Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have played a vital role in advancing the work we do in our County and the communities we serve. In this conversation with founding and current ERG council chairs, we learn more about the ERGs’ history, how being a part of an ERG has helped their careers, and hopes for the future.
Ethics Awareness Month provides us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the importance of ethics in our public service! This year the Office of Ethics and Compliance is hosting a series of virtual ethics events.
Join the next virtual event on safeguarding our customers’ personal information from wherever you work.
Date: Thursday, March 11, noon
Link: On Zoom
Mark your calendar for upcoming Ethics Awareness Month events.
PerkSpot is offering discounts on tax preparation service fees to County employees. Head to PerkSpot now to learn about offers from H&R Block, TaxAct and TurboTax.
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.
Ethics Awareness Month provides us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the importance of ethics in our public service! This year the Office of Ethics and Compliance is hosting a series of virtual ethics events.
Join the next virtual event with guest speaker Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher:
Date: March 8, noon
Link: On Zoom (ask a question)
Link: On YouTube (watch live)
Mark your calendar for upcoming Ethics Awareness Month events.
Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer
I try to take every opportunity I can to say thanks for all you do. I say it again here, but since it’s Appreciation Day, I also want to emphasize that fuller meaning of appreciate. That I’m really conscious of the value you bring to our organization and to the people we serve. I may not know the details of each individual job, but I can see the results of your collective efforts and appreciate – I do understand – what a ton of work it is.
And I know it’s been a very tough year. Again, I may not know everyone’s individual challenges, but I do appreciate that each of you has had challenges of some measure.
The need to adapt is going to continue. We have a new Board of Supervisors, and they are very actively moving the County in new directions. That could mean subtle changes for some of you, more dramatic for others.
I appreciate that, as you so often hear, change is hard. We’re a big ship, and rapidly putting it on a new course isn’t easy. All throughout the pandemic you’ve been asked to adapt and adapt again, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your tremendous flexibility and resourcefulness. Seeing those traits also gives me confidence that you’ll display them again as we bring new policies to life. Change is hard but also exciting, giving us new opportunities for growth and innovation.
I appreciate how hard it’s been acting in isolation so much of the time this past year. We’re social creatures, we feed off each other’s energy. Teams and Zoom are fine for what they are, but they can’t replace activities in person.
The good news is that the combination of growing vaccination numbers and dropping case numbers points to the possibility of resuming on-site work. It’s still too early to talk any kind of timeline. And everything won’t go back exactly how it once was. I also don’t expect it to happen overnight. Things will be phased in, and we’ll do it safely.
But we can start to think about it. I miss office camaraderie, and I know many of you do as well. More importantly, many of us miss the ability to work directly with the public. We’re in a people business. The feeling of connection that comes from real-life interactions helps us fulfill our mission. Our renewed commitment to equity means doing more to build relationships and being closer to our communities. Meeting people where they are – literally – will help make those efforts more successful.
Buuuuut – not quite yet. Let me add to things I appreciate: your patience. A few times it looked like we might be approaching an exit from pandemic mode, then have had to keep going. I get how frustrating it’s been. I appreciate you continuing to stretch that patience for what I hope won’t be too much longer.
You’ve had to help our residents through a crisis like none they’ve ever faced, all while living through it yourselves. I’ve always appreciated your work and felt so proud to be part of this organization, but that’s only grown this year. Unprecedented times means unprecedented appreciation on my part. Thank you, today and always, for everything you do.
With much gratitude, here are some videos, photos and notes of appreciation from across the County.
Keep checking back for new additions!
“Thank you to all of Central & South Homeless Services staff for ALWAYS giving 100% to the community. Your dedication, commitment and HEART is truly appreciated by the Homeless Services Management team!”
—Zuleika Rosa, Program Specialist II, Central and South Regions Homeless Services
“I would like to thank Leeda Waleh-Boney, Gabby Flores-Benavides and Ernesto Almazan for their hard work day in and day out. I appreciate every single one of you and we couldn’t do what we do without you. Thank you for being a vital part of our team. Happy Employee Appreciation Day!”
--Esther Yorba
The Sheriff's Administrative Offices in Kearny Mesa celebrated with sweet treats.
“Special shout out to Michelle Hightow, Anja Foster, Tracey Stingley, Maria Acebedo-Lopez, Laurie Hilger and Catherine Castro-Zepeda for your hard work and dedication to getting the job done!! Thank you for doing your best every day! Happy Employee Appreciation Day!”
--Esther Yorba
“I would like to recognize Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Finance section for your hard work and commitment to support ARCC operations, especially during these unprecedented times. Your dedication to the department and to the County is very well appreciated, so proud to be working with you.”
– Teresa Pizarro, Chief Deputy, Budget & Finance, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk
“Thank you to Julie Downing and Edwin Munoz for making ORR a great place to work at. Your dedication and tenacity to get the job done does not go unnoticed. Thank you for your efforts and the awesome teamwork! Happy Employee Appreciation Day!”
--Esther Yorba
“I appreciate the continuing support of our Director, LeShay Shaw and our Managers, Rick Cacha & Diana Eid-Chammas for their guidance with our day to day operations and especially during the beginning of the COVID19 pandemic. They were instrumental in keeping our offices operating with the least impact to our clients and client department. I’m thankful for their leadership.”
—Esther Yorba
A thank you from Ernie Dronenberg and Tim Boncoskey to the ARCC leadership team.
A “thank you” to supervising nurses at Edgemoor DPSNF from Supervising Nurse Ofelia Martinez
“To my awesome team @ BSM, Shayla and Elizabeth, I want to thank you for everything you do. Sometimes you might think your hard work goes un-noticed but it doesn’t. Without your help, dedication and assistance our work would be impossible. Thank you for everything you do!!”
– J.C Gonzalez, Senior Revenue & Recovery Officer
A thank you message from Protective Services Supervisor Gigi Burns
A thank you to the County Technology Office from Susan Green, Chief Information Officer
The County Administration Center was illuminated Thursday night to recognize County employees ahead of Employee Appreciation Day. The color pink represents gratitude and appreciation.
Share your appreciation! Send a virtual thank you card to a fellow County employee.
There is great comfort in the familiar. It's one reason humans often flock to other people who share the same interests. But familiar ground may not be the best place to cultivate creativity. Learn more – listen to this NPR podcast on creativity and diversity.
March is Women’s History Month. The County of San Diego Filipino American Employees Association wants to celebrate by honoring our personal SHEROES!
A shero is defined as “a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities; a heroine.” A shero can be a family member, friend, teacher, coach, co-worker, mentor, community advocate, famous trailblazer, etc.
Email CSDFEA your SHERO’s name, picture (optional) along with why she is your shero by March 15 to be included in CSDFEA’s 2021 Women’s History Month Newsletter to be published at the end of March.
