Cal-Liope | March April 2016 | 1

Cal-LiopeChapter/International Association of Workforce Professionals

MARAPR

2016

2016 Calendar

april 28, 2016Board of Directors Meeting

President’s Reception Ontario, CA

april 29, 2016State Conference and Convention

Election of OfficersAwards Luncheon

Ontario, CA

May 15, 2016Cal-Liope Articles and Pictures Due

June 26-29, 2016 International Conference

Buffalo, New York

InSIde

Page 3State Award Nominees

Page 4 Inventing Your Life

Page 5

Nominations for State Office

Page 8

Goings On Around the State

WEBSITE NEWS:Amazing New

California Website:www.iapes-ca.org

STATE CONfERENCE & CONVENTION

> April 28-29, 2016

ONTARIO AIRPORT HOTELRegistration Information at www.iapes-ca.org

INTERNATIONAL CONfERENCE & CONVENTION> June 26 – June 29, 2016

HYATT BUffALO HOTELRegistration Information at www.iapes-ca.org

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MeSSaGe FrOM THe STaTe CHaPTer PreSIdenT

YVeTTe QUeVedO

By Yvette Quevedo, California State Chapter President

IAWP is your professional organization and it helps you to meet the needs of your customers as well as develop yourself on both a personal and professional level. You should have already seen the training dates for March in the monthly EDD IAWP Update. Watch for the next one with continuing educational opportunities.

Conferences are a great forum for a learning experience where you also get to see the big picture. It is a great time for networking and attendance at the conference is an opportunity to interact with members throughout the state. I look forward to seeing friends that I have developed over the years and making new ones. This year’s Annual IAWP California Chapter State Conference and Convention takes place on Friday, April 29, 2016. Our theme is “Innovating for Risk Takers: Developing Professionals for a New Workforce Culture.” Please see the article (below) about the conference speakers.

The conference will also include our Annual Awards Luncheon to recognize the exceptional work of our members and partners during this past year. This year we received more than 50 nominations for our State Chapter Awards! So, I’m happy to see the active participation of the local chapters to recognize so many, well-deserving individuals and groups.

Before the conference, on Thursday, April

28, 2016, join us for the President’s Reception as we present awards to the local chapters for their hard work over the year in Chapter Activities, Communication, and Education. Those members running for an officer position will also be present for a meet and greet – you will see information about those running for an office in this issue. Unfortunately not every office is represented, so I encourage you to run for an office.

For more information and to register, please see the flyer located on our website www.iapes-ca.org/events. The cost of Thursday night’s reception is included in the registration for Friday’s conference. So register now for the conference! I hope to see many of you there!

IAWP appreciates all the support from the staff and management in the various branches of the Employment Development Department (EDD). That is why we are sad to see some great mentors retiring this year. I did personally attend

2016 State Conference SpeakersBy Val Moeller and Ray Cabrera, Conference Co-Chairs

“Innovating for Risk Takers – Developing Professionals for a New Workforce Culture” is the theme for this year’s State Educational Conference. The speaking presentations are de-signed to inform and inspire

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CALifoRniA ChAPteRinternational Association of Workforce Professionals

President YVETTE QUEVEDOyvette.quevedo@gmail.com

first Vice President RAY CABRERARaymond.cabrera@edd.ca.gov

Second Vice President RICk PARTRIDGERichard.Partridge@edd.ca.gov

treasurer PHIL DWYERwwwphil@aol.com

Past President CHARLES PATTERSONcepat500@gmail.com

Recording Secretary NANETTE BOWMANhome: 949-644-9055

international District Viii DirectorMARY NAVARRO-ALDANAmnavarr1@roadrunner.com

Membership CoordinatorCINDY RODRIGUEzcindyrodrig@gmail.com

executive office Managerand editor PAT THORNTONthornton956@msn.com

District i DirectorCOLETTE NWONYEColette.nwonye@edd.ca.gov

District ii Director B J SIMSbjtsims@earthlink.net

District iii Director VAL MOELLERRetire2k07@aol.com

District iV Director RAY CABRERARaymond.Cabrera@edd.ca.gov

California website:www.iapes-ca.orginternational website:www.iawponline.org

By Rob Claudio, Orange Empire Member

I was asked to share my thoughts about the many leadership opportunities that lie in making contributions to our association, the International Association of Workforce Professionals in California. To begin with, I would like to share my own experience of what the association has provided for me during my tenure with the Department. I can recall that when I first began working for EDD 25 years ago (time flies), I would get asked by one of the first line supervisors if I would be interested in going to a meeting somewhere. I don’t remember the topics too well, because at the time, anything outside of work hours was very much filled up with things that centered on my own personal world and doing things outdoors. However, as I continued working and gave further thought to what a career could be like with the Department and how did I best fit in with the organization. I also was witness to some examples of leadership that made me wonder where they got their training and thus the impetus for working towards a career in a leadership capacity was born.

One of my vantage points was that I had worked for the Vice President of Student Affairs at San Diego State University, when I was a student. Although I was a student assistant for over 3 years while I finished college, I never felt as if I was treated as a student worker, but as a valuable team member. Once you experience that, it stays with you and makes you want to join another team where you can create or be part of that same dynamic. Hence, when I thought about EDD and what I could do, I had that in the back of my mind all along. I decided since I did not have a classification that provided me with a leadership job description at that time, I could certainly tailor my own experience that could be filled with opportunities to exercise my own skills.

