2015 Annual Report - Los Angeles Section of Professional

Agenda Item No. 7
Date:
September 2015
To:
PECG Executive Board
From:
Los Angeles Section
Subject:
Annual Report
Greetings from PECG - Los Angeles Section!
The 2014-2015 term went by quickly and at the time of
this report we were transitioning to the new corporate
and section leadership following the annual election of
officers. In our June 2015 Quarterly Report we stressed
the importance of promoting an open, inclusive and a
well represented organization, and urged our members
to participate. Participation allows acquaintance with
our issues and fosters inclusiveness and strength that
are so vital during collective bargaining sessions. Late
August 2015, Unit 9 bargaining representatives have
reached a tentative agreement with HR Representatives
that provides a 5% pay raise in July 2016 and a 2% in
July 2017. The new Unit 9 MOU ratification meeting
is tentatively scheduled for Monday, September 14 at
the downtown LA Police Department Auditorium. The
outcome of the ratification vote is expected sometime by the
end of September. In the mid time the LA Section annual
elections have been completed and the new Executive
Committee has been sworn to office. Corporate and section
elections are held at the same time each year and two
separate ballots are mailed to all PECG members. Candidate
statements are posted online and members have regular
opportunities to meet and greet with these candidates and
discuss the issues and possibilities that each election would
bring forward. Photo above is the LA Section’s endorsement
of corporate officers as posted online on the Section website.
Results of our Section election are currently posted online at
http://www.lapecg.net/. John Lee is our new President Elect
to assume office by next year while Grish Biglarian has been sworn as president of the LA Section.
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 1
Agenda Item No. 7
Los Angeles Section’s Calendar of the Past Year’s Planned Events and Activities:
First Quarter
Aug. 2-3, 2014
Aug. 7, 2014
Aug. 13, 2014
Aug. 18, 2014
Aug. 20, 2014
Sept. 6, 2014
Sept. 16, 2014
Sept. 17, 2014
Sept. 21, 2014
Sept. 22, 2014
Sept. 23, 2014
Sept. 25, 2014
Sept. 26, 2014
Oct. 4, 2014
Oct. 6, 2014
Oct. 8, 2014
Oct. 9, 2014
Oct. 12, 2014
Oct. 15, 2014
Oct. 20, 2014
Oct. 29, 2014
Oct. 30, 2014
Nov. 19, 2014
LA Section Election Ballot Count
Results Announced and posted on www.lapecg.net
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting, Caltrans D7 Office - Conference Room 01-037
LA County Science Fair Committee Meeting at LA County Office of Education
LA Officers Installation Luncheon with Betty Yee at Stevens Steakhouse
PECG Board Annual Meeting, Squaw Creek Resort, North Lake Tahoe
LA County Science Fair Committee Meeting at LA County Office of Education
PECG PAC event for Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva in Fullerton
LA & OC members attend DPOC’s Annual Truman Awards Event in Anaheim
Private Special event with US Reps Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Raul Ruiz
Congresswoman Judy Chu’s LA PAC event, Monterey Park Palace restaurant
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting, Caltrans D7 Office - Conference Room 01-037
LA Section members volunteer for Patrick O’Donnell’s AD70 election campaign
LA Section members volunteer for Sharon Quirk-Silva’s AD65 election campaign
LA County Science Fair Committee Meeting at LA County Office of Education
LA Section Fed PAC members attend US Rep. Janice Hahn Event in San Pedro
LA PAC event with state Sen. Ted Lieu & Rep. Steny Hoyer at LA Athletic Club
LA Section volunteers at Sharon Quirk-Silva’s AD65 campaigning in Fullerton
Section Quarterly Luncheon with US Rep. Janice Hahn at Stevens Steakhouse
LA Fed PAC members attend US Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s Event in Anaheim
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting, Caltrans D7 Office - Conference Room 01-037
LA PAC event with All-Star Lineup in support of Sharon Quirk-Silva AD65 race
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting, Caltrans D7 Office - Conference Room 01-037
Second Quarter
Dec. 5-6, 2014
Dec. 10, 2014
Dec. 13, 2014
Dec. 17, 2014
Dec. 17, 2014
Dec. 30, 2014
Jan. 10, 2015
Jan. 10, 2015
Jan. 12, 2015
Jan. 24, 2015
Jan. 26, 2015
Jan. 28, 2015
Jan. 31, 2015
Feb. 7, 2015
Feb. 7, 2015
Feb. 19, 2015
Feb. 21, 2015
Feb. 23, 2015
Feb. 25, 2015
Mar. 3, 2015
PECG Board of Directors Fall Quarterly Meeting in Sacramento
EC-Fed-PAC Appreciation Luncheon, Sen. Tony Mendoza, Stevens Steakhouse
Section Officers attend State Senator Tony Mendoza’s Swearing Ceremony
LA Section Sponsors Farewell event for Safwat Salahieh’s Retirement
Section Officers attend Assembly-member Patrick O’Donnell’s Long Beach event
Section Officers attend DPOC Executive Director’s farewell in Santa Ana
CDP Statewide ADEM Elections for convention delegates - Section officers won!
