ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA
STATE EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES
(ACSED)
2017 TRAINING SYMPOSIUM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
PRESENTS:
“ADVANCING DIVERSITY THROUGH DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT”
Department of General Services
Ziggurat Building
707 Third Street
West Sacramento, CA 95605
2017-18 ACSED BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Catherine Campisi, President
Lisa Brown, Vice President
Carolyn Bonkowski,Treasurer
Ralph Black, Recording Secretary
Dan Clark, Corresponding Secretary
Sam Buman, Member at Large
Tanya Little, Member at Large
Association of CaliforniaState Employees with Disabilities
P.O. Box 2439, Elk Grove, CA 95759-2439
Dear ACSED Members and Colleagues:
Welcome to the 2017 ACSED Training Symposium! The Symposium will provide information on a variety of topics. It will also highlight the policy initiatives which the state is involved in to increase state employment of qualified persons with disabilities.
The theme for the Symposium, Diversity is Our Strength: “Advancing Diversity Through Disability Employment,” highlights the fact that all our differences, whether based on race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, create a rich and beautiful human tapestry which enhances the world of work and our communities. The theme also highlights disability as part of the diversity framework. It embraces our common struggle and the fact that the disability civil rights movement, and our key legal protections arose from the concepts of other civil rights movements in the 1960’s and beyond. We have come a long way but still have a far distance to go!
In addition, as we gather together, we pay tribute to Laurie Hoirup, former ACSED President and disability community leader whom we lost in a tragic accident last year. Her knowledge, experience, skill, motivation, and hard work set an example of excellence for all of us in making a positive difference in the world. We dedicate this Symposium in Laurie’s honor.
We would like to acknowledge the support of our many state agency partners; especially the Department of Rehabilitation and the Employment Development Department for critical in-kind support and the Department of General Services for hosting this year’s Symposium. In addition, special thanks go to the ACSED Board of Directors and the Symposium Planning Team for their tireless work on the Symposium andto all of you for taking time to be with us. Enjoy the day!
Catherine Lisa
Catherine Campisi, PresidentLisa Brown, Vice President
Photo of Laurie Hoirup with Senator Richard Pan
2015 ACSED Training Symposium
DEDICATION
ACSED dedicates the 2017 Training Symposium to our Past President,
Laurie Hoirup, who died suddenly in July 2016. Her exemplary leadership and personal example leaves a legacy which we honor.
Laurie lived life to the fullest and was an example of using her physical abilities as well as her creativity, motivation and personality to succeed in all aspects of life. At a very young age, she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy with a short life prognosis. She got her first wheelchair at the age of six– she was assigned chores, climbed trees by being hoisted with ropes, was carried down mountains, swam, rode horseback, camped and hiked. As a teen, she enjoyed her Chevrolet Camaro, boys, dances and shopping. Her friends did all her personal care at school which helped make her “part of the group.”
Exceling academically, she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Speech Pathology followed by a Masters from San Diego State University in Rehabilitation Counseling and was named the Student of the Year. She also received all her teaching credentials and was a substitute teacher. Despite her degrees and her motivation, she experienced significant employment discrimination and did not attain full time employment until middle age.
Prior to coming to Sacramento and state service, she worked at Community Access Center in Riverside as the Program Manager and then as Executive Director. In 2006, she was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve as Deputy Director of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and then as Chief Deputy Director.
Shortly after coming to Sacramento, Laurie joined ACSED and quickly became active. She served on the ACSED Board since 2009 and, at the time of her passing, was in her second term as President. She also served on the California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) Planning Committee,and many school committees and as President of the Northern California Publishers and Authors (NCPA) Group.
After retiring early for health reasons, Laurie wrote an award winning Memoir about her life, "I Can Dance: My Life with a Disability" followed by her children’s book, "Being Different is Okay.”
Although very proud of her career, her greatest treasures were her husband, two children, and four grandchildren.
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In Memory
In addition to Laurie, ACSED also honors the lives of other state employees with disabilities who were leaders in the disability community and who made a significant difference in advancing disability employment.
Catherine Baird, Youth Leadership Forum (YLF)Founder
Lynda Bardis, ACSED Past President
Richard Devylder, Expert on Emergency Response/Other Disability Issues
Les Treece-Sinclair, ACSED Past President
They are all greatly missed and we pledge to remember and honor their work.
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2017 Training Symposium
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH:
“ADVANCING DIVERSITY THROUGH DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT”
8:30 to 9:30 a.m. / Registration - LobbyEntrance9:00 to 4:15 p.m. / Department Outreach Tables
Atrium
Visit representatives of state departments who are seeking qualified employees with disabilities and who have made a strong commitment to disability employment.
Get resource information at the ACSED “Ask an Expert” table.
LEAP Certification
Training Room 1-325
Stop by the Department of Rehabilitation table to find out about the LEAP program and complete the certification process.
