New Indigenous Sovereign Nations ERG Hosting Pow Wow

The County’s newest employee resource group will host a pow wow at the County Operations Center on Aug. 9. The free event will mark the official launch of the ERG. Employees, family and friends are welcome.

The pow wow will take place outside the Commons from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be cultural dances by the Soaring Eagles and the Green River drum group, a community guest speaker and presentation from the ERG board.

Maria Whitehorse, president of the ERG, said the group aims to bring visibility and understanding of indigenous sovereign nations to County employees.

“It is our hope that together with the surrounding local tribes we can bring more visibility and understanding of our culture,” said Whitehorse, human services specialist with Self-Sufficiency Services.

The group with focus on cultural education, professional development, social events and hopes to serve as a resource on community matters, needs and policies.

Indigenous Sovereign Nations joins 10 other established ERGs at the County. Each ERG works to enhance cultural awareness, support workforce outreach, recruitment and retention, promote County initiatives though partnerships with departments and community-based organizations and to provide professional development and networking opportunities for members.

To learn more about the Indigenous Sovereign Nations ERG, attend the launch event or email isn.fgg@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Celebrate Former Supervisor Williams’ 100th Birthday

Attend a Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony honoring former County Board of Supervisors member Leon L. Williams as he turns 100.

The celebration will be 3 to 4 p.m., Saturday, July 30 at the County Administration Center - East Plaza, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego. The event will also include a resource fair from 2 to 6 p.m., featuring numerous County programs and services.

Can't join us in person? Tune in for the livestream.

Don’t Miss D&I Virtual Showcase

Save the date for the 2022 D&I Virtual Showcase. Join this annual collaborative event from noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 2. Departments will share diversity and inclusion best practices. Learn about the many creative, innovative and educational examples of fostering diversity and inclusion. 

No need to RSVP, join the meeting on Teams at noon on Aug. 2.

Rewind: Learn About Organizational Acumen

Watch the Rewind video now.

Did you miss the Employee Resource Group Council’s Fireside Chat on July 19? Have a listen to the informal session now! The event was hosted by the Middle Eastern Employee Resource Group and featured Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Sarah Aghassi and Planning & Development Services Deputy Director Rami Talleh. The two County executives discussed organizational acumen.

Aghassi and Talleh were unable to get to all the questions in this lively session. They answered these additional questions after the event. (Watch the video.)

Resources:

• All ERG membership form

• County Organizational Chart

• General Management System

• Board of Supervisors

After watching, take the event survey.

These virtual conversations, held in partnership with the County’s DHR Equity Diversity and Inclusion team, will be hosted by an employee resource group and rotate quarterly. Stay tuned for the next one!

Watch: When We Are Listened To, We Flourish

The power of active listening can be impactful. When we are listened to, well, we flourish. Remember how important communication, humility and listening are in helping to create and sustain a culture of belonging and interconnectedness. Check out this video about the importance of listening and its relation to deepened connection.

Be Camera-Ready For Your Next Virtual Meeting

We’ve all been doing a lot more meetings on web conferencing platforms like Teams and Zoom. Watch this video to learn some helfpul tips about being camera-ready for your next video meeting. Also check out the Help Me kNow Hub for training on Teams meetings, including Quick Guide: Attend a Teams Meeting and Teams Meetings: A Comprehensive Course. 

Gallery: Participating in Pride Parade

The County was full of pride this weekend. Several departments marched in the San Diego Pride Parade in Hillcrest Saturday: Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, District Attorney's Office, Library, Office of Equity and Racial Justice, Office of the Public Defender, Probation Department, Sheriff's Department, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Board of Supervisors District 1 and District 4, and representatives from our LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group.

CAC Celebrates Pride

The County Administration Center was lit Friday and Saturday to commemorate Pride festivities.

That’s a TON of Peanut Butter!

Employees from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program within Housing and Community Development Services (HCDS) teamed up for a friendly competition for a good cause. They held a peanut butter drive to benefit the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

Employees formed five teams and competed against each other (for bragging rights) to see who could bring in the most peanut butter. Their combined efforts led to the collection of 850 jars of buttery delight within three weeks.

For those of you who like numbers, that is 2,040 pounds of peanut butter (over 1 US ton) which could be used to make over 30,000 sandwiches.

Peanut butter is one of the most requested donation items at local food banks because of its shelf life and the number of meals it can provide to families. It is also a favorite loved by many children.

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank provides emergency food to 500,000 children and families, active-duty military, and fixed income seniors living in poverty every month.

HCDS hopes that other County departments will step up to the plate and host a jelly drive to complement the efforts made by the teams.

Know the Code: Third Party Oversight

By the Office of Ethics and Compliance

Know the Code is a monthly series highlighting different sections of the County of San Diego Code of Ethics.

You might not think you have any part in vendor and contractor management because you are not a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) or part of a purchasing and contracting team. But we all can contribute to the due diligence and oversight of the County’s third-party relationships including with vendors and contractors.

The Department of Purchasing and Contracting (DPC) provides guidance for Ethical Practices and Conduct in Procurement (DPC Policy P-105):

1. We treat suppliers, members of the public and fellow employees respectfully, fairly and honestly. Discussions with suppliers, customers and other parties will be sensitive to appropriate procurement confidentially and fairness issues.

2. Perform our duties in compliance with all federal, state and local laws; and avoid any involvement in illegal, unethical or improper conduct.

3. Conduct our official County duties in conformance with the County’s policies and procedures, and in accordance with the highest standards of ethical and legal conduct.

4. Ensure that County funds and resources are used with extreme care, guided by prudent judgment and good business practices.

5. Create a work environment that promotes open and honest communications and encourages raising ethical concerns without fear of retribution or retaliation.

6. Assume responsibility for knowing, understanding and having a practical working knowledge of the laws and regulations applicable to procurement and our duties.

The County Code of Ethics is applicable in the performance of all County business, and is openly shared with vendors, suppliers, and contractors to ensure all County procurement transactions are accomplished ethically.

If you have questions about policies and procedures, you can contact management. In cases of records retention or disclosure, in addition to your department, you can contact DPC, County Counsel or Office of Ethics and Compliance.

Check out the OEC webpage on InSite for information about upcoming Ethics & Compliance program events, training and resources including monthly “Know the Code” articles and micro-training videos.

If you have questions about ethics and compliance training or how to access the training and other ethics and compliance resources, please contact the OEC team at oec@sdcounty.ca.gov, 619-531-5174. HHSA staff may also contact the dedicated HHSA Compliance and Privacy team at compliance.hhsa@sdcounty.ca.gov, 619-338-2807.