Alex Padilla’s Swearing Ceremony as California’s S.O.S. at LA Union Station
LA County Science Fair Committee Meeting at LA County Office of Education
Patrick O’Donnell’s Swearing Ceremony, Calif. AD 70 Rep. aboard USS Iowa
Section Officers won CDP’s E-Board Elections in Santa Ana as DPOC’s Reps.
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting – sponsored Annual RE Meeting & EEO event
Isadore Hall’s Swearing Ceremony in Carson as California’s SD 35 Rep.
South County Labor Honors US Rep Maxine Waters as Labor Union Shero
Mike Gibson’s Swearing Ceremony at Cal State Dominguez Hills as AD 64 Rep.
NALEO Outstanding Public Service Award to US Rep Xavier Becerra, 34 CD
Officers attend US Rep Norma Torres’ Swearing Ceremony in Pomona, 35 CD
Officers attend DPOC’s monthly meeting in Santa Ana
LA Section Monthly EC Meeting – Special Election for Section VP At-Large
Section Officers attend PECG’s Annual Legislative Day in Sacramento
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 2
Agenda Item No. 7
Third Quarter
Mar. 6-7, 2015
Mar. 11, 2015
Mar. 18, 2015
Mar. 25, 2015
Mar. 26, 2015
Mar. 26-28, 15
Apr. 1, 2015
Apr. 7, 2015
Apr. 9, 2015
Apr. 16-17, 15
Apr. 22, 2015
Apr. 25, 2015
Apr. 27, 2015
Apr. 29, 2015
May 2, 2015
May 6, 2015
May 7, 2015
May 7, 2015
May 9, 2015
May 15-16, 15
May 27, 2015
May 28, 2015
PECG Board of Directors Spring Quarterly Meeting in Sacramento
Section officers attend US Rep Alan Lowenthal’s birthday event at Maya Hotel
Officers attend 2015 Science Fair Prep meeting at LACOE building in Downey
Officers attend PECG sponsored Caltrans Adopt a School event in District 7
LA Section EC Monthly Meeting in Caltrans D7 Conference Room 1-037
LA Section volunteers help judge 2015 LA County Science Fair in Pasadena
Section Quarterly Luncheon, Stevens Steakhouse, State Rep. Patrick O’Donnell
Section Officers meet with US Rep. Linda Sanchez at district office in Cerritos
Section Officers meet with US Reps. Judy Chu, Norma Torres and Ed Royce
US Academic Decathlon National Competition at Garden Grove Hyatt Hotel
Officers attend 2015 Science Fair Debrief meeting at SpaceX building in Downey
Officers attend State Senator Tony Mendoza’s birthday at Tamayo Restaurant
Officers attend monthly DPOC meeting in Santa Ana voting for new delegates
LA Section EC Monthly Meeting in Caltrans D7 Conference Room 1-037
Officers attend US Rep Alan Lowenthal’s event at Jim Phelps home in Irvine
Section President speaks at Caltrans Workers Memorial event in Camarillo
Section sponsors the Caltrans D7 Annual RE Meeting and distributes trinkets
Officers attend College Board of Trustees Sunny Zia’s event in Long Beach
Officers attend South County Labor’s 2015 Dan Foley Award event in San Pedro
PECG Section and Corporate officers attend CDP State Convention in Anaheim
LA Section EC Monthly Meeting in Caltrans D7 Conference Room 1-037
Officers invited to US Rep. Norma Torres’ event, Coco Palm Pomona Restaurant
Fourth Quarter
June 1, 2015
June 5-6, 2015
June 22, 2015
June 24, 2015
PECG Science Fair Student Winners Honored at District 7 Exec Staff Meeting
PECG Board of Directors Quarterly Meeting in Sacramento
Section Officers attend monthly DPOC Central Committee meeting in Santa Ana
Section Quarterly Luncheon at Stevens Steakhouse, honoring State Senator
Isadore Hall and PECG’s Chief Legal Counsel Gerald James
July 1, 2015
PAC Meeting with Zach Yeates and US Reps Brad Sherman & Grace Napolitano
July 8, 2015
Section Endorses Corporate Election Candidates Sutida Bergquist and John Lee
July 12, 2015
Section Officers attend Letty Mendoza’s Campaign Kick-off event in Artesia
July 27, 2015
Section Officers attend monthly DPOC Central Committee meeting in Santa Ana
July 28, 2015
Executive Officers end-of-term offsite, honoring Director Bahar Bakhtar’s service
July 29, 2015
LA Section EC Monthly Meeting in Caltrans D7 Conference Room 1-037
July 29, 2015
Farewell party and cake for Section Director Bahar Bakhtar (more on page 4)
July 29, 2015
Officers attend OC’s Water Policy Forum featuring WRCB Chair Felicia Marcus
