Meet Eggnog (Tag #N585), a one-and-a-half-year-old Shiba Inu/mix looking for a new forever home for the holidays!
Eggnog is ready for adventure. She walks well on a leash, is eager to make new friends, has lots of energy and loves to play. So let’s get her adopted!
You can see Eggnog at the Department of Animal Services’ shelter in Carlsbad or visit sddac.com to give another animal their furever home.
Department of Environmental Health - Food & Housing Division
‘Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la, la la la la. Don we now our “ugly” holiday apparel!
Doesn’t matter if you sport a store-bought or homemade holiday sweater. We want to see your festive and fun outfits! Submit a photo of your merry and bright garb.
Christy Carlson, Health & Human Services Agency
ESteBan Casas - Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk
Lynette Cavaco - Health & Human Services Agency
Department of Purchasing and Contracting
Rose Trujillo-HR Analyst-DHR
Allison Bray, Ash Brahms and Anna Kremen of the Vector Control Program
Sheryl Garay, Eligibility operations/HCSS
South Region Public Health
General Services
County Library
CWS, CHAT, PHN -Central Region, HHSA
Land Use & Environment Group Executive Office
Monica Garcia, Nicole Dolson and Clara Lapastora, Probation
Behavioral Health Services, Adult Case Management Services
Auditor & Controller’s Central Payroll Administration
Auditor & Controller’s Central Payroll Administration
AP, A&C
Probation
Sherry Marcue, Tami Burns and Nicole Dolson, Probation
Nicole Ventinilla, Marigene Lim-Viernes, Josielyn Kaai, Jacklyn Smith, Sean Behan, Gloria Marx, May Moe-West, Stephanie Wells of Purchasing and Contracting
Natalie Schrepfer, Vianney Aldana, Michele Mauelon, Liliane Gee, Larise Baker, Lucie Dela Cruz, Bernie Udarbe of Purchasing and Contracting
Treasurer-Tax Collector's Financial Division
Behavioral Health Services
Behavioral Health Services
Central & South Region Homeless Services Team
Yesenia, Veronica and Eva from California Children’s Services
Irene Bishop & Maricruz De La Torre. HHSA
John Griego and Felicia Sabal, Probation
Treasurer-Tax Collector – Treasury and Investment Division
Mary Le, Heather Melendres, Jennifer Espindola, Yesenia Dominguez & Ariana Williams, California Children’s Services
Maria victoria mata, , treasurer-Tax Collector's office
ian guiab, treasurer-Tax Collector's office
audrey parcon, treasurer-Tax Collector's office
Adora dano, treasurer-Tax Collector's office
Eligibility Operations, Document Processing
Brooke Lunquist and Kristyn Keylon, HHSA North County Regions
rc kinzly, treasurer-Tax Collector's office
Pablo Corona, HHSA North Coastal Family Resource Center
Eligibility Operations Appeals Department
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors office staff
Talent Development & Finance, Department of Human Resources
Alternate Public Defender’s Office
Registrar of Voters – Precincts Services (Maps and Polls & GIS)
County Technology office
Chad Vargason, Valerie Kohls, Blanca Maata, Joe Schlientz, Mavette Sadile, Dorothy Gardner, Maria Smith and Eric Shiotsugu – County Technology Office
Alternate Public Defender’s Office
Health & Human Services Agency- Eligibility Operations
La Mesa Adult Protective Services and Anchor Team
Eligibility Operations - QESD
Department of Human Resources staff
San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital staff
Ramona Branch Library Staff
Department of Parks and Recreation
Misael Galvan, Child Welfare Services
Lilia Aguilar, Fely Nunez, Veronica Jones, California Children’s Services
Lilia Aguilar, Veronica Jones and Fereon Meferia, California Children’s Services
Assessor/Recorder/County clerk San Marcos Office
Mary carpenter, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk San Marcos Office
Lily Yu and Jennifer Morehouse, Program Specialists at Eligibility Operations Appeals
Alternate Public Defender’s Office
Alternate Public Defender’s Office
Yvonne Baay, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk San Marcos Office
Brian Christison, Antonio Mack, Susie Hawes, Anjelica Velasco — Emergency Medical Services
HHSA’s Information Technology Services
Heidi Snyder and Vanessa Williams, APCD
VALOR, the employee resource group supporting military service, volunteered Saturday as part of Wreaths Across America, in which wreath-laying ceremonies were held at more than 1,600 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad. VALOR helped lay 12,600 wreaths on graves at Miramar National Cemetery.
