Is our perception of reality THE reality or is it just the way we personally see things. Watch this video to look at our perception with some key concepts in mind to see how our filters shape the way we perceive others.
The County has 10 great Employee Resource Groups (ERG). They are each led by a respective board who all demonstrate commitment and stewardship of its members to the various sectors of our community.
Get to know the County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees’ Association (CSDFEA) Vice President Kathleen Mendoza, a financial policy and planning officer with the Office of Financial Planning.
Q: How long have you worked for the County and what departments have you worked for?
A: I have been with the County for almost 15 years now and I currently work for the Office of Financial Planning (OFP). I have also worked for the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office, HHSA Fiscal Services, Psychiatric Hospital, and the Department of Public Works.
Q: What do you do in your role/what are your job responsibilities?
A: My main role is to administer the Community Enhancement and the Neighborhood Reinvestment grant programs on behalf of the Board of Supervisors. I also take part in the preparation of the County’s Operational Plan.
Q: What’s your workplace superpower?
A: I was told that I bring positive energy into the workplace. I’m the kind of person who always has a smile on my face, even when it’s super busy/hectic.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of work.
A: On the weekends, I am either out spending quality time with family and friends, or at home spending hours watching movies or TV. I also try to stay active by going to the gym, running outdoors, or hiking with friends.
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I love to travel and always find myself planning my next destination. I travel to experience different cultures, explore new sights, try new foods, or just to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Q. What is the best advice you’ve received from a mentor?
A: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, be afraid of not learning from them.
Q: What are some resources that you find useful and recommend to others?
A: One resource that I recommend is the County’s quarterly D&I Digest that provides insightful materials (videos, articles, podcasts) for County employees.
Q: Tell us about your ERG.
A: CSDFEA creates spaces for our members to grow through our professional development initiatives; cultivate the bayanihan (community) spirit through our community service and charitable efforts, annual scholarship, and collaborations with County of San Diego departments, ERGs and community-based organizations; raise awareness about the history and heritage of Filipino-Americans through our Fil-Am events; and engage with members through activities such as our mixers, Live Well hikes, book clubs and film showings. Through the efforts of our team, CSDFEA was recently awarded the Asian Pacific Islander ERG/BRG of the Year Award by the Asian Business Association of San Diego.
Q: Why are ERGs important?
A: ERGs provide resources for its members to grow both personally and professionally, creates spaces to connect with other County employees, strengthens multicultural awareness and supports diversity, inclusion, and equity in the County of San Diego.
Through CSDFEA, I was able to meet and build relationships with other County employees, some who I now consider my friends and mentors, and connect with other Fil-Am organizations within San Diego. CSDFEA gave me this space where I am able to lead and give back to our community, together with our board, our members and fellow ERGs.
Q: What is your ERG looking forward to this year?
A: Being able to do more in-person social events and collaborations with other ERGs and community organizations. Together, we are stronger!
Also read:
Get To Know MEERG President Mehdi Khalili
Get To Know EWA Board Member Diana Eid-Chammas
Get To Know SDCLA Secretary Alex Talaro
Get To Know LGBTQ&A ERG Board Member Ryan Trabuco
Get To Know APACE Vice President Annamarie Hernandez
Get To Know PISCE Treasurer Isobel Kinsang
Get To Know AAACE Secretary Nikki Horton
Get to Know DiverseAbility ERG Secretary Valerie Prado
County employees have until 5 p.m., June 30 to complete and submit their Wellness Incentive Program forms to receive a $100 incentive.
All documents, including proof of completing a biometric screening and online health risk assessment, must be submitted on the program’s SharePoint webpage. Here are simple instructions.
Employees can choose to complete a biometric screen with their personal healthcare provider or order a home screening kit by May 30.
The Wellness Incentive Program is open to full-time, permanent County employees.
Employees with questions or requiring accommodations, can email DHRWellness.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov.
School will be out soon and that means parents who work may need someone to watch the kids. If you’re one of those parents and you have a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, you’re in luck. The funds in that account may pay for babysitters, day care, or summer day camps.
You can also change Dependent Care FSA contributions mid-year if you experience a change in your day care needs. To learn how to make changes, visit the Employee Benefits website.
Children must be under the age of 13 and the primary reason for using the funds must be child care for your kids while you are working. In other words, soccer, baseball, football, gymnastics, and ballet camps may qualify but overnight camps do not. Summer school classes are not eligible either because they are considered educational.
To find out more, visit this FAQs website and check out the dependent care assistance program section. To see what programs qualify, click on the dependent care tab on the ASIFlex list of eligible expenses or call 800-659-3035.
The San Diego County Latino Association invites County employees to attend a Padres game at Petco Park during Mexican Heritage Celebration night on June 24.
