Did You Know? Board Member Newsletter - Fall 2023
A Message From Board And Bureau Relations
Dear Board, Advisory Committee, and Commission Members:
As we enter the second half of the year, we want to thank you for your continued commitment and service to California’s consumers! We hope to be able to assist and support you and your leadership teams, and to make sure you have the information and tools you need. Please do not hesitate to reach out for any needs or questions you may have.
Melissa and Yvonne, Board and Bureau Relations (BBR) team
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Board Member Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Training—October 9, 2023
Providing DEI training opportunities continues to be a priority for the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and the DEI Steering Committee. DCA arranged for Dr. Bernard Gibson, an external consultant, to provide in-person DEI training to DCA managers, supervisors, and leaders on October 4, 2023. In addition, Dr. Gibson provided a virtual training—”DEI Human Centered Design for Leaders”—to board members the morning of October 9, 2023. If you were unable to attend this training, DCA is working on providing this training virtually, so please look for information on this opportunity in the future.
Dr. Gibson has 20 years of corporate experience managing teams and training employees in business effectiveness. Dr. Gibson also has extensive experience teaching at various colleges, including serving as adjunct faculty since 2006 at University of Massachusetts for the School of Business and Professional Studies.
Looking Ahead
Virtual Meetings and the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act
Now through December 31, 2023, DCA boards and bureaus may conduct entirely remote public meetings without noticed locations accessible to the public, as long as the public is able to participate in the meeting remotely.
Senate Bill 544 (Laird, Chapter 216, Statutes of 2023) was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Newsom on September 22, 2023. The new legislation changes public meeting rules beginning January 1, 2024. In short, the new legislation permits four different meeting options:
-
Traditional single-location option:
• Majority of members gathered together at one publicly accessible location.
• No members participating remotely.
• No requirement to allow remote public participation. - Traditional teleconference option:
• Members at different publicly accessible locations connected via phone or Webex.
• No requirement to allow for remote public participation. - New teleconference option:
• Majority of members gathered together at one publicly accessible location.
• Extra members above a majority can participate remotely from private, nonpublic sites.
• Must allow remote public participation. - New advisory body teleconference option:
• All members can participate remotely from private, nonpublic sites.
• Must have at least one publicly accessible location where at least one staff member is present and where the public can participate in the meeting.
• Must allow remote public access.
Reach out to BBR/CONTACT US
BBR is here to assist board, advisory committee, and commission members with:
- Appointments and reappointments.
- Training requirements and support.
- Best practices for remote and in-person meetings.
- Questions related to DCA.
The BBR team can be reached via email at MemberRelations@dca.ca.gov.
DCA Welcomes New Board Members
New Appointments and Reappointments as of June 1, 2023
Legislation was passed last year amending provisions of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act to extend the ability of state bodies, such as DCA’s boards and bureaus, to conduct public meetings virtually through July 1, 2023. Without the passage of new legislation to extend these provisions, DCA’s boards and bureaus will not be allowed to conduct meetings virtually after July 1, 2023.
California Board of Accountancy
Patricia Batchelor
Theresa Thompson
Board of Behavioral Sciences
Nick Boyd
Wendy Jane Strack**
Dental Hygiene Board of California
Dr. Sridevi Ponnala
Michael Long
Board for Professional Engineers,
Land Surveyors, and Geologists
Rosanna D’Antonio**
Fermin Villegas
Maria Cristina Garcia
Michael Hartley**
Board of Registered Nursing
Alison Cormack
Nilu Patel
Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Dr. Claudia Sandino
Contractors State License Board
Joel Barton
Court Reporters Board of California
Arteen Mnayan**
Michael Dodge-Nam
Landscape Architects Technical
Committee
Susan Landry**
Medical Board of California
Eserick “TJ” Watkins**
Dr. Asif Mahmood**
Dr. Richard Early Thorp**
California Board of Naturopathic
Medicine
Andrew Yam
Osteopathic Medical Board of
California
Michael Luszczak
Podiatric Medical Board of California
Dr. Devon Glazer
Dr. Sumer Patel
Physician Assistant Board
Vasco Deon Kidd**
Physical Therapy Board of California
Sam Qiu
Tonia McMillian
Bureau for Private Postsecondary
Education
Kansen Chu
Tracy Tambascia
Leigh Ferrin
Respiratory Care Board of California Michael Terry**
Bureau of Security and Investigative
Services—Advisory Committee
Anton Farmby**
Darren Morgan**
Frank Huntington**
Christopher “Chris” Sayers**
Bureau of Security and
Investigative Services
(Private Security—Disciplinary
Review Committee—South)
Donald Kuehne
Bureau of Security and
Investigative Services
(Private Security—Disciplinary
Review Committee—North)
Anita Battle
Brett Guest
Corey Najjar
Speech Language Pathology
and Audiology and Hearing Aid
Dispensers Board
John Dandurand
Veterinary Medical Board
Kristi Pawlowski
Travel and Safety Reminders
BBR would like to remind all members to please be cautious and aware of surroundings when traveling for meetings. Please be sure to pay attention to your surroundings while at parking garages, hotels, meeting locations, and other areas during travel, and stay alert for potential threats. If you feel unsafe, take action most appropriate for the situation such as calling a colleague on-site for assistance, calling on-site security, calling 911, etc.