I saw an opportunity in having a leadership role through IAWP and volunteered to run for vice president of the local chapter. My first memory through this experience, was how I learned about Robert’s Rules of Order, which to this day has served me well. It is very much part of my world in the work I do with the many Workforce Develop-ment Boards and the protocols of their meetings that I participate in. The experience also allowed me to look for ways to engage a large amount of members that had stopped feeling connected to the organization and I was able to work with my fellow board members on strategies to address this. Aside from team work, there was lots of com-munication along with planning and executing ideas, while meeting deadlines and working with

a specific budget to accomplish it all. I went on to serve as Presi-dent of the local chapter and in one great year, I was able to recruit over 80 new members, which made the chapter grow in size from medium to large.

Although it took me more time to realize it years later, what I was also experiencing in the process was the joy of giving back, as a residual effect of wanting to grow in a leadership capacity. I can’t say enough about what the organization does for its members, however, it is what we collectively invest in it and if you were contemplating pursuing a leadership role in the Department, I ask you to think about adding to your journey where opportunity already exists. Whether it is in a local chapter or at the state chapter level, you can decide where your talents may be the best fit. However, I would certainly like to see that people who are already members, work towards the investment in themselves and the valued association, in order for us to show the future members of IAWP how far we can develop and where the next generation will be taking us in the years to come.

Finally, remember that your experience in a leadership role with IAWP can provide you with the ability to expand your capacity in the following areas; Coordinating, Communication Skills, Team Work, Team Building, Analyzing, Planning, Budgeting, Critical Thinking and overall increased responsibility. I can also share with you that all of these skills are essential in working in a leadership capacity with our Department. Envision that in a future interview you can speak to your abilities for a job that you desire from having hands on personal experience, which you can share with a hiring panel. Aside any leadership experience in your prior work history, you can make a significant impact in an interview through your recent experiences as part of the work you have done with IAWP. Therefore, I challenge all of you that are on the fence about wanting to pursue more or do more, to contribute to your own personal growth along with investing in an association that you are a valued member of. Remember that your opportunity is now, especially with our agency branches which are all facing increased levels of attrition. The opportunities for leadership positions will continue to increase and with your preparation, commitment and desire, IAWP can be the foundation from which you can ascend to reaching those goals.

leadership: If not now, When?

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CitAtion AwArdindividual: Mike MarinoffGroup: RWM Fiber Optics, Inc.

AwArd oF Meritindividual:• Denise Dobine• Felix Tan• Fabian Valencia• Jennifer Lucy• Felix MejiaGroup:• San Diego/Imperial Valley

Management Team ° Ruth Salcido, Tracy Fuerte, Dania Luna

• Orange Empire Executive Board ° Fabian Valencia, Abraham

Saucedo, Jacklyn Shih, Carol Kolesar, Nanette Bowman, Jose Soriano, Charles Patterson, Magdalena Brooks, Jean Stefanik, Sandra Irish, Jeanne Wallace, Debbie Voss, DeeAnn Williams

eMployee perForMAnCeindividual:• Gabriela Carreno• Sarita Walker• Valerie Eriksen• Kim Duong• Joanna Nunez• Crystal Ortiz• Teresa Garcia• Jacklyn Shih• Teresa Cardona• Aris Dizon• Olevia Williams• Adriana Rios• Patricia Medel• Kermit Redd• Lakiesha Bell• Diane Parker-Harris

Group:• UI Buena Park Secretarial

Team ° Gabriela Carreno & Karen

Phun• Anaheim UI Management

Team ° Abel Bravo, Gabriela

Carreon, Gina Cuevas, Enrique Duenas, Mei-Ping Jhern, Eric Locano, Christy Luu, Nikki Nguyen, Van Quyhn Nguyen, Christian Olague, Maria Parra, Quoc Phan, Carolyn Tatum, Quy Tran, Kin Vong, Thao Vu, Michelle Zalazar

• Los Angeles UI Center Appeals ° Joannie Wang, Genevieve

Verceles, Waunetah “Jane” Goins, Tracie Ponds, Rina Carr, Eva Gutierrez, Chris Baca, Claudia Corona, Christina Calugcugan, Luz Vargas, Renee Plaza, Jennifer Tea, Gladys Del Gadillo, Maria Shintani, Aykui Keshishyan, Erika Manzanarez

• UI Center Riverside Office – Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker Team ° Sandra Morales, Lidia

Salas, Rosa Valencia, Nancy Alcazar, Liliana Bejarano, Carolyn Calderon, Edgar Escobar, Marta Flores, Kathy Martinez, Sylvana Maroney, Beatrice Tiscareno, David Vargas, Arlette Vega, Ursula Velarde, Roxanna Carranza, Roger Chavez, Yvonne Flores, Damian Ornelas, Ileana Perez, Anita Rodriguez, Lucy Tucker

• Sacramento Disability Insurance Customer Service Center ARU 209 Team

• San Gabriel Valley Workforce Services Reemployment and Eligibility Assessment Program Team ° Albert Lusk, Anthony

Raygoza, Ben Vuong, Carmen Aboul-Saad, Debbie Millan, Esther Sapien, Gia Quezada, Maria Fernandez, Maria Saldana, Teresa Castilla, Sung Hwang

• LA Area Collection Office Management Team ° Victor Williams, Dolores

Callos, Cassandra Catchings, Stephanie Coleman-Smith, Diane Parker-Harris

ServiCeS to veterAnSindividual:• Antonio Escomiendo• Frank Fletcher• Michael Hines• Carmen OdomGroup:• Long Beach Veterans Group

° Carmen Odom, William Brandon, Roxana Gomez

workForCe SySteM CuStoMer ServiCeindividual:• MaryJean Newcomer• Philip Binstock• Rhonda Wooten-Savino• Laureen Diaz• Gabriela Baeza• Robert Uribe

Group:• East LA/LA Metro/Long

Beach Region Management Team ° Connie Chan, Eliana R.

