Title
Authorize the advance step placement for Lori Medina at Step 7 of the Deputy Director Social Services range effective with the beginning date of her employment in accordance with Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution (PPPR) #98-34, Sections A.1.11.1 and A.1.11.5.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Authorize advance step placement for Lori Medina at Step 7 of the Deputy Director Social Services range effective with the beginning date of her employment in accordance with Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution (PPPR) #98-34, Sections A.1.11.1 and A.1.11.5.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION
The Department of Social Services conducted extensive national executive recruitment for the Deputy Director Social Services - Family and Children’s Services position. Recruitment began on December 7, 2015 and selection interviews were conducted on February 19, 2016 by an 11 member panel that included a diverse cross-sector of community stakeholders including department heads, foster youth, child advocates, caregivers, and community based nonprofit services providers. Through that process Lori Medina stood out as the candidate who would best meet our local needs.
Currently, Ms. Medina serves as the Director of Family and Children’s Services for Santa Clara County - a position she has held since March 2009. Prior to her current role, she held progressively more responsible positions in Santa Clara and Los Angeles counties, beginning her child welfare career as a social worker in 1992. Ms. Medina has a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California, and Bachelor of Arts degree from Morris Brown College.
Ms. Medina, was raised in the City of Marina and after completing her education and beginning her child welfare career in Los Angeles County, she moved back to the Monterey County community with her family and has resided in Seaside for the last fourteen years. Ms. Medina is excited for the opportunity to bring her child welfare and administrative knowledge, skills and abilities to the Monterey County community where she was raised and now lives.
Currently, Ms. Medina’s salary with Santa Clara County is $174,449 annually; the 7th step of Monterey County’s Deputy Director of Social Services is $151,140 annually. Ms. Medina has agreed to accept the position at Step 7 of the 7-step salary range for the position, and a conditional job offer has been extended with the understanding that Board of Supervisor’s must approve placement at this step for new hires into Safety & Non-Safety Executive Management (Y-Unit) positions.
Ms. Medina is an experienced child welfare leader with more than twenty-two years working in child welfare. For the past six years, she has held the position of Director of Family and Children’s Services for the County of Santa Clara where she manages a workforce of more than six hundred staff. In that time, she has implemented many child welfare reforms including several that are components of the current child welfare reform process underway as a result of the Continuum of Care Reform - AB 403 (Stone). She will bring this background as a statewide child welfare leader, an experienced administrator and a committed to community member to the Department of Social Services’ Family and Children’s Services Branch.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The Assistant County Administrative Officer-Office of Community Engagement and Strategic Advocacy and Central Human Resources have reviewed the report.
FINANCING
The advance step requested for the Deputy Director of Social Services - Family and Children’s position is equivalent to the current incumbent and is included in the Department of Social Services (SOC005) Adopted FY 2015-16 Budget. The recommended action does not result in the need for additional county General Fund contributions.
Approved by: Elliott Robinson, Director of Social Services - x4430