Training Symposium Agenda
9:30 to 10:30 a.m. / Opening General Session - Opening RemarksZiggurat Auditorium
Lisa Brown
ACSED Vice President
Catherine Campisi
ACSED President
KEYNOTESPEAKER / MarybelBatjer, Secretary, Government Operations Agency
Secretary Batjer leads the Government Operations Agency for the State of California. It includes key departments involved in disability employment issues such as the California Department of Human Resources, the State Personnel Board, the Department of General Services and the Department of Technology.
In her keynote presentation, Secretary Batjer will highlight the importance of diversity at all levels of the state workforce and discuss the need for increased efforts to employ qualified individuals with disabilities so that the state can achieve parity in disability employment.She will also share her thoughts regarding strategic directions and actions which can increase the diversity of the state’s workforce and lead to thesuccessful employment of additional persons with disabilities in state service.
10:30 to 10:45 a.m. / Break – Visit Department Outreach Tables
10:45 to Noon / Session A: Be A Winner - How to Win an ACSEDDisability Advisory Committee (DAC) or ACES Awards
Training Room1-475
PRESENTERS / Natalie Sanders, Manager, EEO Office, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
Delia Bolinder, DAC Chair, Department of Motor Vehicles
Dan Clark, ACSED Board Member/Awards Committee Chair
Ralph Black, ACSED Secretary/Awards Committee Member
Each year, ACSED recognizes departments which have excelled at hiring, promoting and retaining employees with disabilities and DACs which have made exemplary contributions to their departments. Learn what ACSED looks for in award winners and how your department or DAC can adopt effective strategies. Hear from past award winners about what they’ve done to promote employment of persons with disabilities and establish strong and effective DACs.
10:45 to Noon / Session B: Navigatingthe Maze - Learning How to Use the State On-line Application and Jobs Website( Training Room 1-316
PRESENTER / Dannie Gee, Statewide Recruiter, California Department of Human Resources
Are you looking for your first job in state service or are you an existing employee looking for new opportunities? Either way, you will benefit from this hands-on workshop where presenters will guide you through using the state’s on-line application process and help you explore resources available on the website. Computer workstations will be available so you can follow along and learn to do it yourself.
10:45 to Noon / Session C:So You Want to Be a State Employee - MatchingYour Skills to State Job Classifications
Ziggurat Auditorium
PRESENTERS / Brandon Littlejohn, Statewide Recruitment Coordinator, California Department of Human Resources
Paulette Baker, Former Chief of Human Resources, Department of Rehabilitation
If you haven’t worked for the state before or are new to state service, it can be bewildering to determine what kind of jobs you can qualify for and which of the hundreds of departments, boards or commissions you might want to work for. Presenters will discuss how to assess your skills, how to read and understand job announcements and duty statements, and how to seek out positions that match your skills and interests.
Noon to 1:00 p.m. / Lunch On Your Own
Complete LEAP Certification &Visit Department Outreach Tables
1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
MODERATOR
PANELISTS / General Session Panel:Whatever Happened to that Joint Project Report on Disability Employment?
Ziggurat Auditorium
Catherine Campisi, ACSED President
Glenna Wheeler, Chief, Office for Civil Rights, California Department of Human Resources
Jeanne Wolfe, Senior Attorney, State Personnel Board
Eric Mandell, Chief, Acquisitions Branch, Department of General Services
Cheryl Artega,Chief, Office for Civil Rights, Department of Rehabilitation
In 2014, the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR), the State Personnel Board (SPB) and the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) initiated a joint project to develop recommendations for improving the hiring, retention, promotion, and accommodation of employees with disabilities in state service. Representatives from many state agencies and employee organizations, including ACSED, were actively involved in this project and contributed to the development of recommendations contained in the final Joint Project Report issued in December 2015.
This panel represents the lead departments’ efforts to implement the Report recommendations. Panelists will address the new disability survey instrument, changes to the LEAP Program, improving the provision of reasonable accommodation, and other efforts being undertaken by their departments toincreasedisability employment in state government. They will respond to questions posed by the leadership of ACSED and members of the audience.
1:00 to 2:15 p.m. / Session D: Navigatingthe Maze - Learning How to Use the State On-line Application andJobs Website (
Training Room 1-316
PRESENTER / Dannie Gee, Statewide Recruiter, California Department of Human Resources
Are you looking for your first job in state service or are you an existing employee looking for new opportunities? Either way, you will benefit from this hands-on workshop where presenters will guide you through using the state’s on-line application process and help you explore resources available on the website. Computer workstations will be available so you can follow along and learn to do it yourself.
2:15 to 2:30 p.m. / Break - Visit Department Outreach Tables
2:30 to 4:00 p.m. / Session E: Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities - Are you Really Ready?
Training Room 1-475
PRESENTER / Vance Taylor,Chief, Office of Access and Functional Needs, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
(Cal OES) coordinates emergency preparedness and response for the state of California. The Office of Access and Functional Needs within Cal OES assists state and local agencies to ensure that they are prepared to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in the event of a flood, fire, or other disaster. This session will explain what your department needs to do now to comply with accessibility requirements and ensure the safety of your employees with disabilities when an emergency arises.