Alfaro, Jesse Cuevas, Janie Ladao, Jorge Perez, Hector Silva, Crystal Prendiz, Julia Lugo, Celia Guzman, Evangelina “Angie” Arroyo, Joseph Velasco, Paz McNeel

• Oceanside Veteran Team ° MaryJean Newcomer &

Ron Jones• Anaheim Experience

Unlimited Coordinators ° Chhaya Samtani, Dan

Sarno, Rhonda Wooten-Savino

• Workforce Services Southern Division Region A Onboarding Team ° Cheri Greenlee, Michelle

Withers, Carolyn Reyna, Elisa Mitchell, Enjoli Burries, Sandra Lopez, Rosanna Becerra, Anita Sanchez, Wendell Crawford, Juan Jose Aguirre, Monica Servin, Jackie Cervantes, Mary Mabry, Lena Salas

• Oxnard Business Services Unit ° Peter Rosales, Ignacio

Abeyta, Carmen Cuevas, Jacqueline Sandoval, David Navarrete, Griselda Ramos

FoSterinG pArtnerShip AwArdindividual:• Gina Galvan• Dr. Robert Watts• Patty O’Sullivan• Kate RyanGroup:• Customer Centered Design

Team ° Sandra Lopez, Shelly

Wolfe, Monica Servin, Gustavo Cisneros, Riccardo Canova, Jennifer Sowards

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2015/2016 STaTe aWard nOMIneeSBy Rick Partridge, 2nd Vice President and Recognition Chair

Thank you to those who submitted nominations for the 2015 IAWP California Chapter Awards. Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated! The winners will be announced at the 2016 Annual Conference and Convention on Friday, April 29, 2016. Here are all of the nominees. I hope we will see you in Ontario when the winners are announced.

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you to reach new heights within the new Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA) environment.

lauri Flack is the Deputy Director Ventura County Human Services Agency, Community Services Department. In 1998, with the inception of CalWORKS, California’s implementation of national welfare reform authorized under the Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act (TANF), Lauri was hired to be one of the seven managers to create a system of Job and Career Centers within Ventura County. In 2001, she was promoted to the Senior Manager position over the county’s CalWORKS program. She was promoted to Deputy Director in Ventura Country for the Human Services Agency over the Business and Employment Services Department which administered the CalWORKS, WIA, and GR programs in 2006. In November, 2013, Lauri was asked to create the Community Services Department, which operates a countywide system of service centers that provide public health care insurance (MediCal), food security (CalFresh), work readiness training and free employment services to the public (CalWORKS, WIA, GR, and special grant-funded ex-offender employment programs). She oversees 700 staff at the Community Services Department who strive every day to provide help, hope, and opportunity to the public.

Her presentation is entitled ‘Recipe for Successfully Changing the Organizational Culture”. Her presentation includes real experience in developing partnerships, working with change under WIOA, integrated service delivery, best practices in working with partners and developing relationships directly related to the strategic

goals of WIOA and incorporating unique contributions to reach performance goals and serve the public. The presentation will include references to successful theories in service provision, capacity building, leadership building and excellence that she has used with an excellent return on investment.

patrick w. henning, Jr., California Employment Development Department Director, will be making a short presentation on “The changes and developments at EDD, the real story!” Mr. Henning will give us an update on achievements, expectations, new developments, and what needs more work during the upcoming months.

Janeen dodson – Perhaps no other skill can yield such immediate results and return on investment than learning how to improve business processes. The EDD Director’s Office, Business Process Improvement Manager, Janeen Dodson will share the integrated, data-driven approach to analyzing processes and implementing solutions. Learn how EDD’s teams are creating more efficiency and effectiveness through innovation and intelligent risk taking.

lisa Marie platske left her action- packed life as a Federal law enforcement officer to become the CEO of international leadership training and consulting company, Upside Thinking, Inc. An award-winning leadership expert, Lisa Marie takes her law enforcement journey which began on the piers in New York and ended post 9/11 and shares what exceptional leaders do differently, why connection is the new A certified leadership master coach, Lisa Marie has coached multi-million dollar entrepreneurs, start-ups, and seasoned executives from 3 different continents and in 20+ different industries (healthcare, real estate, clothing design, IT, financial planning, law, insurance, etc.) on how to position themselves so that they are seen,

heard, recognized, and rewarded as an expert in their field. Her proven success strategies have resulted in her clients getting 6 and 7-figure opportunities, bonuses and promotions, tripling their income, and finding up to 21 “extra” hours in each work week. Simply put, she creates effective leaders. She earned a BS in Criminal Justice and a MA in Human Resources Training and Development coupled with a certification in leadership and is the author of Designing Your Destiny, Connection: The New Currency and Turn Possibilities into Realities which became an international best seller in March 2015. Lisa Marie lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brent poppen is an author, substitute teacher, counselor and an international motivational speaker. A sports accident at age sixteen caused a spinal-cord injury that left him paralyzed for life. Brent became a quadriplegic, losing complete use of his legs with some paralysis in his upper extremities. This was an ending in many ways, but also a beginning to journeys he never dreamed! His spinal-cord injury did not paralyze his athletic dreams, because he has become one of the top disabled athletes in the world. Brent competed in two consecutive Paralympics, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008, in wheelchair rugby and tennis. He earned a Bronze Medal in wheelchair rugby and has received numerous Gold Medals and world titles in both sports. Brent is also an avid water skier, teaching other disabled persons either at his home lake, or through his water ski programs with Children’s Hospital in Fresno, California .He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science from Chapman College in Southern California. Brent has served on staff at the Boys School (a youth correctional facility) in Paso Robles, California. He is a rehabilitation counselor at Children’s Hospital in Fresno, California.