July 31, 2015
LA Section Elections Voting Deadline for postmarking and mailing ballots
Aug 3, 2015
LA County Science Fair Executive Board Monthly Meeting in Long Beach
Aug 14, 2015
Section Election Committee Chair and Members - Ballot Counting Day
Aug 14-16, 2015 Burlingame CDP E-Board Convention, officers attend Committee Meetings
Aug 24, 2015
Section Officers attend monthly DPOC Central Committee meeting in Santa Ana
August 28, 2015 Section Annual Election Results announced and posted online on www.lapecg.net
Sept 3, 2015
LA Section’s Annual Meeting and Officers Installation Luncheon at Stevens
Steakhouse, with US Rep Norma Torres Administering the Oath
Sept 11-12, 2015 PECG Board Annual Awards, Meeting & officers Installation in San Diego
Sept 30, 2015
Newly Elected 2015-2016 EC Committee, First Monthly Meeting
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 3
Agenda Item No. 7
Honoring the Service and Contributions of Bahar Bakhtar, past Section President & Director:
On Wednesday, July 29, 2015 following the Los Angeles Section Monthly EC Meeting, the District
7 Division of Program/Project Management gave a farewell party for Bahar Bakhtar who after more
than seventeen years of working for Caltrans in downtown Los Angeles she has decided to move
closer to her family in Riverside, and for better career opportunities. Bahar posted an online note to
her friends saying “While I am happy for this change, I'm
sad to leave my Caltrans family in LA. Thank you for the
words, support and celebration. I will miss you till our
paths cross again.” The Los Angeles Section was well
served and is proud of Bahar’s work and accomplishments,
not only as a District 7 employee, but for the many years
of her dedicated and loyal service as a section Delegate,
Secretary, President Elect, President and as a Director.
Bahar has been an inspiring employee and she would be
greatly missed. She had spent much time and effort to help
plan many of PPM’s Delivery Celebration events, the EEO
Diversity & Black History Month, the CT Adopt a School,
Student Mentoring events, as well as many PECG events,
being with students, helping and mentoring them, judging
their exhibits at the county science fair events and giving her full attention to their questions for
future career preparation plans. In addition to her longtime PECG
service, Bahar has been involved each year with her Colleagues to
plan the Persian Nowruz celebration, meaning the Iranian New
Year, or first day of Spring and beginning of the new year in the
Persian calendar. Nowruz is celebrated on the day and moment
that the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and
day and families gather together to observe the rituals. Nowruz is
celebrated by many ethnic communities or religious backgrounds
for thousands of years. In saying farewell to Bahar we selected
one of her favorite quotes about “Integrity” as shown on right picture: “It takes more than knowing
the names of a few bottles of wine to show class. ...and integrity …. You either have it or you don't”
PECG Science Fair Award winners Recognized at Caltrans D7 Executive Staff Meeting:
Following the spectacular success of the 65th Los Angeles County Annual Science and Engineering
Fair (LACSF), an announcement with the names of PECG
scholarships’ winners was sent by email to all members, as
well as through a Caltrans District 7 Informer. The students
were then invited to the June 1st monthly Caltrans Executive
staff meeting to make a presentation of their projects and to
receive their trophies. Students made
brilliant presentations to a surprised
Los Angeles
County Science Fair
but very elated audience, who listened
Judging Science Fair and much appreciated the incredible
talent of the 2015 PECG science fair
Projects
scholarships winners. Right photo with
Caltrans D7 Deputy Shirley Choate, is
students George Khouri and Andrew Karroum (James E. Roberts $500 Award each) and Kassandra
Canalita (Marilyn J. Reece $1,000 Award) and Los Angeles Section President John Vassiliades.
