what HP innovator Russ Gibfried asked a crowd of County employees at the COC this past Tuesday during the bi-annual HP Information Technology Innovation Day. And the reality was the Hearing Room walls turned into touchscreens and Chief Information Officer Mikel Haas turned into a robot.

The County’s IT outsource partner began the Innovation Day last year as a way to collaborate with employees to come up with a batch of ideas the County could use to improve work efficiency and public outreach.

Gibfried showed the audience how the technology in Kinect (the same thing used in X-boxes) can turn any surface into a touchscreen interface, potentially allowing any conference room to become interactive. HP explained that touchscreens are useful but incredibly expensive. This kind of technology can provide just as much utility at a fraction of the cost.

The event also brought forward innovative app ideas for employees, like “It Can Wait,” promoted by AT&T. It turns off functions on your phone that could distract you while driving and sends messages to friends and family when you’re behind the wheel to let them know you’re unavailable.

HP said the app can be installed on County-issued phones to improve safety in the field and reduce risks while on the road.

Another app, created after HP and Probation joined forces, has tools to help Probation Officers get in touch with clients, manage caseloads and spend more hours being productive in the field – an estimated 14,787 more hours per year, to be exact.

But perhaps the most innovative part of the day was when Haas showed up on a tablet-turned-robot to demo something called “telepresence robotics,” the next step in video teleconference and remote collaboration.

The device has video teleconferencing equipment mounted to a mobile base and is navigated by the user to the destination of their choice. HP said the telepresence is “more personal than over the phone,” and suggested the County use the proposed technology for things like video arraignments, remote aging services and even virtual tours.

“I had a blast!” Haas said of the event. “I got to be a robot all day! I hope Innovation Day stimulates some ideas from employees – this kind of thing gets us moving forward.”

The County has put on a number of Innovation Days in the past, but this was the just the second devoted solely to HP services, along with their partner AT&T.  Patty Carpenter of the County Technology Office and one of the event’s organizers said there are plans to hold a similar event in December.

Employee Bikes for 545 Miles, 1 Cause

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Kevin Powell has been a cyclist for less than half a decade, but his most recent rides have been impressive lengths.

The Labor Relations Officer for Human Resources is winding down from his 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles – an annual seven-day ride called AIDS/LifeCycle.

Powell, who rode with his partner and a team of San Diego cyclists from June 1-7, called the event “life-changing.”

“You have to train for it and you’re on the ride with a lot of powerful people, those living with HIV and AIDS. There are a lot of inspiring stories,” Powell said. “It puts it all in perspective.”

Read on to find out how Powell trained, who he rode with and why he does the ambitious trip.

What exactly is the AIDS/LifeCycle, Ride to Ends AIDS event?

It’s a bike ride that raises money for AIDS prevention, medical services, education and research. This year was the 13th year they’ve done the ride. You have to raise at least $3,000 to participate, but many people raise a lot more.

You bike 545 miles in seven days with 2,400 riders and 600 supporters on the sidelines. There are rest stops every 15-20 miles with food, water and bathrooms. It’s like a moving city! We average about 70 miles a day, with the longest ride being 108 miles.

How did you find out about the event?

I fell into this about three or four years ago. My partner was doing the ride and we did it together two years ago. This time, we did it with the San Diego team — about 30-40 riders.

It’s a great way to build relationships with people that are interested in raising awareness.  It’s a really supportive function. It’s like being in high school sports again!

Do you compete in the ride? Or is it all just for fun?

No. It’s a group effort to raise money for the foundation, which is the goal of the ride. It’s more fun to be on the ride and share camaraderie than to compete.

How much money was raised this year?

About $240,000 was raised through the San Diego team, with a record-breaking $15 million raised as a whole. They announced the total raised at the beginning of the race to give us motivation for the trip. It’s a cool way to start the ride.

How did you train?

I’ve been cycling for four or five years. The training is harder than the actual 545-mile trek. We devote the weekends from January until the ride on our bikes. I’ve learned more about the County of San Diego on my bike than in my car!

We also did spin classes through the week. The worse thing is to go on an event like that and not be prepared, because you won’t enjoy the ride. Being on a team really helps keep you accountable.

How difficult is the trek?

They joke that it’s all downhill, but really you’re going uphill, so some parts are difficult. But the coastline is so beautiful, it’s not too hard to enjoy the ride.  (Check out the ride’s route here.)