Hope to see you at the conference!

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InVenTInG YOUr lIFe

ViewpointBy Rob Claudio, Orange Empire Chapter

Although many of us can be very good at calculating how we want things to manifest in our lives as we grow older, life has a funny way of derailing us at times when our best laid plans sometimes end

up being just that. I am sure that many of us can offer our own best advice to others as to how we would handle a problem or issue differently, now that we have the experience behind us. I think of the movie Groundhog Day and how Bill Murray got the chance to do things differently every morning that he kept waking up on the same day, yet, he persisted on committing

some of the same errors day-in and day-out without correcting some of his ways. I know that we would be baffled if we had our own Groundhog Day to deal with, however, I would also hope that we would make

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nominations for State Chapter Officers Open!By Charles Patterson, Immediate Past President and Nominations Committee Chairman

Now is the time to nominate an individual for a State Chapter Officer position for the 2016-2017 administrative year. Nomina-tions can be submitted via email or regular mail through April 24, 2016. Additionally, there will be a call for nominations from the floor at the Annual State Educational Convention at the Ontario Airport Hotel & Conference Center on April 29. Nominations may be made for the following state offices:

• President• First Vice President• Second Vice President• Treasurer• Membership Coordinator• District I, II, III and IV Director• International District VIII Director Elect, and• Member, Karl E. Bybee Education Foundation Board. IAWP believes in assisting the workplace professional grow in

their capacity to lead and develop others for success, and strives to build capacity at every level. Accepting a nomination to run for a statewide officer position is an excellent way to help your career as-pirations move forward and is a great way to develop and enhance skills needed in today’s workplace.

When considering a nomination, please carefully consider the qualifications for state chapter offices. Look around your circle of colleagues, and ask someone if they would be willing to help IAWP grow in our mission to equip tomorrow’s leaders today. If you know of an individual who is up to the challenge, fill out the form below and mail it in!

NOMINATION FORM FOR2016-2017 CALIFORNIASTATE CHAPTER OFFICERS

nominator:i hereby nominate _______________________________________for the California State iAWP office of _____________________ .By ___________________________________________________Signature of nominator ____________________Date__________nominator’s Sub-Chapter name ___________________________nominee ______________________________________________i hereby accept the nomination for the office of _____________________________________________________________________in the California Chapter. if elected, i will perform the duties of this office to the best of my abilities. i have notified my supervisor of my nomination, or i will give such notification within 30 days of my nomination.By ___________________________________________________Signature of nominee _______________________Date________

nominee’s Sub-Chapter name ____________________________

if the office for which you have been nominated requires eligi-bility criteria, please indicate how you meet those criteria on an attached page. Submit the completed form and any documentation to: Charles Patterson • 9 tortuga • irvine, CA 92606-0882

better decisions when presented with circumstances that we had seen previously.

Remember that our life experiences can prove to be our best ammunition at handling any particular situation. Whether it is a person or a circumstance that just stumps you with what to do next, one of the best ways to deal with that is first and foremost to change your own perspective. This usually ends up meaning that we are the ones that ultimately have to change and not the other way around. I know that it is ironic to think this way, since we don’t usually think of ourselves as the one with the problem or issue. Remember that perspective and having a different view, can change the entire dynamics of anything in a heart-beat.

Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where you believe that you have exhausted all possibilities and see no immediate relief in sight. Well think about the fact that as each day passes, if there is no hope that accompanies that situation, it can ultimately leave you feeling as if you are sinking and not moving forward. Hope is so important because it can provide you with the strength you need to carry on and it also helps you with vision towards the day when things can actually change for the better. I know that many of us can think of someone we know or have come across where we could see that hope was not evident in their view of things and that particular look on someone’s face can make a lasting impression on anyone.

In my own experience, I have learned that those who are closest to us tend to not take any advice from us, because of the proximity of our relationship which adds to the issue. I can remember when I gave some repeated words of advice to a family member and it would go in one ear and out the other. Fast forward to many years later and I come to find out that they listened to those same words that came from someone else, that was not related or particularly close to them. Ultimately, they also gave credit for their resolution to that other individual and you then wonder about the selective memory that they now have. Does this sound familiar? I know it is one of those interesting moments that we all experience at some point in our lives. Hence our best work is usually accomplished through our impact with others and interestingly not directly in our own immediate families or inner circle. In fact, your view of things can be altered, unclear or even unknown at any given time. What matters is that you do not give up on what you want to see as the ultimate result in your life.

One must keep reaching for their goals and it is also important to keep dreaming, as life would be quite boring without either. Although we may not be quite sure of when things can take a turn for the better, it is very important to remember that at some point they will and it can happen as quickly as changing your mind and viewpoint. The combination of hope plus goals and dreams, can provide for the right perspective of things to come, as long as you realize that it can only occur with your permission.