2:30 to 4:00 p.m. / Session F: Let’s Be Reasonable - Making Reasonable Accommodation a “Win-Win” Experience
Ziggurat Auditorium
PRESENTERS / Nicole Placencia,Office for Civil Rights, California Department of Human Resources
Jake Johnson, Manager, Applications Development and Quality Assurance, Department of Rehabilitation
Ralph Black, ACSED Board Member
State and federal laws require employers to respond to a reasonable accommodation request in a timely and effective manner and to engage in an interactive process with the employee to determine his/her needs.
This session will provide guidance, suggestions, and examples of how employees with disabilities, supervisors, and HR professionals can contribute to the interactive process in ways designed to produce constructive outcomes.
2:30 to 4:00 p.m. / Session G: Navigating the Maze - Learning How to Use the State On-line Application and Jobs Website(
TrainingRoom 1-316
PRESENTER / Dannie Gee, Statewide Recruiter, California Department of Human Resources
Are you looking for your first job in state service or are you an existing employee looking for new opportunities? Either way, you will benefit from this hands-on workshop where presenters will guide you through using the state’s on-line application process and help you explore resources available on the website. Computer workstations will be available so you can follow along and learn to do it yourself.
4:00 to 4:15 p.m. / Break - Visit Department Outreach Tables
4:15 to 5:30 p.m. / Awards Ceremony
Ziggurat Auditorium
- ACES (Employer of the Year) Awards
- Disability Advisory Committee (DAC) Awards
- Ralph Black Public Service Award
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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Keynote Speaker
MARYBEL BATJER
SECRETARY
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AGENCY
Ms. MarybelBatjer is Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency (CalGovOps). She was appointed to the post by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in June 2013 to serve as the first-ever Secretary of CalGovOps. The agency was established as part of Brown’s comprehensive overhaul of state government and is responsible for administering state operations including the California Department of Human Resources, the State Personnel Board, Department of General Services, Franchise Tax Board, Department of Technology, Office of Administrative Law, Victim Compensation Board, California, State Teachers’ Retirement System, Public Employees’ Retirement System and the new Department of Tax and Fee Administration which was established in July 2017.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Batjer served as vice president of public policy and corporate social responsibility for Caesars Entertainment, Inc., the world’s largest gaming-entertainment company. In this role, she developed and promoted Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and initiatives for the company and counseled its senior executive team on issues pertaining to reputation-management, public policy and government relations.
Before joining Caesars in January 2005, Ms. Batjer held senior leadership posts in the executive branches of two state governments, as well as key advisory roles in two U.S. presidential administrations and at the Pentagon.
From 2003 to 2005, she was Cabinet Secretary to the Governor of the State of California, where she served as chief policy advisor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed the activities of the governor’s 13 cabinet secretaries. Earlier, Ms. Batjer was Chief of Staff to Gov. Kenny Guinn of Nevada. She has also served as Undersecretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and as Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
In the George H.W. Bush administration, Ms. Batjer was Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy, a position she attained after a successful tenure in the Reagan White House, where she served as the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs, as Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, and as Assistant to Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger and Deputy Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci.
In addition, Ms. Batjer was Director of Political Planning for the National Women’s Political Caucus. She is the former Vice-Chair of the State of Nevada’s Colorado River Commission, the past Chair of the National Judicial College Board of Trustees, member of the Nevada Museum of Art Board of Directors, and Board Member of the Desert Research Institute Foundation.
Ms. Batjer received her bachelor’s degree from Mills College in California and studied international public policy at the graduate level at Johns Hopkins University. She also studied national and international security at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She currently resides in Sacramento.
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AFTERNOON General Session Panel
ERIC MANDELL
CHIEF OF THE ACQUISITIONS BRANCH
DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES(DGS)
Mr. Eric Mandell is the Chief of Acquisitions at the California Department of General Services (DGS). In this capacity, he oversees all facets of leveraged procurements on behalf of all state departments, including all “non-reportable Information Technology buys. Prior to June 1, 2013, Mr. Mandell was the Chief of California’s Office of Small and Disabled Veterans Services and Communications and Outreach located at DGS. He served as the Acting Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Advocate (DVBE) at the Governor’sOffice of Business and Economic Development in 2011 and 2012. Mr. Mandell and his staff worked to make certain that small and DVBE businesses get access to their share of nearly $10 billion a year in state awarded contracts.
Mr. Mandell has over 30 years in the fields of marketing, communications, advertising, and the media. He has created award winning marketing efforts and campaigns for California’s Breast Cancer Awareness, Enterprise Zones, Military Base Reuse, and Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank programs, as well as Sacramento WORKS for Sacramento County.
Mr. Mandell is a graduate of UC Davis and has done coursework at the London School of Economics and graduate work at CSU Sacramento. He has worked on air and in management positions in radio and television and also owned his own small business, ECM Communications.