The Padres will take on the Phillies at 6:40 p.m.
Seats for SDCLA are reserved in Section 317. Tickets can be purchased at fevo.me/mhc2022 for $33 plus fees. The price includes a limited-edition Padres hat, donation to a local community group and a ticket to the game.
For additional information, email sdcla@sdcounty.ca.gov.
See the flyer below.
Following recent violent attacks, the County wants employees to be aware of resources available for themselves and families.
The County sends heartfelt condolences to the people of Uvalde, Texas. We join the nation in grieving for the victims and their loved ones.
In celebration of Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, our Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employees (APACE) and the County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees’ Association (CSDFEA) are holding a virtual book discussion of “America for Americans: A History of Xenophobia in the United States” by Erika Lee.
The event will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., June 9. Register online.
Book Description
The United States is known as a nation of immigrants. But it is also a nation of xenophobia. In America for Americans, Erika Lee shows that an irrational fear, hatred, and hostility toward immigrants has been a defining feature of our nation from the colonial era to the Trump era. Benjamin Franklin ridiculed Germans for their "strange and foreign ways." Americans' anxiety over Irish Catholics turned xenophobia into a national political movement. Chinese immigrants were excluded, Japanese incarcerated, and Mexicans deported.
Today, Americans fear Muslims, Latinos, and the so-called browning of America. Forcing us to confront this history, Lee explains how xenophobia works, why it has endured, and how it threatens America. Now updated with an afterword reflecting on how the coronavirus pandemic turbocharged xenophobia, America for Americans is an urgent spur to action for any concerned citizen.
See the flyer below.
The County garnered 61 Achievement Awards this year including a Best in Category nod from the National Association of Counties, which recognizes innovative county government programs.
The County has 10 great Employee Resource Groups (ERG). They are each led by a respective board who all demonstrate commitment and stewardship of its members to the various sectors of our community.
Get to know VALOR ERG Secretary Thomas Velasquez, a paralegal with County Counsel.
Q: How long have you worked for the County and what departments have you worked for?
A: I am going on 20 years with the County. I’ve worked 16 yrs. at the District Attorney in various positions and coming up on 4 years with County Counsel.
Q: What do you do in your role/what are your job responsibilities?
A: I am a paralegal; my job is to represent the County in litigation by managing cases as they move through the justice system from beginning to end. I work with clients to gather evidence, strategize on our litigation strategy, and bring cases to trial. I also work on designing and delivering trainings, and working with subject matter experts that provide training to our office.
Q: What’s your workplace superpower?
A: My superpower is that I am super flexible and it comes from my time spent in the military. I can work on projects individually or work collaboratively with a team. I am very process and procedure driven, yet I can be flexible and change priorities at a moment’s notice. If I was a superhero, I would be Mr. Fantastic.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself outside of work.
A: I am heavily into health and fitness. I love to CrossFit, ride my Peloton, and run. To exercise my mind, I like to read both fiction and non-fiction novels. I am also a huge computer gamer and I love reading stories and watching videos from my favorite fantasy universes such as Marvel, Star Wars and DC Comics with my family and friends.
Q: What are you passionate about?
A: I am passionate about helping others improve, by providing training opportunities in a professional setting. I am passionate about leadership and providing leadership coaching to emerging leaders. I am also passionate about health and wellness.
Q. What is the best advice you’ve received from a mentor?
A: Always believe in yourself and your abilities.
Q: What are some resources that you find useful and recommend to others?
A: I regularly watch presentations from TED. I find the material thought provoking and I am usually led to some good books to read. I also would recommend checking out self-paced classes from Mindvalley. If there is a topic anyone is interested in learning about, Mindvalley may have a course on it. Plus, LinkedIn Learning has a ton of great courses. I’ve taken many of them myself.
Q: Tell us about your ERG.
A: VALOR is an ERG to provide networking opportunities for county employees who are veterans, or people connected to veterans either through family and/or friends, however anyone can join our ERG.
Q: Why are ERGs important?
A: ERGs are important as they provide a space to connect to other County employees that share similar interests. On top of the networking opportunities, ERGs also provide County employees access to training, and career growth opportunities.
Q: What is your ERG looking forward to this year?
A: We are looking forward to engaging with members and connecting with new members at in-person events.
Also Read:
Get To Know MEERG President Mehdi Khalili
Get To Know EWA Board Member Diana Eid-Chammas
Get To Know SDCLA Secretary Alex Talaro
Get To Know LGBTQ&A ERG Board Member Ryan Trabuco
Get To Know APACE Vice President Annamarie Hernandez
Get To Know PISCE Treasurer Isobel Kinsang
Get To Know AAACE Secretary Nikki Horton
Get to Know DiverseAbility ERG Secretary Valerie Prado
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