“There are things I can’t force. I must adjust. There are times when the greatest change needed

is a change of my viewpoint.”– Denis Diderot

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By Rebekah Cyr,Sacramento Chapter President

Thank you for the oppor-tunity to serve each of you! I am running for the 2016-2017 California State 2nd Vice Pres-ident and District 1 Director positions. I am currently the IAWP Sacramento Chapter President and the Technology Team Lead. Within EDD, I am a Disability Insurance program representative in Sacramento, California.

As a leader, it is imperative to establish a vision and mea-surable goals for any organiza-tion. This year I collaborated with our Sacramento chapter leadership team to create goals for this year’s activities. To cast a vision for the chapter I envi-sioned: Where will the IAWP be in the next five years? What will we accomplish? But, more importantly I considered, What COULD we do in the next five years?

Five years equates to 260 weeks, 1,820 days, and 2,620,800 minutes. In the rou-tine of every day working, we of-ten forget the power and impact of time. Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel in less than five years. Shakespeare wrote Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and five other plays in 5 years. And more recently, in less than five years, Jeff Bezos went from a 500 square foot apartment to a net worth of $10 billion dollars as the founder

of Amazon. Another simple invention idea started by three college students, You Tube, was sold to Google for $1.6 billion – in one year after creation. In essence, five years can change the world.

The official Mission state-ment of the IAWP is to develop, serve and support those inter-ested in workforce development programs. So, the more im-portant question to ask is, how can the IAWP better support workplace professionals? How can we empower, encourage, inspire and educate the contin-ually growing workforce? How can we train and develop staff to retain and foster an educated workforce?

As the IAWP it is imperative that we effectively support the workforce employee. The IAWP organization continues to pro-vide low-cost or free training opportunities for its members throughout the state. As an or-ganization, we host webinars to facilitate goal setting, teach best business practices and devel-op each member’s professional portfolio. Our bimonthly news-letter features articles mirror-ing successful business trends and important executive initia-tives for change. We host yearly educational workshops to allow our members networking op-portunities and to gain valu-able feedback from managerial staff about current department trends and employment oppor-tunities. And most importantly,

we acknowledge our member’s workplace accomplishments by publically recognizing and awarding their individual and group contributions to their cli-ents and their community.

For the upcoming year, the IAWP will strive to improve our publicizing and recruiting efforts by focusing our efforts on a digital campaign launched by our newly formed Technol-ogy Team. By using new tech-nology methods, the IAWP can improve current business practices to better utilize our local chapter resources. We will reach a new generation of IAWP members by using vari-ous social media venues, digital resources and improving our public website. Our resourc-es will be relevant, trend hot business topics and highlight important business skills to our members.

The IAWP will continue to be a light into our surround-ing community. By partnering with community organizations we will focus on providing ed-ucational support to homeless individuals, at-risk youth and veterans in our communities. Through teaching workshops for such organizations we will promote career education, job placement and skills-based training.

Our IAWP member services are priceless. In the professional world, our services would cost thousands of dollars. By com-municating the value of being

To the IaWP California Members

CandIdaTe rebeKaH CYr aSKS FOr YOUr SUPPOrT

an IAWP member we will in-crease our membership and retain existing members. But more importantly, we will in-spire our members to achieve bigger and better mile-stones within their own professional careers.

A famous coach, Vince Lombardi once said, “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

This year, with IAWP as my cause, I will continue to hum-bly serve our members. I will encourage our members to see the everyday victories in their workday to enhance future ca-reer opportunities. And most importantly, I encourage all of us to not “go” through our professional lives but to GROW through our professional lives and careers. I look forward to personally speaking with each and every one of you through-out the upcoming year and sup-porting your development as a workforce professional. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as a leader of IAWP.

By Walter Ko, East Bay Chapter

With the invitation of the Department of Industrial Re-lation (DIR), Walter Ko was approved by management to represent EDD to host the EDD booth on Saturday, Jan-uary 23, 2016. Walter is a de-

voted member of IAWP. This year, there were less vendors and fair-goers even though it was two weeks away from the Lunar New Year of Monkey.

The day before, Walter emailed the Singtao Canton-ese Radio show host Cindy for

2016 lunar new YearOakland Chinatown Fair

WalTer KO and MeMberS OF THe OaKland STaFF CelebraTe THe lUnar neW YearCOnTInUed On PaGe 7

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By Thomas E. Ivory, NVTI Liaison

In past publications I have written about NVTI resources such as the avail-ability of training at NVTI (National Vet-erans Training Institute) for non-veteran staff; online courses such as “Preparing Veterans for Meaningful Careers” (www.nvtihelpvets.ucdenver.edu); and Home-less Veteran Webinars (NVTI The Buzz). I am writing this article about another resource under NVTI Training Solutions, which is the umbrella organization for NVTI. To access NVTI Training Solu-tions go to the NVTI website, (www.nvti.ucdenver.edu) and click on it in the left margin. This website offers a lot of infor-mation about mission and vision state-ments and courses offered, but I would like to direct the reader to the Resources tab.

As stated in the Introduction to this site: “This resource site has been designed for past, current and future NVTI partic-ipants as well as others who are assisting our nation’s veterans in secure quality, long-term employment.  This site is con-stantly being updated with new resources as they become available so return often for updated information and resources.”

