County Social Worker Is Contestant Queen

County social worker Geana Richardson has more than a winning personality—she is a winner. Richardson has won countless prizes in various contests over the years. In the past few months alone, she’s scored concert tickets, a restaurant gift card and even cash.

The enthusiastic and animated New York native has a winning history. She got her first taste of luck as a child when she won tickets to see boy band Menudo at Madison Square Garden. One time she called a radio station to check on tickets that she won and was the lucky caller again, taking a second prize.

“This is not new for me,” said Richardson, who has been with the County for 18 years. “I’ve always won calling radio stations. What is new is being a contestant on TV.”

Recently Richardson was selected to come on stage to play a matching game on the “The Steve Harvey Show.”  She won $4,000 but called the experience priceless.

“Steve Harvey was really funny. I felt so comfortable with him,” said Richardson.

The video clip has more than 106,000 views on both Facebook and YouTube already. And dozens of comments.

Her appearance on “The Steve Harvey Show” came just a few weeks after she got to “come on down” to “The Price Is Right.” While she didn’t take home a brand-new car, she did win smaller prizes.

Richardson is already planning her next win. She’s attempted to get tickets to “The Ellen Show,” tried out for “Family Feud,” and is hopeful she’ll get onto the “The $100,000 Pyramid,” “Let’s Make a Deal” or “The Joker’s Wild.”

Plus, NBC producers have called Richardson to gauge her interest in returning to the studio. We’ll have to wait and see when Richardson gets on TV again!

County Ethics and Compliance Director Named

The County’s commitment to a culture of ethical conduct and the highest compliance standards has a new leader. Assistant County Counsel Claudia Silva has been appointed director of the County Office and Ethics and Compliance.

Silva joined the County in 2016 after 23 years of experience as a deputy city attorney at the City of San Diego and city attorney for National City. She earned her undergraduate degree in sociology from UCLA and her Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego.

Since joining the County, Silva has worked on numerous land use issues, in addition to her role as assistant county counsel.

“She has earned a reputation as an exceptional attorney and highly respected leader by adeptly overseeing complex litigation, managing department operations, and meeting a wide variety of client needs,” said Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins-Meyer. “She is held in high esteem by all members of the Board of Supervisors, the County executive team and her peers.”   

Robbins-Meyer said with her extensive law practice experience, Silva will expand and elevate the role of OEC and build a broader more extensive compliance practice.

“We have a strong foundation,” said Silva. “We can build on that foundation and take ethics and compliance to the next level.” She said she is striving for the County’s OEC to become a national model of its kind.

Silva, who will start in her new role on Jan. 11, will also serve as the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) executive liaison and serve on the Diversity & Inclusion Executive Committee. She replaces Joe Cordero, who retired last year.

InTouch – Happy New Era!

Happy New Year!  Are you ready to roll?

I hope so, because this new year kicks off a new era at the County. On January 7, two new members will be sworn in to our Board of Supervisors. Welcoming two at one time is a first for me and all but the most veteran County employees. It’s been 24 years since two new board members were sworn in!

When I say a new era, I’m talking not only about the current board transition, but the practice of regular turnover in elected leadership since term limits are in place. The maximum time an elected official can serve as a supervisor is two terms. So our culture must adapt to continuous change.

New elected leadership means new policies and more dynamic shifts in priorities. Our successes of the past will be the foundation for the successes of the future. Old ways of doing things may be reviewed, tweaked or maybe even discarded.  And new ideas and initiatives will be implemented. 

Where we direct our energies might shift. But who we are won’t. We’ll remain dedicated to exceptional public service and the principles of HEART. We’ll demand the highest ethical standards. We’ll encourage innovation and continuous improvement in all areas of our operations.  We’ll be outcome driven and expect excellence in all that we do. 

Over the past several decades, we’ve never stood still, and we’ve shown great flexibility in responding to new demands. Now we’ll need to step it up and be even more nimble than we’ve ever been, as individuals and as an organization.

