2025 Bucket List

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How will you live life to the fullest in 2025? Whether you want to learn to sew, run a marathon or eat fish and chips in England – we want to know what’s on your bucket list for the new year.

If you’d like to send your bucket list plans to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov, we may share them here on InSite.

Ebony Shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Administrative Office

Bucket list: Ice skating, spend the day at a lazy river in Las Vegas, and to visit Tucson in the summer (to test the heat).

Erik Aguilar
Administrative Secretary II
Office of Homeless Solutions

Bucket list:

  • Visit Brussel, Belgium for Tomorrowland 2025!

  • Travel Europe for the first time

  • Pay off (at least) ONE credit card :D

Olga Lucia Acosta
Library Technician II
Del Mar Branch

Bucket list: This is my bucket list for 2025:

  • Being healthy

  • Training for my 2026 goal of doing the walk along the "El Camino de Santiago" (Spain)

  • Reach the calendar time needed to get retirement from my country (Colombia) at the end of 2025

  • Be at my home country by 2026 to begin living "la vida loca" as a retiree!! ✈️🏃‍♀️💯🐶🐶

Bharath Mallikarjun
Engineering Technician - III
Public Works, Capital Improvement Program

Bucket list: I want to go to Maldives, Curacao, and Fakarava Atoll. This is the year of Atolls.

Dahvia Lynch
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Land Use & Environment Group

Bucket list: My bucket list for 2025 is to choose learning over lounging more often! I’ve started by reading summaries of books on growth and leadership each morning.

Benevic Mallari
Human Services Specialist
Centre City Family Resource Center

Bucket list: Go inside the Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic churches in Spain.

Obriannie Ford
Protective Services Worker
Child and Family Well-Being (Office of Child Safety)

Bucket list: This is my bucket list for 2025.

  • Take a trip to England and Poland

  • Hold a handstand for 30 seconds

  • Take a train ride to Oregon

  • Read at least 1 book every two months

  • Create better consistency in the gym and fitness.

group of people gathered about an outdoor firepit

Joan Bracci
Chief Financial Officer
Finance and General Government Group

Bucket list: My bucket list item for 2025 is spend more time with family!

Daniel M. Vasquez
Group Program Manager
Human Resources | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Bucket list: This year I’m adding to a few resolutions from the previous year…

  1. I want to continue to read every day, but this year I want to read the same amount of non-fiction books as fiction books (last year I read every day, finishing 32 fiction books and 0 non-fiction books).

  2. I want to increase my average daily workout time from 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

  3. I want to increase my total single rep max for back squat, deadlift, and bench press by 15% (last year I increased them by 33%)

  4. And a carryover from last year that I didn’t accomplish, I really want to do a muscle-up. 😊

Joy M. Nagal
Confidential Paralegal
Office of County Counsel

Bucket list: I’ll be running the Tokyo Marathon on March 2nd as part of my Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) journey. So far, I have Five Stars of the AWMM: I’ve ran the Boston, Chicago, New York, Berlin, and London Marathons. I only need to run the Tokyo Marathon to complete and earn this AWMM Six Star medal. It’ll be a “racecation” with my family and it’s our first time going to Japan. I’m super excited and can’t wait!

Sarah J. Ewing
Paralegal 1
Office of Primary Public Defender

Bucket list: To find my purpose in this lifetime. I believe the elements of my purpose must include:

  1. Offering service to those who are suffering and in need.

  2. To believe in dreams.

  3. To love and be loved.

  4. To see the good in everyone and to diffuse the bad in everyone.

  5. To survive and contribute to the greater good.

Natalia Bravo
Chief of Staff
Chief Administrative Office

Bucket list: Visit at all the presidential libraries (I am a poli sci nerd). Specific to 2025, visit at least 2 new libraries this year 😊 and take more time for myself – spa here I come!!!

Cynthia Reid
Legal Support Office Assistant
Child and Family Well-Being

Bucket list: My bucket list is to visit my daughter and her family when she starts teaching in Madrid, Spain! We are going to travel all over Europe when I go out there.

Kimberly Giardina
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
Health and Human Services Agency

Bucket list: My bucket list for 2025 is to spend more time with family.