The content is broken down as follows:

dvop toolsGeneral tools: which range from links

to Social Media for Networking Job Seek-ers, to the Art of Case Notes.

disabilities: which covers several links to resources on Accommodating employees with disabilities to links to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Dis-abilities Employment Policy.

homeless veterans: which includes an Employment Guide for service providers who help the homeless and a link to many VA resources on homelessness including housing, employment, healthcare, etc.

Job Search Guides: which includes several links to various States Job Search Workbooks and Guides.

recently incarcerated: which has many helpful tips as well as guides and tools for working with the recently incar-cerated.

lver toolsAddressing Stereotypes: which dis-

cusses accommodations as listed above but also has linkage to Veterans and ADA (Americans Disabilities Act): A Guide for Employers, and a Hire a Vet video.

educating Contractors: has two sites of FAQ’s on FCJL (Federal Contractor Job Listing) and Jobs for Veterans Act as it re-lates to Federal Contractors.

hiring veterans: includes a list of 21 strengths that veterans bring to the job and an article with many references list-ed about the “Business Case for Hiring a Veteran”

outreach: has links to IssueLab on Job Development Essentials as well as “Working with Employers” Workbook and Facilitator guide.

employer Challenges: Capabilities- Contributions-Challenges Approach to addressing employer concerns when hiring veterans and topics to explore when talking to supervisors, senior leaders or HR.

employment Barriers: provides links on homeless and incarcerated veteran sites, but also has information on the Federal Bonding Program and technical assistance in conducting a Stand Down.

Additional Components• Laws, Rules, and Regulations.• E-Modules• Additional Resources• Course Resources• NASWA• State specific• Homeless Webinars and Summit• NVTI College Credit Intent Form• RVEC informationIt is readily apparent from this descrip-

tion that there is a resource, link, or tool that can be helpful in performing any job in America’s Job Centers. I recommend that you take a few minutes to browse through the site and periodically check back in.

As Terence Hughes, Executive Director of NVTI Training Solutions told me “This site was created to provide a one-stop lo-cation to access links on many subjects important to staff who assist veteran job seekers. As we know with the refocusing of veteran services at America’s Job Cen-ters, many non-JVSG (Jobs for Veterans State Grant) funded service providers will find this information is useful in working with veteran and non-veteran clients.”

nVTI Training Solutions: resource Site

the public announcement of a State booth with an EDD Cantonese speaking repre-sentative to answer questions and share information. It was an effective promo-tion. After setting up the table with bro-chures and candies sponsored by IAWP East Bay Chapter, Walter started handing out the Chinese version of the Guidebook of Benefits (DE1275A). The booth was in a prime centrally located spot with good foot traffic and not far from the central performance stage.

Walter served close to fifty clients who were mostly claimants. The general questions included Disability Insurance, debit card issues, CTB, federal extensions, 1099G, the CalJobs internet site, SBP/ABP and WP. The frequently asked questions were how to report wages on the DE 4581 working part-time. Walter professionally answered questions with references to the Guide Book pages. A Human Resource manager from a local Chinese supermarket chain introduced herself and asked for information to promote their job vacancy recruitment at all locations. It is a good sign that the economy did turn around. Walter was excited and happy to refer her to a local field office for job club recruiting as the company offered a wage of fifteen dollars an hour.

Despite the not too ideal weather, Wal-ter managed to finish passing out all the brochures with a rare face to face moment with clients and they were excited to have this opportunity to talk to a real person for answers. This event was productive. Walter is looking forward to the opportu-nity to reaching out in another street fair in the fall.

OaKland CHInaTOWn FaIr: FrOM PaGe 6

]

STATE CONfERENCE& CONVENTION> April 28-29, 2016ONTARIO AIRPORT HOTELRegistration Information atwww.iapes-ca.org

INTERNATIONAL CONfERENCE & CONVENTION> June 26 – June 29, 2016HYATT BUffALO HOTELRegistration Information atwww.iapes-ca.org

reGISTer TOdaY

8 | March April 2016 | Cal-Liope

GOInGS On arOUnd THe STaTe

VOlUnTeerS FrOM THe Inland eMPIre CHaPTer.

Some may even find themselves living check to check or find themselves one paycheck away from being homeless. For goodness sake, I currently work three jobs not including my volunteer work. I have goals I am working hard to accomplish hence the reason for my sacrifice. Many might ask, “Why?” Many may ask, “How?” Nevertheless, I was happy to hear that the IAWP Joaquin Chapter was going to help me and others find some answers to our ultimate question, “Is work-life balance possible?”

The Work-Life Balance workshop facilitator was Bea DeAlba Navarro. Ms. DeAlba Navarro possesses extensive knowledge and over 15 years of experience in training, mentoring, communications, marketing, public relations, outreach and cultural diversity. She is currently an Associate Governmental Program Analyst where she is a networking facilitator under the Special Projects Grants and WIOA Unit at the Employment Development Department, Workforce Services Deputy Director’s office.

Ms. De Alba Navarro opened the event with music and asked all attendees to stand up, grab the pom-poms she made for everyone. She asked all the attendees to shake the pom-poms and SHAKE OFF WORK!! All attendee’s began to smile and wave their hands in the air as if they just didn’t care. Upon returning to our seats and the music disappearing from the background, all attendees were asked to locate a small mathematical quiz where we had to add up all the numbers that were located under each letter from complete words. We realized that the word attitude equaled to 100. Ms. De Alba informed us that our work-life balance has to first start with 100% attitude. Then the attendees were referred to a game card that was also located in our reference packet as well as sticky notes that were available to write on. We were then advised that the game card represents four distinct behaviors that can help with easing our work-life balance and success in life.