Our new supervisors and their staffs have an adjustment to make as well. Think back to the learning curve you faced when you got to the County. It’s a big, complex operation. All those acronyms! They’ll need our help in showing them how we function and how the fresh ideas they bring to the table can make their way into what we do.  

The familiar is comforting – but change is exciting. Invigorating, even. Embrace it! And as you do, reflect on some new year’s resolutions of your own. As I’ve talked to employees over the past couple weeks here are a few they’ve shared:

• Solve problems, don’t just share them.

• Be a positive force in our residents’ lives.

• Listen more.

• Appreciate and help co-workers.

• Become more tech savvy.

• Use social media to help, not to criticize.

• Take a daily walk or run to enjoy the beauty of San Diego (exercise is a side benefit!).

• Turn off the TV, set the phone aside and have a face-to-face conversation.

• Smile more.

• Relax – everything isn’t a crisis.

• Make at least one unexpected good thing happen every day for someone.

As we close 2018, let me reiterate how grateful I am to each of you for your hard work and dedication this past year. Your commitment was extraordinary. Now, let’s ring in the new era together. We have many exciting achievements ahead. Let’s get going! 

PerkSpot: Save on Movie Tickets

Get ready for the action and excitement of the blockbuster movies being released this holiday season—buy discounted tickets now. Don’t leave Aquaman, Mary Poppins and Spider-Man waiting!

County employees can purchase AMC and Regal Cinemas movie tickets for up to 35 percent off through PerkSpot. Purchase tickets online or simply call 1-800-331-6483.

PerkSpot offers benefits and discounts through more than 400 service providers and retailers. Go to SDCounty.PerkSpot.com and shop. If you are new, click on “Create an Account” to register.

Each month, one of the most popular PerkSpot deals will be highlighted on InSite.

San Diego Sees White Christmas

It’s hard to believe, but sometimes parts of San Diego County have a white Christmas! Our road crews over at the Department of Public Works were keeping roads safe this past holiday up near Julian. Take a look at these photos of Sunrise Highway from Dec. 25 taken by some of our DPW staff.

HHSA Staff Collect 2K Plus Items for Children in Need

When employees were gathering data for a special project on the Central and South Regions of the County Health and Human Services Agency, they discovered that about 6,000 children in the San Diego Unified School District are either experiencing homelessness or without a stable place to live.

The children needed basic items such as soap, shampoo, socks, shoes without holes, blankets and hygiene items. Employees from those regions decided to do something about it.

The staff started a donation drive to give children in need an early holiday present.

Employees from Child Welfare Services, Public Health Centers, Family Resource Centers and other programs donated clothing, toiletries, socks and undergarments, as well as paper, pencils, crayons and other school supplies. A box was placed at each office with a request to employees to give what they could.

Employees donated that and more. They also brought in stuffed animals, backpacks, coloring books, water bottles and food.

Some of the items donated, included:

• 500 toiletry items or packs of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes and soap and body wash.

• 1,400 school supplies such pens, paper, pencils, glue and crayons.

• 200 comfort items including shoes and socks, jackets and sweaters.

“There was overwhelming support and donations. The drive was a tremendous success and will help many children in need” said Dijana Beck, acting deputy director for HHSA’s Central and South Regions. “If we can make a difference in the life of one child, it’s a success.”

The donated items were turned over to the San Diego Unified School District to distribute the items to those in need.

'Tis the Toys for Tots Season

HHSA EMPLOYEES AT THE nORTH inLAND lIVE wELL CENTER, LOCATED IN THE eSCONDIDO lIVE WELL CENTER, HAD SOME HELP DISTRIBUTING TOYS FOR TOTS FROM A LOCAL GIRL SCOUT TROOP.

For more than a decade, HHSA employees at the North Inland Family Resource Center located in the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido have been volunteering each holiday season with the San Diego Toys for Tots campaign.

Every year, families using County services and identified as being eligible have showed up to receive holiday gifts for their children through the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots. Many HHSA Family Resource Centers and Live Well Centers serve as distribution centers across the County.