One of the hardest things about the ride is that it falls when the fiscal year ends, which is a typically busy time for us!

Do you have a favorite moment of the 545-mile journey?

My favorite part of the ride is day four. You’re halfway to LA and you get to overlook Morro Bay, and then you come down into San Luis Obispo and you’re on the central coast. Not only is it nice because you’re halfway through the ride, but it’s absolutely beautiful.

Why do you ride? Will you continue to participate?

I think one of the reasons I ride is that I feel like it gets rid of stigma for HIV and AIDS. It’s a positive example for a disease that people usually have a negative connotation of. It’s a powerful statement. As time goes on, it’s a good reminder for the younger generation who may not remember the ‘80s and ‘90s.

If anyone wants to do it, contact me! It’s a great organization and they do a great job. They’re very supportive. It’s a very good group to be a part of.

County Wins 34 Achievement Awards for Outstanding Programs

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Teaming up with private business to entice more people to prepare for disasters; leading a region-wide drive to encourage San Diegans to live healthier lives; helping homeowners join the solar-power revolution by letting them get permits online; making it easier for families to get vaccinations; and building a modern, up-to-date, centralized County Operations Center for the public to use.

Those were just a handful of the 34 County of San Diego programs honored with Achievement Awards by the National Association of Counties (NACo).

“All these awards are a testament to the County’s ongoing efforts to improve how we serve the public — from cutting red tape to reducing costs to making services more accessible,” said County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. “Good, effective public service is what good government is all about.”

San Diego County’s 34 awards tied it for the highest number given out this year in the entire nation — and led all California counties. Within the state, San Bernardino had the second highest number with 31 awards. Just two other counties scored in double-figures: Orange County with 12 and Los Angeles County with 11.

Two programs, "AlertSanDiego" and "Community Transition Center" not only won awards, but were judged "Best in Category."

“Earning the most Achievement Awards in the country — that’s what I call being audacious,” said Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer.  “I’m very proud of all of our County employees.  It’s nice to see their hard work validated as tops at a national level!”

The awards were given to departments from all five County Groups and came in contest categories that ran the gamut of public service, including: “Children and Youth,” “Community/Economic Development,” “Criminal Justice and Safety,” “Emergency Management and Response,” “Environmental Protection and Energy,” “Health,” “Human Services,” “Information Technology” and “Planning.”

The National Association of Counties Achievement Awards are given each year to recognize outstanding, innovative county government program all across the U.S.

In the "AlertSanDiego" submission, the County’s Department of Emergency Services was honored for teaming up with the Target Corp. to give free tents donated by the company to the first 2,000 local residents who filled out Family Disaster Plans and registered their cell phones with AlertSanDiego — the County’s high-speed alert system.

The Community Transition Center created a new County unit to help deal with the state's "Public Safety Realignment" — the state's 2011 move to shift responsibility for thousands of prisoners from state prisons to counties — by making sure offenders undergo assessments, treatment and case-plan development before being released into the community.

The County was also honored for opening its $294 million County Operations Center at its Kearny Mesa center, which consolidated numerous County services that were once geographically separated — making it more convenient for County residents and saving taxpayers millions of dollars a year by ending previous lease-agreements in other locations.

Other award-winning programs and categories are:

Arts and Historic Preservation 

  • San Diego Legends: San Diego County Library 

Children  and Youth 

Community/Economic Development 

County Administration and Management 

  • E-Notification Program
  • Property Tax Drive-Thru “Drop-n-Go” Payment Program 

Criminal Justice and Public Safety 

  • Behavioral Health Court
  • Community Resource Directory
  • Community Transition Center
  • District Attorney’s Office DNA CODIS Hit / CMS Integration Program
  • San Diego Electronic Probable Cause Declaration 

Emergency Management and Response 

Environmental Protection and Energy 

  • Lead Gradient Study of Ambient Air Surrounding the McClellan-Palomar Airport

 Health 

Human Services 

Information Technology 

  • County Government Jobs Website Makeover
  • Electronic Performance Appraisal Notification
  • Improved Access to Immunization Services:  Piloting a Web-based Appointment System
  • Job Applicant Self-Scheduling
  • Legal Paperless System
  • Wireless Radio Alarm Transmission System
  • Workers' Compensation E-Billing 

Planning 

Transportation 

  • General Services Fleet Mobile Maintenance