After completing the game card, Ms. De Alba had all participants close their eyes, take a deep breath and think about something that makes them smile. She shared with us that if we like our jobs, we will not see the job as being work because we like what you do. If we find ourselves disliking our job she encouraged us all to identify certain aspects of the job that we do like or find something to think about that makes you smile and brings positive energy when we are at work.

All attendees were provided valuable and insightful information and tools to helps us all discover or rediscover a healthy work-life balance.

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PUeRto DeL SoL ChAPteRBy Patricia Coladonato, Puerto Del Sol Member

Ann Hallahan, Employment De-velopment Administrator with the San Diego Unemployment Insur-ance Branch, was eager to teach 40 fellow IAWP members and guests how to promote within the state during an IAWP presentation held February 6 at the South Metro Ca-

COnTInUed On neXT PaGe

inLAnD eMPiRe ChAPteRBy Peter Gallerani, Inland Empire Member

The IAWP Inland Empire Local Chapter joined hands with Habitat for Humanity Riverside to help out and paint some homes in Corona, California.

The word went out that we needed volunteers who had a few hours and would like to make a difference in our community to help those in need on Saturday, January 30th. As it turned out we had 18 volunteers that came out and helped.

They were able to raise $630. Those who attended received IAWP yellow t-shirts. They spent about three hours and everyone had a great time transforming the exterior of a mobile home with a new coat of paint. The volunteers had so much fun that they are planning to help out again on April 2nd. They have a goal of getting 25+ volunteers and donations of $1,000 or more.

Habitat for Humanity posted IAWP as one of the volunteers on their website, Facebook and twitter.

If you want to come out and join the IAWP Inland Empire volunteers and help the needy, please contact Peter Gallerani at Peter.Gallerani@edd.ca.gov

A great big thanks to all those who were able to participate and all those who donated to the cause. We hope to see you again on Saturday, April 2.

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JoAQUin ChAPteR

By Gloria Earl, Joaquin Chapter President

I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Does a work-life balance truly exist when some are struggling to get the education and skills needed to make more money in order to provide for their family?”

FaCIlITaTOr beaTrIz de alba naVarrO and aTTendeeS VerlYnda barneTTe, lOreTTa JOHnSOn and Jena edGeTOn, JOaQUIn CHaPTer leGISlaTIVe CHaIr.

Cal-Liope | March April 2016 | 9

GOInGS On arOUnd THe STaTereer Center in San Diego. Her talk on “Writing a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) That Will Make You Stand Out” provided nuts and bolts instructions on formatting and constructing an SOQ, as well as aspirational themes on writing for your highest level, not your current level.

The presentation was part of IAWP Puerto Del Sol’s Leader-ship Series, and also included a talk by EDD Employment Pro-gram Manager I David Silva on “Performance, Productivity and Promotions.”

As a hiring manager, Hallahan said she has read thousands of SOQs. “An SOQ is unique to state government. At its most basic, it is a screening tool used to pare the hiring process down to a man-ageable number of interviewees,” Hallahan explained. “We often get hundreds of applications for a position. The SOQ is used to eliminate applicants who don’t have the basic qualifications, don’t follow instructions or don’t pay attention to special requirements of position.”

“There is not really one true answer of what an SOQ should look,” Hallahan said. However, key things to keep in mind when formatting an SOQ include:

• Don’t confuse an SOQ with a resume or cover letter – it is neither

• Tailor SOQ to specific position applying for• Use full sentences to show you can express yourself• Give relevant and specific examples of experiences and per-

formance• Pay attention to special requirements• Use active voice not passive voice“The SOQ is used to demonstrate that you have the qualifica-

tions in relation to the position,” she said. “One format I saw that was really good started out with an overall statement of what that person had achieved. Then they chose the core competencies the position was looking for and gave examples of what they had done that were specific to those competencies.”

Envision your next move up “and then think about the expe-riences and qualifications you need that can take you to that next level,” Hallahan said. “If you’re aspiring to be an EPMI, think about the experiences you have that can take you to that next level. In the hiring process we’re not looking for someone who is an ex-cellent EPR, we’re looking at whether you are going to be a strong leader, will you be able to do the job we are hiring for. Never say what you can’t do, show what you can do.

“An SOQ should present a powerful, thoughtful and true por-trait of who you are,” Hallahan continued. “Make sure you pre-pare, proofread and personalize to your highest qualification. Make it your voice and let it be you who is expressed on your SOQ.”

When aiming for a promotion with the state, high performance and productivity are the key ingredients managers look for, EPMI Silva told the attendees following Hallahan’s presentation. Silva said it took a six-year span for him to become a manager after joining EDD in June of 2010.

In the past, “you worked really hard, put in your time, and over a period of years you would get promoted,” Silva said. Back then “nobody was getting promoted after five or six years. Today’s new-

See MOre CHaPTer neWS On PaGe 10

COnTInUed FrOM PreVIOUS PaGe er mode has to do with performance. You need to make your boss look great, not just good.”

To do that, Silva explained, you need to be a high-performing staff member, not a high-maintenance one.

“Managers are watching you. The EPM III knows your name and everything about you. They know if you are showing up on time or are late. If you’re on DOC, all the managers know your name. Everybody has a reputation, and your reputation precedes you,” Silva said.