Team members from the North Inland Family Resource Center not only distribute the gifts, they volunteer at the Toys for Tots San Diego Headquarters. They help coordinate the toy distribution by sending out notices to over 1,200 eligible families. Volunteers receive, categorize and bag the toys, and they helped distribute the donations in Escondido on Dec. 8.

Locally, Toys for Tots works with about 300 nonprofit organizations throughout San Diego County. They accept new, unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 12 years old during their annual drives and all donations raised in San Diego stay in San Diego. 

According to Marine Staff Sgt Jeff W. Canty, San Diego County Toys for Tots coordinator, just over 54,000 children in San Diego County received toys, books and stocking stuffers in 2017.  

Toys for Tots can always use more volunteers. Please contact your nearest HHSA Family Resource or Live Well Center to learn where you can donate your time.

Edgemoor Leads Cookie Drive for Veterans

Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility baked up a sweet way to spread holiday cheer this week. Employees and residents held a cookie drive for Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit veteran services organization.

A total of 65 dozen cookies were delivered to Wounded Warrior’s office Wednesday just in time for a holiday party for veterans and their families.

PDS Gingerbread Contest Goes Around the World

Skip the long lines and hassle of holiday travel and take a trip around the world with these gingerbread displays. Planning and Development Services built iconic landmarks out of gingerbread and other sweets like candy canes and gumdrops.

Diversity and Inclusion Champions Aleena Benedito and AJ Morales organized the competition where each PDS division represented a different country.

Look through the photos. Can you guess the country of each display?

Air Pollution Control District also had a gingerbread build-off. Scroll through the entries.

DA Prosecutors, Investigator Honored for Keeping San Diego Safe

By the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors honored five District Attorney prosecutors and an investigator with proclamations recognizing their outstanding contributions to public safety over the past year. The awards were presented at this morning’s board meeting. The prosecutors were selected for the awards by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association after being nominated by their peers for their extraordinary work.

“I’m honored to work with and lead such outstanding Deputy District Attorneys and investigators who deliver justice every day on behalf of crime victims in San Diego County,” DA Summer Stephan said. “They truly represent the dedication and quality of our entire prosecutorial team.”

The Board of Supervisors honored the following DA employees:

Deputy District Attorney Stewart David Bost

David Bost, who has worked as a gang prosecutor for almost his entire career, prosecuted two gang members over the course of four murder trials in front of five juries. For more than 23 years, he pursued justice for the 1995 unsolved gang-related murder of 18-year-old Crystal Odom. The gang members’ target was Odom’s gang-affiliated boyfriend, Curtis Harvey. After three trials and almost 23 years after Skyline gang members shot and killed Odom, the jury convicted the killer of murder. In another murder case, gang member Christina Daniels attacked and stabbed Jasmine Ruiz to death inside of a car. After stabbing her, Daniels ran Ruiz over and left her pinned under the car where she bled to death. A jury convicted Daniels of murder.

Deputy District Attorney Makenzie Harvey

Makenzie Harvey has tried nearly 50 felony jury trials during her tenure in the Superior Court Division of the District Attorney’s Office, including eight homicides. As a team leader, she has mentored many young prosecutors. In addition to her team leader assignment, Harvey is the crime lab liaison to law enforcement agencies. Most recently, she tried a homicide case in which a recently-retired school teacher was murdered by her son. The defendant stabbed his mother multiple times and used a Taser gun during the attack. He was convicted of first-degree murder.

Deputy District Attorney Marnie Layon

Marnie Layon, a prosecutor in the Family Protection Division, handles some of the most difficult cases in the DA’s Office. In the last year, she successfully prosecuted several tragic cases that highlight her extraordinary skills. The cases involved murder, rape, domestic violence and child sexual abuse. She is the epitome of the professional, career prosecutor.

District Attorney Jalyn Wang

Jalyn Wang’s work in the last year has been extraordinary. One of her cases included a murder in which the defendant beat his cellmate to death. The case had significant legal issues, including a mental health-related defense. Wang’s cases also involve a series of home invasion robberies and residential burglaries. A true testament to her dedication to the victims in her cases is demonstrated by the cards, flowers, and expressions of gratitude she receives.