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 4
Agenda Item No. 7
‘
Presenting the 20142014-2015 PECG Los Angeles Section Annual Financial Report To the Membership
‘
There are some important rules to follow as we are heading towards a new fiscal year and after the
annual election of officers. Per Section Policy posted online at http://www.lapecg.net/documents.htm
the fiscal year is required (as shown below) to start and end with the annual installation of the
incoming Executive Committee (EC).
4.1.2.1
Expenditure of Section Funds
The fiscal year shall start and end with the annual installation of the incoming Executive
Committee (EC). The budget for the previous fiscal year shall continue until a new
budget is adopted.
No expenditure shall exceed the approved budget line item without prior approval of the
EC. The Treasurer shall be consulted prior to committing of Section funds (including
motions with expenditures) to ensure that budget line items will not be overspent.
The Section Bylaws, also posted online at http://www.lapecg.net/documents.htm, requires that the
Executive Committee shall hold an organizational meeting within fifteen days after the annual
meeting of the membership to hold its budget meeting and adopt a budget for SECTION activities
for the following calendar year (2015-2016).
Hence, for the 2015-2016 EC officers elected, the table below is the Annual Financial Report from
fiscal year 2014-2015 that highlights the activity items that the new Executive Committee will need
to re-authorize or maintain at its organizational meeting, within fifteen days after the annual meeting.
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 5
Agenda Item No. 7
‘ June 24, 2015 Members Quarterly MeetingMeeting-Lunch
Luncheon At Stevens Restaurant Honoring State Sen.
Sen. Isadore Hall, SD 35 ‘
Our Quarterly Luncheon was held June 24th, 2015 at Stevens Steakhouse Restaurant in Commerce.
Senator Isadore Hall, SD 35 was the invited Keynote speaker. Gerald James, PECG’s Legal Counsel,
and student Joseph Liu, the LA Section’s Corporate Scholarship winner, were invited special guests.
Governor Jerry Brown few days before our event issued a proclamation and summoned all
legislators back to Sacramento. The Senator’s District Director Heather Hutt attended on his behalf
and addressed our members. The Section presented appreciation plaques to Senator Hall and Gerald
James for their many years of exemplary service. Heather Hutt presented certificates of recognition
by Senator Hall to student Joseph Liu and to Section Pres.Vassiliades (photos below from luncheon).
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 6
Agenda Item No. 7
‘September 3, 2015 Annual Meeting & Officers Installation Lunche
Luncheon At Stevens Restaurant with US Rep Norma Torres ‘
The keynote speaker at our annual meeting was Congresswoman Norma Torres who was especially
invited to administer the oath of office to the newly elected Executive Committee. The Unit 9 MOU
agreement reached last week made it even more interesting to attend, our Keynote Speaker was
brilliant and overall the event was a success. Norma Torres' rise to the US Congress is an inspiring
story about the American dream, attainable by anyone who wants to make it in the US. She came to
the US from Guatemala, orphaned by her mother, grew up in LA, went to school, worked as a 9-1-1
dispatcher, served on the Pomona city council, then as a Mayor, elected in 2008 in the State
Assembly and Senate and in 2014 elected to the US Congress. Former assembly member Mike Eng
and assembly candidate Bryan Urias also attended as guests. Below are some photos from the event.
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 7
Agenda Item No. 7
.Misc meetings
meetings with US Reps. Torres & Lowenthal, Commissioner Jones, Controller Yee ans State Reps Hall and Gibson .
.
With Profound Gratitude for
for a Job WellWell-done to the 20142014-2015 Los Angeles Section Executive Committee
Committee
.
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LA Section – September 2015 Annual Report
Page 8