In an office there are two opposites among staff members – the high-maintenance and the high-performance. “The high-mainte-nance staff show up late and once they are there, they socialize too much. They don’t care about new policy and want to keep doing things the way they did 15 years ago. They have personal life chal-lenges – calling out two times a week, three times a month, always gone on Mondays or Fridays. Guess who’s picking up the slack while they are gone – coworkers and managers.”

In contrast, said Silva, “high performers come to work with wonderful attitudes, throw themselves at the work, are very orga-nized, seeks out challenges, do more than the minimum and take pride in their work.”

If you’re on the high-maintenance side you may want to re-think your comfort zone, Silva suggested. Actions become habits, and you may need to shift your gears to pick up the pace in order to move into that high-performance area.

Managers have reputations as well, Silva said, and may not want to invest their reputations into someone whose behavior could end up harming their reputation.

“Before you get to the SOQ you need to be the superstar, be-cause once you get the promotion it’s hard all day long. It’s not – you get the promotion and it’s over. That is when the hard work begins. You need to know if you are ready for it, because it doesn’t end.”

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SACRAMento ChAPteRBy Rebekah Cyr, Sacramento Chapter President

On Saturday, March 12, 2016, the Sacramento Chapter hosted their annual Mock Interview Workshop. The workshop began at 8:00am to a breakfast buffet, with over 28 managers, supervisors and EDD leadership members in attendance from offices all over Northern California. The workshop was held at the Mark Sanders Complex in Sacramento, California from 8:30am -12:30pm.The event was coordinated by the IAWP Sacramento Chapter execu-tive leadership team, Disability Insurance Office ARU 209, and the American Job Center staff located at the Mark Sanders building. 

Participants were given the opportunity to attend a morning practice interview. Each interview was conducted by a panel of two managers representing various EDD departments. While waiting for their specified interview, participants watched a short video on interview questions and reviewed interview best prac-tices. 

After the conclusion of the interviews, all managers and par-ticipants participated in a panel discussion. Participants were giv-

10 | March April 2016 | Cal-Liope

GOInGS On arOUnd THe STaTe

SaCraMenTO CHaPTer, COnTInUed FrOM PreVIOUS PaGe 1. New CalPers Member2. Continuing CalPers Member3. Planning Your Retirement4. Completing Your Retirement Application5. Retired CalPERS Member.You may apply for a service retirement when you have 5 years

of CalPERS Service and are age 50 or 52. If you were hired prior to Jan 1, 2013, in most cases you must be age 50. If you were hired on or after January 1, 2013, you must be at least age 52. The exception is for the State 2nd Tier Members, who must be at least 55 years old with 10 years of service.

Note: you may also be eligible for a service retirement if you have worked over five years part time, even if you don’t have five years of service credit. This is called a partial service conversion.

Your retirement benefit is calculated using a formula with three factors:

SERVICE CREDIT x Benefit factor x Final Compensation = UNMODIFIED ALLOWANCE

1. Service credit = total years of service 2. Benefit Factor = % of final compensation for each year of

service credit based on your age at retirement.Final compensation = an average of your highest monthly pay rate

en the opportunity to submit questions which were answered by volunteer managers in front of the entire group. Many topics were discussed including appropriate interview etiquette, important job application tips and how to properly review the posted posi-tion statement prior to an interview.

Colette Nwoyne, Disability Insurance Program Manager II for the PFL office in Fresno and the IAWP District I Director, presented a workshop on ‘Creating a Personal Vision’ for all participants. The workshop discussed the importance of creating a personal vision, setting measurable goals, and finding mentors to guide professional growth. 

The workshop hosted over 50 attendees and received many positive comments about its practical application for participants and managers. This educational opportunity provided members with applicable strategies for professional growth. One employee, Kim Meredith stated, “I learned so much, and the guest speaker, Colette was phenomenal… they gave me some great tips on where I could tighten up interview skills and provided information on what most managers are looking for in interviews. I would recommend this workshop to everyone!”

The Sacramento Chapter will host its annual Statement of Qualifications in May 2016, and plans to re-host the Mock Inter-view event during the next fiscal year. The chapter would also like to humbly thank the Mark Sanders administration team for col-laborating on the usage of the facility for this amazing educational event for the IAWP Sacramento Chapter members.

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SAn gABRieL VALLeY ChAPteRCindy Schulenburg, SGV President

No matter where you are in your career or life, you will find that the instructor will give you information about what you need to know before you retire. That is why IAWP District III offered a presentation on PLANNING YOUR RETIREMENT CLASS TREE information was updated October 2015 and in February 2016 it was presented at the Call Center after work. In attendance we had over 25 people, some of the information learned was that CalPERS has been making it easier to educate the State members by offering a series of classes depending on where you are and on line

aTTendeeS and InTerVIeWerS aT THe SaCraMenTO CHaPTer MOCK InTerVIeW WOrKSHOP.

MeMberS OF THe San GabrIel ValleY CHaPTer learn abOUT CalPerS.

PreSIdenT’S MeSSaGe: FrOM PaGe 1

the retirement celebration for Ellen Greer-Martin, the Southern Workforce Services Division Chief. After 37 years of service to the State – many of which as a member, contributor, and supporter of IAWP, we are happy for this next step in her journey and hope to see her from time to time as a retiree member! Who knows, you might even see her again as a workshop presenter.