‘Say Their Names’ with AAACE

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Join the African American Association of County Employees (AAACE) on Sunday, July 18 at noon to view the national “Say Their Names Memorial” at Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade in the New Children’s Museum Park located at 200 W. Island Ave., San Diego.

“Say Their Names” is a new memorial exhibit in San Diego honoring Black Americans killed by police and in acts of racism. The photo memorial is part of a nationwide grassroots initiative spurred by the protests of 2020 to put names and faces to more than 200 Black lives lost due to racial injustice.

Gaidi Finnie is the executive director of the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art. The organization is responsible for bringing the installation to San Diego.

“This is definitely a teachable moment for all of us. We invite you to come, reflect and think about what you can do to make a difference,” Finnie.

“Say Their Names” will be open from July 10 through July 25. The exhibit is free to the public.

If you want to get the kids involved further, check these activities out.

Changing Government Through the Lens of Equity and Justice

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By Andrew Strong, director, Office of Equity and Racial Justice and D&I Executive Council member

When the County declared racism a public health crisis, we began to discuss approaching the work we are embarking on with a practical equity framework. At the same time, the Chief Administrative Office was working with the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkley and community members to develop the mission statement for the Office of Equity and Racial Justice. Through this work, the County was introduced to the concept and framework of targeted universalism. The Office of Equity and Racial Justice (OERJ) is in the beginning stages of introducing the concepts of targeted universalism as an approach to equity in County operations and policy.

Targeted universalism means setting universal goals pursued by targeted processes to achieve those goals. Within a targeted universalism framework, an organization or system sets universal goals for all groups concerned. It is a platform for bridging programs that move all groups toward the universal goal of equity and belonging.

I invite you to engage in the learnings of targeted universalism above and join me as we reimagine and change County government through the lens of equity and justice in all we do.

Rewind: Amplify AAPI Voices Continued

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If you missed the Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees’ (APACE) and County of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association (CSDFEA)’s virtual panel of “Amplify AAPI Voices Continued” on June 30, don’t worry. You can watch it now!

Hear AAPI leaders from the local community discuss a wide range of topics including what it means to be AAPI and current issues surrounding the AAPI community.

Panelists Were:

  • Josyl Wong, CSDFEA president and senior board assistant with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors

  • Revannah Restua, APACE treasurer and account clerk with the Auditor & Controller

  • Myleen Abuan, health information specialist with Public Health Services

  • Benito Bautista, executive director of San Diego Filipino Cinema

  • Jason Paguio, president and chief executive officer of the Asian Business Association San Diego

  • Samuel Tsoi, group program manager with the Office of Equity & Racial Justice

Deputy Public Defender Takes the Bench

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Governor Gavin Newsom announced his appointment of 19 Superior Court Judges on Friday, including one here in San Diego.

Euketa L. Oliver, 46, of Chula Vista, was appointed to serve as a judge in the San Diego County Superior Court. Oliver has served as a deputy public defender at the San Diego County Office of the Primary Public Defender since 2005. She was a staff attorney at Legal Services Northern California in 2005.

Oliver earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School and a Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology from John F. Kennedy University.

She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kenneth M. Kirkman.

Catch a Padres Game to Support CECO

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The San Diego County Employees' Charitable Organization has partnered up with the Padres for a fundraiser! Join CECO for exclusive seating at the July 30 game against the Rockies. Tickets are $45 and are an easy and fun way to support CECO!

Complete the order form and payment by July 16. A portion of every ticket sold will go directly back to CECO.

For any questions/comments, please contact sdceco@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Shine Bright With Pride

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Pride Progress Flag

Updated July 12, 2021: This event will now take place at 10:30 a.m. on July 16.

Join the LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group on July 16 at 10:30 a.m. at the east entrance of the County Administration Center for Shine Bright With Pride: a brief ceremony and raising of the Pride Progress flag to mark the occasion of San Diego Pride.

All are welcome. For more information, contact lgbta@sdcounty.ca.gov

Additionally, the County Administration Center will be lit up in rainbow coloring during the weekend of July 16.  San Diego Pride is hosting numerous community events throughout the region in July. More information on those can be found at sdpride.org/events.

Employees Take Electric Vehicles on Test Drive

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As part of the County’s efforts to ramp up its green fleet and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Department of General Services’ Fleet Management team held an EV Ride and Drive Event at the County Administration Center Thursday. They arranged to have a half dozen battery electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles on site for department employees and the public to learn more about and test drive.

As of April, the County has just over 80 of both these kinds of electric vehicles but wants to get more departments to transition from gas-powered to electric vehicles, said Michael Rico, Fleet Acquisitions Coordinator. The biggest challenge Fleet Management has is helping others overcome electric vehicle range anxiety, but the office is happy to work with any department to discuss their current usage and battery electric versus plug-in electric range, he said.

Range has significantly increased since electric vehicles were first introduced. Now, an electric vehicle can have up to a 200-mile range, and a plug-in electric hybrid can get between 25 and 45 miles range before switching over to the gas engine.

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The County currently has chargers at the County Operations Center, the County Administration Center, the Santa Ysabel Nature Center, Palomar Airport, Sheriff’s Headquarters, the North and South Bay regional centers, the Ramona and Fallbrook libraries, Gillespie Air Field and various other County facilities. General Services is also working on expanding the charging capabilities to more facilities.

Jim Gamboa, fleet coordinator of electric vehicles, said all electric vehicles are competitively priced to gas engine vehicles, and departments will save on costs for fuel and vehicle maintenance.

County departments were given an opportunity to test drive and learn about a Chevrolet Bolt, four seater battery electric vehicle, a Ford Mustang Mach-E sedan, a Ford Escape Plug-in electric hybrid SUV, and a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid minivan. More models are currently available to order and a Ford E Transit commercial van and a Ford F150 Lightning pickup truck will be available to order in the near future.

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Sarah Aghassi, General Manager for the County’s Land Use and Environment Group, test drove the Mach-E and said she is interested in getting one for her next personal vehicle.

David Flores, a senior policy advisor on land use and environmental justice in Supervisor Nora Vargas’ office, who test drove the hybrid minivan, said, “First, it’s just extremely quiet, and it’s very, very smooth. It’s easy to understand the controls and see how much battery power you have.”

To learn more about how to transition to an electric vehicle, contact Nicole Alejandre, Assistant Director for the Department of General Services, by email at Nicole.Alejandre@sdcounty.ca.gov or by phone at (619) 405-5519.