Lesley Pinka
Multimedia Designer
Communications Office

Bucket list: I want to go to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks with my granddaughter.

Caroline Smith
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Administrative Office

Bucket list: Mine is to touch a penguin. Seriously... I am dying to do the experience at SeaWorld where you get to see one up close. 

Tammy Glenn
Director
County Communications

Bucket list: My bucket list item is to take a new class – maybe finance or ballet – something that helps me engage my brain in a new way and meet new people.

Sarah Aguirre
Admin Analyst I
Chief Administrative Office

Bucket list: As a major foodie and museum lover, my 2025 bucket list is to finally take my first ever trip to Mexico City. While I’m there, my goal is to dine at two of the Michelin Star restaurants within the city and visit multiple museums a day.

Top InSite Stories of 2024

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From one-time wellness payments to introducing our new senior leadership team and from  sharing pet pictures to favorite lunch spots, here are the top InSite stories of 2024.

Employees to Receive One-Time Wellness Payment

Who doesn’t love more money? The most-read InSite story of 2024 was about the Board of Supervisors approving a one-time payment to address impacts related to increases in employee healthcare costs for all regular employees.

Gallery: Share Your Vacation Photos

Employee engagement was a common theme among the top stories this year, with County employees sharing part of their lives in and out of work with each other. At the top of the list was a gallery of pictures showing County employees traveling around the globe.

Get to Know Your New County Leadership Team

In September, Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton introduced her new leadership team. A new series of InSite stories started to help County employees get to know their new CAO and leadership team.

Halloween Happenings

Spooky Season was popular on InSite this year with several events from the County’s all-virtual Halloween celebration among the most-read stories. Take a look back at the always-popular Employee Costume Contest, watch a replay of the Lip Sync Battle or enjoy some Employee Pet Photos.

County Employees Help Those Impacted by January Storm and Flooding

After a devastating storm caused severe flooding across San Diego, County employees came together to raise funds for their coworkers impacted by the storm. The San Diego County Employees’ Charitable Organization launched a Flood Relief Fund for County employees to assist with repairs, household items, food, temporary hotel relocation, and other items impacted by flood damage.

Best Places to Eat Close to Work

Feeling hungry? Dozens of County employees shared their favorite spots near work to grab a lunchtime bite. The list featured places to eat at a variety of locations around the County, recommendations on the best menu items and tips on how to get the best deals.

County Employees on the Move

General Services is always working to improve County facilities, not just for us but for the customers we serve. That means a number of us will soon move into new or remodeled spaces, offices or buildings, and in some cases, to entirely new locations. Take a look back at County facilities that opened in 2023 and 2024, major renovation projects that are underway and new projects that are on the horizon.

Skate to Donate

County employees let the good times roll for a good cause in June at a roller-skating fundraiser in support of the County Employees’ Charitable Organization.

2024 Bucket List

Last but not least was a story posted just before the end of 2023 but with 2024 in mind. County employees shared their 2024 Bucket List plans. Did you complete your 2024 goal? Do you have any new ones for 2025?

You May See These Tax Changes on Your Jan. 3 Paycheck

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The following tax rates for 2025 will be effective on your Jan. 3 paycheck. This means you may see a difference in your take home pay.

1. Social Security (OASDI): The employer/employee tax rates will continue at 6.2%. The wage base limit will be $176,100, an increase of $7,500 from $168,600 in 2024. The maximum social security tax will be $10,918.20, an increase of $465.00 from $10,453.20 in 2024.

2. Medicare: The employer/employee tax rates will continue at 1.45%. An additional 0.9% will be withheld from employees (not employers) on all wages in excess of $200,000 per year. There is no wage base limit or maximum tax.

3. Federal/State Income Taxes: Federal tax tables for 2025 are available in IRS Publication 15-T and State tax tables for 2025 are available here.

4. SDI: The employee withholding rate will increase from 1.1% in 2024 to 1.2% for 2025. There is no wage base limit or maximum tax.

5. Qualified Transportation Fringes: Amounts are excluded from gross income for employer-provided qualified transportation fringe benefits (transportation in a commuter highway vehicle and any transit pass).

6. Federal Standard Milage Rates (Business Reimbursement): The standard mileage rate will increase from 67 cents to 70 cents per mile as of Jan. 1.

