New Exhibit Celebrates African-Americans in Public Service

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AAACE Officers Zenobia Howard, Toroshinia Kennedy and Debrah Champion in front of the new ERG Wall display.

The latest installation to the Employee Resource Group Wall opened Thursday: an exhibition celebrating African-Americans in public service.

The display, presented by the African-American Association of County Employees in alignment with Black History Month in February, consists of five wall panels honoring public service leaders from the local to national level. Each panel consists of a photo and short synopsis of the individual’s public service accomplishments.  

Zenobia Howard, senior human resources analyst and president of AAACE, said the individuals profiled in the new installation are trailblazers and represent many “firsts” in public service. The display includes a panel on Leon Williams, who was the first African-American to serve as a County supervisor.

“Among their diversity ‘firsts’ is proof of vision, hard work, passion, commitment to positive change and dedication to better government at every level,” Howard said.

Howard was joined by AAACE officers Debrah Champion, a human resources assistant, and Toroshinia Kennedy, with the Office of Financial Planning, in making passionate presentations.

The latest ERG Wall honors the following individuals:

Carter Woodson, father of Black History Month
Leon Williams, former San Diego County Supervisor and San Diego City Councilman

Kamala Harris, 32nd Attorney General of California

Barbara Jordan, politician and leader in the Civil Rights movement

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

The ERG Wall, at the Library’s administrative offices at the County Operations Center, focuses on honoring individuals for their accomplishments in diversity and inclusion. The educational display is rotated each quarter and created by the County’s eight Employee Resource Groups.

African-Americans in Public Service will be on display through March. The ERG Wall is located at 5560 Overland Ave., Room 151. Viewing hours are based 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Also read: Diversity on Display at New ERG Wall 

What’s New on the Horizon for 2015?

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 A rendering of the Cedar and Kettner parking structure

The literal horizon, that is! Old County buildings will come down and new ones will go up in an ongoing effort to modernize our facilities and keep up with public needs. The projects taking shape in 2015 will affect hundreds of employees – maybe even you. Here are some highlights.

Openings

Cedar and Kettner Parking Structure

  • Scheduled Opening: October 2015
  • Project:  Build a parking structure with 654 spaces for County Administration Center employees. The garage is 10 stories high, three below street level and seven above, next to the Trolley’s Little Italy/County Center Station.

Lakeside Sheriff’s Substation

  • Scheduled Opening: Spring 2015  
  • Project: Move the substation location from a small leased storefront in Lakeside to a larger, newly remodeled building measuring more than 5,300 square feet.

A rendering of the Boulevard Fire StationBoulevard Fire Station

  • Scheduled Opening:  April 2015
  • Project:  Replace the existing facility with a new 7,866 square-foot fire station with living quarters and bays for six emergency vehicles.

North Inland Family Resource Center (Escondido) 

  • Scheduled Completion: May 2015 for June Occupancy
  • Project: Relocate operations from the current Valley Parkway offices into a larger 105,000-square-foot leased facility at 649 W. Mission Ave. The newly remodeled location will include a first for a County Family Resource Center – a Child Support satellite office. More than 400 employees will be making the move.

Las Colinas Detention and Reentry FacilityLas Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility

  • Scheduled Completion: December 2015 for January 2016 occupancy
  • Project: Finish Phase 2 of the multi-year 1,216-bed project to replace the existing facility on the 45-acre campus. 

New Beginnings

Imperial Beach Library

  • Scheduled Completion: Spring 2016
  • Project: Begin construction in summer 2015 for a new 12,000-square-foot library building to replace the existing 5,100-square-foot library built in 1966. The project will also incorporate and remodel an existing 2,000-square-foot community room belonging to the City of Imperial Beach.   

Alpine Library

  • Scheduled Completion: Spring 2016
  • Project: Begin construction in spring 2015 for a new 12,700-square-foot Zero Net Energy Library that will be more than four times larger than the current leased facility.

