Welcome to your December employee newsletter featuring District news, updates, and more.

Each year brings an opportunity to celebrate our achievements and share our goals and plans for the year ahead. So far, 2023 has been filled with the tremendous results of your dedicated efforts toward our mission and vision. Thank you!

Join us on December 6th to celebrate our successes and the winter season at the all staff Holiday Luncheon. Enjoy good food and time with your colleagues. Thank you to the Employee Appreciation Committee for all of your work organizing the event.

Next year will be an exciting year as we mark our 90th Anniversary. We will celebrate with a number of special events throughout the year, including a 90th Birthday Celebration for the community in the spring. Interpretation and Recreation will also be hosting the 90th Anniversary "Explore Your Parks" Adventure Programs.

In 2024, we will also be embarking on the creation of a new District Plan intended to guide the Park District into its second century. The District Plan will establish long-term priorities and goals, respond to changes in demographics, support the shift to greener communities, create conservation and management standards for cultural and historic resources, and affirm the role and identity of the Regional Parks.

There is a lot of work ahead. Fortunately, there will also be lots of fun and excitement as we celebrate our anniversary and plan for our next 90 years.

I wish you a wonderful season ahead!

In deep appreciation for all you do,

Sabrina

Featured Photos: Tyler Ranch Staging Area Grand Opening

On December 3rd, 2023, the Park District celebrated the Grand Opening of the Tyler Ranch Staging area and new public access to 2,800 acres of parkland and more than 18 miles of trails. Thank you to all of the staff involved in the project and celebration.

Employees Share Their Love of EBRPD

“I love the people, the stability, the parks. They pay you to do this. It’s a fun ride!”

-Erwin Lynch, Park Ranger (30 years)

“I started this as a summer job. Thank you for all of the support all these years.”

-Terry Noonan, Interpretive Parklands

Unit Manager (35 years)

Please give a warm welcome to new colleagues who recently joined the Park District. Congratulations to the staff serving in new roles!

Here are new hires, new roles, and retirees from 10/21/2023 -11/17/2023.

NEW HIRES:

Josh Armosino, Naturalist, Del Valle Visitor Center, Operations

Jason Tennant, Park Ranger, Contra Loma, Operations            

Abraham Urena Camacho, Equipment Mechanic, Equip Maint. – North/Pacheco, Operations

Ilyas Hassan, Police Officer, Public Safety               

Rae Ingram, Administrative Analyst I, Planning, Trails & GIS Dept, Operations               

Zach Bowman, Park Ranger, Miller/Knox, Operations              

Danny Nguyen, Accountant, Finance & Management Services               

Cecilia Velazquez, Human Resources Analyst, Risk Management, Human Resources      

NEW ROLES (Transfers & Promotions):

Rachel Lem, Real Estate Manager, Land Acquisition – from Senior Real Estate Property Specialist 

Nolan Dacumos, Park Ranger, Lake Chabot – from Dumbarton Quarry Park Services Worker

Stephen Bauer, Park Ranger, Las Trampas – from Dumbarton Quarry Park Services Worker

Kristi Carter, Employee & Labor Relations Manager, HR – from Senior HR Analyst

RECENT RETIREES:

Renee Robinson, Senior Administrative Specialist, Operations

Holiday Luncheon Wednesday, December 6

See you at the Bridge Yard on December 6th for the 2023 Employee Holiday Luncheon. Food trucks will be serving lunch from 11am-2pm. Come anytime to grab food, hop in the photo booth, holiday shop, donate, and mingle with coworkers! Parking is limited. Carpooling is encouraged.

90th Anniversary Wall Calendar:

The Park District’s 2024 Wall Calendar will be delivered to employees in the coming weeks. The calendar provides the first look at the 90th Anniversary logo and celebrates our history and progress to date with a look towards the future. Enjoy the views and stories.

A big thank you to the Office Services team, including David Naranjo and Mel Satuito, for their assistance in delivering the calendars.

2024 Budget Update:

December is budget season for the Park District. The draft budget was shared with staff on November 29th, 2023. The 2024 draft budget will go before the board in December for review and adoption.

11/29 Presentation Video | 2024 Draft Budget

Fire Department Winter Coat Drive:

The Fire Department is hosting a warm coat drive December 4 to 21. The coat drive will provide children and adults with warm clothing for the winter season. District collection locations include Ardenwood, Crab Cove Visitor Center, Coyote Hills Visitor Center, Tilden EEC, Public Safety Headquarters, Redwood Canyon Golf Course, and Tilden Merry-Go-Round. Coats can also be dropped off at the Holiday Luncheon on December 6.

Public Safety Wins Parade Award:

The Park District's Police Department was a Judges Choice Winner for its participation in the Castro Valley Light Parade.