VALOR President Rea Alvarez explained that the annual event is an opportunity to remember the fallen, honor those who serve and their families, and to teach future generations about the sacrifices made to preserve our freedom.
Learn more about VALOR on InSite.
‘Tis the season. If you haven’t already started your holiday shopping, visit PerkSpot to save a great deal on gifts. Unwrap savings on everything from AMC Theatre movie tickets to Zipcar rental.
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.
The IRS has released the final version of the 2020 Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. The updates reflect federal tax law changes to allow more accurate calculation of the employee’s federal income tax withholding.
The new 2020 Form W-4 is very different from the previous version. The new 2020 Form W-4 no longer provides withholding allowances; instead employees will calculate withholding based on tax dependents and other income/deductions.
Who needs to complete the new 2020 Form W-4?
Current employees are not required to complete a new form merely because of the redesign. Withholding will continue based on the information from the most recently submitted Form W-4 (2019 or earlier).
Current employees can choose to adjust the withholding from their paychecks by submitting a new 2020 Form W-4.
All new employees hired on or after Jan. 1, 2020 must use the new form.
Even though the IRS does not require all current employees to complete the revised form and even if your tax situation has not changed, the Auditor & Controller recommends you perform a “paycheck checkup” to see if you need to make adjustments to your current withholding. To conduct the checkup, you can use the IRS’s Tax Withholding Estimator.
Unfortunately, the IRS has not yet finalized the withholding estimator for 2020. This tool should be released soon. When it is, we will update you on Insite. To use the estimator, have a copy of your most recent pay stub and tax return.
If you would like to make changes to your withholding, see instructions.
Please note, the Peoplesoft Employee Self-Service Web Portal W-4 Tax Information page will be temporarily unavailable beginning Dec. 20, 2019 while we update the system with the new tax form.
You may want to seek advice from your tax preparer or tax advisor about the impacts of the 2020 Form W-4 on your withholding requirements.
For additional information on the new form, visit IRS.gov.
Sharing is caring this holiday season! Let us know what your office is doing to support charitable organizations and efforts this month.
Email communications@sdcounty.ca.gov with your department’s holiday activities and any photos. We will feature them here on InSite.
ARRC Writes Thank You Notes to the Troops
The Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk’s social committee solicited messages of encouragement and gratitude for the servicemen and servicewomen overseas for the holidays.
Participants were able to write handwritten notes or emails.
Dancing Santa Helps Public Defender Raise Funds
The Public Defender’s Multiple Conflicts Office employees are having their picture taken with a life-size singing and dancing animatronic Santa Claus for a donation. So far, they’ve raised $2,000 that has gone directly towards the purchase and distribution of emergency blankets, ponchos, gloves, socks and scarves for people experiencing homelessness. They distributed these items on Dec. 8.
ROV Collecting Toys for Tots
Employees Diana Delmege and Vanessa Perez lead the two holiday programs at the Registrar of Voters this year. The department is supporting both the Joy of Giving and Toys for Tots.
The Joy of Giving program provides goody bags for those in need during the holidays through the Salvation Army.
Toys for Tots focuses on providing toys for children in partnership with the Marine Corps. You can drop off toys through Dec. 20. The dropbox is in the lobby.
Multimedia designers Suzanne Bartole and LEsley Pinka organized the efforts.
CCO Creates Care Packages
The County Communications Office with help from the Office of Ethics and Compliance and the Department of Animal Services created care packages for individuals experiencing homelessness. Each pack was filled with food, water, a pair of socks, toiletries and information on available services.
In addition, CCO adopted a family needing a little extra help. On Thanksgiving they put together a full turkey meal. And this month they are collecting both food and gifts for the family.