Crime Lab, Fleet Facility & Parking Structure

  • Schedule Completion:  May 2016 - Fleet Services & Parking Structure, Summer 2018 – Crime Lab
  • Project: Begin construction in spring 2015 on a new 1,200-space parking structure east of the Registrar of Voters building at the County Operations Center. The parking structure will be similar in height but about half the size of the parking garage near the conference center and café. The new garage will also house the relocated Fleet Services. The old Fleet Services building will be demolished to make way for a 158,000-square-foot building that will include a crime lab, space for Sheriff’s property and evidence materials, and administrative offices.  

Planning Stages

Pine Valley Fire Station: Build a new facility with sleeping quarters and four bays for emergency vehicles to replace the existing aged and undersized facility.  

Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk El Cajon Branch office: Locate a site in early 2015 to build a new, larger 19-20,000 square-foot building.  

Borrego Springs Library: Find a site for a new 14-15,000-square-foot building that will be six times the size of the current leased facility.

For more information on planned and proposed construction projects, see General Services’ Current Capital Projects list.

In Touch: 2015 ... Bring it On!

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2015 … Bring it on!

Last year was challenging: but thanks to all of your efforts it was also an excellent year. 

We faced countless risks and uncertainties yet managed well through each of them: implementation of the affordable care act, stabilizing the AB109 public safety realignment impact, protecting our region from the May fires and opening our Waterfront Park to name just a few. It was your energy, resilience and commitment that made it happen.

But — there is no more time to look back in the glow of what we accomplished last year. As I sat there watching some stunning football on New Year’s Day, I was focusing on what we have ahead.

The economy has picked up a bit and so have the expectations of our customers and our partners. Requests for enhanced services are heard everywhere and we need to step up to the call. 

We have the implementation of Laura’s Law coming before the Board at the end of January. The opportunities for flexibility and innovation in child welfare afforded by the Title IV-E Waiver must get rolling to have a significant impact on our foster care system. We have a jump start on the impacts of the passage of Prop 47, but there’s much to be done in reshaping sentencing and detention services. Sustainability opportunities keep knocking. Environmental necessities must be embraced. And several key capital projects are picking up steam. Every department has a long list of exciting opportunities ahead.

Nothing will stop us from doing great things this year. But there is an elephant in the room — or rather, in the budget — that we cannot ignore. You know; the one that the Union Tribune keeps writing about. Yes, we do have retirement debt. Lots of it. But I refuse to let that deter us from focusing on the great things we have ahead. I think about retirement debt every day and I am actively engaged in disciplined fiscal management to ensure we meet our obligations to fully fund the system without impacting services.

Public pension doesn’t define us or paralyze us. The services we provide our residents are what we’re about. It’s important that we read the sobering articles and listen to the public outcry about pensions. They are reminders to us all that we must remain prudent in our responsibilities as public servants and stewards of taxpayers’ money. But it’s equally important that we do not get mired in the negative and instead surge to new heights in providing our residents excellent government services.

To do this I pledge to do the following, and ask that you do so as well: 

  • Be better in my work — think more creatively, efficiently and get the details right.
  • Be better with our customers — in how I prepare, how I communicate and how I add value to their quality of life.
  • Be better with you, my teammates — in how I support you, how I communicate with you and how I care about you as people.
  • Be better in my community — in how I give of my time and effort to make San Diego the best region in the State.
  • Be better in my commitment to service — it’s not about me, it’s about the people we serve and maintaining a healthy organizational culture that has an inspiring and shared mission at its core. 

I am the only one who can control my attitude and how I approach work. The same is said for you. We’re terrific. And I’m so grateful to each of you. But can we be better? Of course we can!

Join me in committing to being better every day. Give more to our customers. Learn more. Smile more. Laugh more. Embrace newer technology. Be more positive. Be more energized. Be more respectful. Be more aware. Be more connected. Be more everything!

Thank you for your loyalty to our residents and the great work you do. We have a great year ahead!

2015… we’re ready. Bring it on!