Congrats to Public Safety!

District Website Wins Award:

The Park District won a national Web Award from the Web Marketing Association for Best Government Website. The award highlights the District’s efficiency and timeliness in communicating emergency and public health information online.

Kudos to the many cross-divisional teams that help keep the website informative and up-to-date, including Public Affairs, Acquisitions, Stewardship, and Development, Public Safety, and Park Operations. More Info

Recent News and Press Releases:

Visit www.ebparks.org/news for all District news and media releases.

Employee Appreciation Committee Update

The EAC’s mission is to create, inspire, and foster inclusive and diverse opportunities for all employees to connect and celebrate one another! Interested in joining the EAC or have suggestions or feedback to share? Please contact [email protected]

Below are just a few upcoming events.

Holiday Luncheon - "Let It Snow"

Wednesday, December 6, 11:00am - 2:30pm.

The Bridge Yard | Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline

210 Burma Road, Oakland, CA 94607

Food will be provided by Off The Grid, selections will be coming soon!

EAC Workshop Planning Meeting

December 12, 2023

9:00am – 1:00pm

Temescal Beach House

November 3rd EAC Movie Night a Success:

Turnout was great for the first EAC movie night on November 3rd at Crab Cove. All attendees enjoyed the movie and time with colleagues, family and friends.

Park District’s Central Safety Committee (CSC)

• What is the CSC? The Central Safety Committee (CSA) is a joint labor management committee led by Risk Management with representation from different work units, AFSCME Local 2428, and the Police Association. The CSC focuses on all things safety, including information sharing and updates about safety-related projects, programs, or new initiatives. The goal of the CSC is to learn from past safety issues, discuss solutions or feedback that may avoid the issue in the future, and develop helpful resources to improve employee health and safety.
• Have a safety concern or idea to improve safety? Contact a CSC member or email [email protected].
• Want to Keep up with safety? Meeting agendas and notes, safety bulletins, and tailgate safety meeting topics are posted on the Risk SharePoint page located here.

New Medical Rates Effective December 8, 2023. As a reminder, since medical benefits are paid one month in advance, 2024 rate and enrollment changes will take place in December 2023. The first contribution for January 2024 will take effect on the paycheck issued December 8, 2023. All other health changes (i.e. vision, dental, FSA), will take place on the first paycheck issued in January 2024 (January 5, 2024).

Vacation Payout Forms: The deadline to submit vacation payout forms for 2024 is December 29, 2023. Please send completed forms to [email protected] and copy [email protected].

New Leave Administrator: The Benefits Department has partnered with a third-party vendor, NY Life, to administer all federal and state leave requests. Effective Monday, January 8, 2024, all new requests for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) will be administered by NY Life. More information can be found in the Benefits SharePoint site located here. 

Job Recruitment Announcements:

Human Resources is currently recruiting for several positions, including Park Ranger, Fuels Crew Member, Maintenance Superintendent, and many more.  Check out Current Job Opportunities on SharePoint for all job, acting, and transfer postings.



Required Trainings:

New Employee Orientation and Park Tour – New Employee Orientation (NEO) sessions will return January 2024!

Featured Trainings:

There are no featured sessions this month. We wish everyone a safe holiday season! 

Summit Training Tip:

Check out Performance Management Playlist. Click here.

Are you looking for ways to “De-Stress?” Click here.

Interested in Managing Workplace Stress and Balance? Click here.

We are quickly approaching year-end! Don’t forget to use your Training Benefits! Log in Summit and request training!

Help Provide Access for All with Employee Giving:

The Regional Parks Foundation fundraises to support the East Bay Regional Park District. Last year, over 10,200 people, from kids to seniors, were able to enjoy the parks and make meaningful connections with nature. Employees can support programs, too, by donating to RPF directly or through payroll deductions. If you are interested, submit an Automatic Payroll Deduction Form TODAY. More Info 

Why do the trains at the Golden Gate Live Steamers in Tilden Regional Park say “Redwood Valley”?

Winner(s) will be recognized in the next employee newsletter.

November Winners: No Winners

November Question:

What was the Park District’s first Regional Trail?

November Answer:

Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail is also one of the first “Tracks to Trails” projects in the United States.

CORRECTION:

An incorrect photo appeared in the November Employee Newsletter CalEPA Hayward Regional Shoreline news item. See correct photo here.

At the July 14 event, Government Affairs staff and General Manager Landreth hosted California EPA Secretary Yana Garcia and Deputy Secretary Moreno-Rivera at Hayward Regional Shoreline to discuss the Park District's use of nature-based solutions to reduce the effects of sea level rise.

Feedback / Comments:

To provide suggestions or feedback, email [email protected].