Additionally, as flu season begins again, we would like to remind members to wash hands regularly and be courteous of others if you are sick. Please see additional prevention tips from the California Department of Public Health
Out of State Travel Update
On September 13, 2023, Governor Newsom signed SB 447 (Atkins, Chapter 199, Statutes of 2023), authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins. The legislation ends California’s restriction on taxpayer-funded travel by state agencies and departments to states that have adopted discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ laws, essentially ending California’s restricted states travel list. The legislation also creates a new public awareness project that will consult with community leaders to promote California’s values of acceptance and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community across the country.
The bill took effect immediately and lifts the previous travel restriction and permits out-of-state travel to all states if the trip is critical to the functions and needs of the board.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your executive officer or BBR for additional information.
Training and Requirements for 2023
DCA has updated mandatory trainings, which are now available through LMS.
BOARD MEMBER ORIENTATION TRAINING
Board members are required to complete Board Member Orientation Training (BMOT)within one year of appointment and reappointment. Dates for 2024 are being established and will be sent to members by the end of the year. Members will be able to register through LMS. BMOT is also available as a refresher for all members and executive officers.
Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Must Be completed by December 31, 2023
All new DCA employees, appointees, and consultants are required to complete Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
in 2023. Existing DCA employees who did not complete sexual harassment prevention training in 2022 are also required
to complete the training this year. There are two separate sexual harassment prevention trainings, one for supervisors
and one for nonsupervisory staff:
New two-hour 2022–2023 supervisory sexual
harassment prevention training—for DCA leaders,
including managers, supervisors, and board members.
New one-hour 2022–2023 nonsupervisory
sexual harassment prevention training—for all
nonsupervisory employees, bureau committee
members, and consultants.
INFORMATION SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING—
MUST BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 31, 2023
All individuals who have been assigned a DCA email domain (i.e., @dca.ca.gov) are required to complete the new
Information Security Awareness Fundamentals training in 2023. This group includes employees, board/bureau members,
consultants, and subject matter experts. The approximately 15-minute, annual training is available through LMS. For
questions about LMS or these trainings, please contact SOLID at SOLID@dca.ca.gov. This training plays a crucial role in
protecting DCA against information security threats.
ETHICS TRAINING
Board members are required to take an ethics training course within the first six months of appointment and
repeat ethics orientation every two years while serving on the board. The training is online, interactive, and can be
completed at your convenience. “State Officials—Ethics Training Course” is available at https://www.oag.ca.gov/ethics.
FORM 700—STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS
Upon assuming office and leaving office, as well as annually while serving, board members subject to conflict of interest are required to complete a Form 700. The annual statement is due by April 1, per Government Code section 87200, however, DCA requests Form 700 filers file online by March 15 to ensure compliance. The Assuming Office Statement must be filed within 30 days of appointment and the Leaving Office Statement must be filed within 30 days of leaving the board. DCA uses NetFile to complete Form 700s.
For more information, visit the Board Member Resource Center on the DCA website.
HOW TO RESET YOUR LMS PASSWORD
Password reset instructions for members using a non-DCA email
If you are unable to reset your password, your password is not recognized, or you simply forgot your password,
please email BBR at MemberRelations@dca.ca.gov
- Include your name and email being used for the LMS access, as well as contact information.
- Once we have reset your password, we will contact you when the reset has been completed
- Once the password is reset, you will be able to log in with your email address and new password
MEETING CALENDAR AND
WEBCASTING SCHEDULE
The DCA meeting calendar and webcasting
schedule are both available online.
BOARD MEMBER RESOURCE PAGE
Training information, meeting guidance, forms,
rosters, and more can be found on DCA’s
Board Member Resource Center.
Brought to you by the BBR team: Judie Bucciarelli, Yvonne Dorantes, Melissa Gear, and Korrina Moreno.