APCD Hosts Holiday Food Drive
The Air Pollution Control District has an Annual Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.
Since 2015, APCD employees have donated nearly 7,000 pounds of food. These donations help feed many San Diegans in need during the holiday season.
some of the many APCD employees that participated in the department’s 2019 food drive
Edgemoor Hospital Cookie Drive
Each year, Edgemoor staff host a cookie drive to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project of San Diego, which serves veterans and service members who suffer from physical or mental illness. This year, Edgemoor staff baked and donated 65 dozen cookies, which were well-received at the Wounded Warrior Project holiday party in Escondido.
The Wounded Warrior cookie drive was organized by Teresa Rogers-Marsh and Lani Ngo, with the help of Hernan Amezcua. Veterans from Wounded Warriors assisted with the delivery.
Standing from left to right are: Deputy DA Oscar Hagstrom, DDA Laurie Hauf, DDA Valerie Summers, DDA Bryn Kirvin, DA Summer Stephan, DDA Abigail Dillon, DDA Sophia Roach, DDA Christine Bannon, and DDA John Philpott.
When victims of crime and their families are in their worst moments, they cling to the hope they will one day obtain justice for the violence committed against them or their loved ones. Seven prosecutors in the District Attorney’s office were recognized Tuesday by the San Diego Board of Supervisors for outstanding service on behalf of victims.
“The deputy district attorneys who were honored have gone above the call of duty in pursuing justice with passion and integrity,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said.
The attorneys were selected by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association after receiving nominations from their peers. Those recognized have demonstrated excellence in cases of significant impact and have made extraordinary contributions to public safety in San Diego County.
The following deputy district attorneys were recognized:
• Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach prosecuted Donte Haddock and Anthony Frank for the murders of Darris Walker and Xusha Brown. Roach and her team examined and investigated every aspect of these murders for more than four years. The nine-week trial featured 100 witnesses, 600 exhibits, and dozens of recorded conversations. After four days of deliberations, jurors returned guilty verdicts: Haddock and Frank face life in prison without parole. Roach combined expert skills of leading an investigation with building, trying and winning the challenging case. Her performance was extraordinary.
• Deputy District Attorney Laurie Hauf tried two complicated murder cases all within the span of one year. In September 2018, she tried a gang murder case in which the victim, Catherine Kennedy, was shot on her way home from church. After the jury found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to life in prison, Hauf collaborated with the victim’s friends to create a gang intervention program. Following that case, Hauf tried a high-ranking gang member who had threatened to kill the victim. The defendant attempted to use his influence to prevent witnesses from testifying but the jury found him guilty nonetheless. He now faces life in prison. She also successfully prosecuted a violent gang member who robbed a teenager and, on a separate occasion, stabbed another man in the chest. Within the same month, Hauf also tried another case in which a young man was stabbed to death. Over the past year, she has spent nearly two months in trial, questioned over 100 witnesses, and addressed a multitude of complex legal and factual issues. In addition to this heavy trial load, Hauf trained prosecutors on the topic of three Strikes felony sentencing and trial advocacy. She also served as chairwoman for the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, North County Gang Commission.
• Deputy District Attorney John Philpott prosecuted a multi-million-dollar life insurance provider fraud ring, “Operation Backlash,” which began as a collaborative investigation by the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the California Department of Insurance. The initial undercover operation included 35 workers’ compensation carriers, 180 patients, and suspects who billed the workers’ compensation system $580 million from 2013 to 2015. There were 171 search warrants and federal subpoenas issued, which generated over one million pages of discovery. In late 2015, Philpott and his team presented cases to the grand jury and indicted 41 defendants, in the largest workers’ compensation fraud scheme ever uncovered in San Diego.
• Deputy District Attorney Oscar Hagstrom has tried more than 40 felony jury trials since he began his career at the San Diego DA’s Office. He has distinguished himself through his professionalism, work ethic, diligence, and performance in the court room. In one noteworthy case, Hagstrom prosecuted a man for shooting at SWAT officers. The case first required a long and complex mental health diversion hearing. In the end, the deputy district attorney secured guilty and sane verdicts and obtained a 33-year prison sentence for the defendant. In another noteworthy case, Hagstrom prosecuted a defendant who stabbed and killed another man. During the trial, the defendant argued self-defense, calling numerous character witnesses who talked about the victim’s violent history. In the end, Hagstrom demonstrated an ability to handle challenging cases and the defendant was sentenced to 12 years in state prison.