7. Federal Standard Milage Rate (Moving Reimbursement): The standard mileage rate will remain 21.0 cents per mile as of January 1, 2025.

8. Social Security Number on employee’s copies of W-2/W-2c will be masked on all forms issued, including the prior year Form W-2/W-2c available in PeopleSoft Employee Self-Service. The format will be shown as XXX-XX-1234.

Please note that the above rates and amounts are subject to changes by new federal and state legislation.

If you have any questions, please visit Central Payroll Administration on InSite.

CAO Message: Thank You for a Great Year

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A message from Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton:

As 2024 draws to a close, I want to say thank you. 

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the year-end celebration event at the County Operations Center recently. You can see all of the festivities in this video. 

I join the leadership team in sharing my gratitude with every employee. Your dedication and passion for supporting the community and each other is what keeps me grounded. You can be proud of the impact your work has made in ways big and small.  

You—our County workforce—are the heart of this organization. Your work drives equity, sustainability, access and other values critical to moving the region forward. In 2024, we overcame challenges, celebrated successes and embraced change together, something we will continue to do in 2025, keeping our focus on our mission and vision. We are prepared for whatever comes our way.   

I look forward to our continued collaboration in the new year. Until then, I hope this season brings you peace, relaxation, and cherished moments with your loved ones. I’m truly grateful for our incredible team and all that we’ve accomplished together. Thank you for everything!  

Your View: DEHQ Team Hard at Work

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Jeff Arsua from the Department of Environmental Health and Quality submitted photos of the Food, Water and Housing team conducting routine health inspections during the holiday season.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it.

Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. Images may be posted to InSite and shared on social media. 

See more of Your View photos. 

Your View: ARCC Cubicle Holiday Decorations

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Melissa Bergeron from the Assessor Recorder County Clerk Office submitted this photo where the Chula Vista staff participated in a cubicle holiday decoration contest to show off their creative skills.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it.

Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. Images may be posted to InSite and shared on social media. 

See more of Your View photos. 

Gallery: End of Year Employee Event

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An End of Year Employee celebration was held at the County Operations Center on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Plenty of activities were held including live music, games and more.

See the gallery of images from the photo booth and Accomplishment Tree with submissions from employees:

Your View: County Vector Control Fight Mosquitoes in Vista

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This photo was submitted by Derein Daniel from the County’s Department of Environmental Health and Quality capturing County Vector Control treating an area in Vista to keep mosquitoes from potentially spreading the dengue virus and protect the public’s health.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it.

Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. Images may be posted to InSite and shared on social media. 

See more of Your View photos. 

Share Your Accomplishments

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What an “unbe-leaf-able” year! Share one of your 2024 accomplishments. Each submission will be written on an individual paper leaf that will be hung on a giant Accomplishment Tree. The tree will be on display at the End of Year Employee Event at the County Operations Center on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

Submit your accomplishment and learn more about the End of Year celebration.

Note: If you have troubles submitting your accomplishment (200 characters max), please send it to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Enter CECO Raffle

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Ready for a staycation? Enter a raffle for a chance to win either a stay at a local hotel or a big meal. The County Employees’ Charitable Organization is selling one ticket for $20 or three tickets for $50. All proceeds will benefit the charity.

Prizes

Dates

  • Tickets must be purchased by 1 p.m., Dec. 18.

  • Winners will be announced at 5 p.m., Dec. 18.

How to Enter

Separately, there’s an opportunity to support CECO through a food fundraiser at the End of Year Employee Event. Come out to enjoy the many activities and grab lunch. MyPozole will be onsite and donating 10% of sales to CECO.

CECO has been the charitable arm of the County of San Diego since 1956. It strives to lend a hand to the community by way of grants to local nonprofit programs and assistance to employees and retirees in need.  

CECO is run by our very own County employees and 100% of money donated benefits local nonprofit agencies and employees or retirees in crisis. 

Donating to CECO makes a big difference to our local community. Earlier this year, the organization distributed $101,507 in grants to 58 local nonprofit programs and the Employee Crisis Fund at its annual awards ceremony. Several local nonprofits, including health clinics, homeless service providers, after school programs and more, received grants. See the full list. 

See the flyer below.