• Deputy District Attorney Abigail Dillon spent man hours trying to identify a man who attacked a Good Samaritan and then prosecuted him. In 2016, a war veteran was enjoying pizza in the Gaslamp District when he witnessed a man and seven of his friends challenging another group to a fight. The veteran intervened and tried to stop the fight, but the man and his friends instead assaulted him. He suffered many life-threatening complications while hospitalized and his will to live was almost nonexistent. Dillon spent countless hours trying watching grainy surveillance video to identify the primary perpetrator and locate potential witnesses. Despite obstacles, she built a rapport with the victim to convince him to testify. The jury found the defendant guilty and Dillon obtained justice for the victim who remains paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life.
• Deputy District Attorney Valerie Summers for more than 30 years has tried some of the most serious and violent cases and has risen through the ranks of outstanding prosecutors in the District Attorney’s Office. She has managed a variety of units and has demonstrated her exceptional knowledge, versatility, and judgment. Summers began her legal career as a law clerk in the DA’s Juvenile Branch in 1987. Since she got hired as a new Deputy DA, she has been a rising star. Summers was the first gang prosecutor in the then brand-new unit in North County, handling many complex gang cases. She served as a team leader in Vista, as the Assistant Chief of the Gangs Unit, Chief of Sex Crimes and Chief of the Family Protection Division. She was a statewide legal scholar, instructor and teacher in the area of sentencing. Serving as an adjunct professor at UCSD for over a decade, she has taught undergraduate students in sociology, criminology, and criminal procedure. Summers leads by example, by her experience, and success in high-level trials, her work ethic, and her constant striving to be the most prepared in a meeting or in court.
• Deputy District Attorney Christine Bannon has been the lead attorney for all Senate Bill 1437 litigation in the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and manages petitions related to the bill. In March 2019, the California Legislature signed SB1437 into law, changing the definition of malice as used in the law of murder. Bannon has also trained her peers on how to handle SB1437 petitions. Other counties have successfully argued to their courts that this law is unconstitutional based on Bannon’s work. She excels as both a formidable trial lawyer and appellate litigator. Her contributions to both the San Diego DA’s Office and prosecutor’s statewide are worthy of the highest recognition.
Meet Buster (Tag #N7227), a 2-year-old boxer/mix looking for a new forever home.
Buster is the sweetest boy! He has lots of energy and loves to play, but will also cuddle up on the couch with you and hang out. He enjoys human attention, fetch, and will be the perfect sidekick for outdoor activities. So let’s get him adopted!
You can see Buster at the Department of Animal Services’ shelter in Carlsbad or visit sddac.com to give another animal their furever home.
It’s not too late. If friends and family missed the Registrar of Voter’s last hiring hall for temporary, full-time workers, there will be another hiring hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The March 2020 Primary Presidential Election will be here before you know it, and the Registrar of Voters still needs hundreds of temporary employees.
The Registrar is recruiting for a variety of clerical and customer service jobs. Training is provided and pay is $14.25 an hour. Employees will work daytime hours and could start in late February.
The hiring hall will take place at the Registrar’s office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa. Job interviews will be conducted so applicants should bring their identification.
For more information, email Rov-Hr@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Child Support Officer Juan Barajas captured the beauty of a snowy morning in Julian last week.
Share your snow and other fabulous photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it. Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. One image will be posted to InSite every Friday.
Photo by: Juan Barajas
Caitlin E. Rae, Office of County Counsel, took her dog Mo’ to Julian.
Melissa Corona, Child Welfare Services, and her family went sledding.
Melissa Corona, Child Welfare Services, and her family went sledding.
Horner Tan, Auditor & Controller, Visited Mt. Laguna.
OKsana Glukhikh, Behavioral Health Services, Visited Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
OKsana Glukhikh, Behavioral Health Services, Visited Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
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