May the Force Be With You in 2016

I may be the only person on this planet who has never seen a "Star Wars" movie. But with all the hype around December’s release of "The Force Awakens," and the rave reviews from the toughest of critics, I must admit my curiosity was piqued.  So it’s no wonder that over the holidays, I found myself thinking about this thing called “the Force.”  

Clearly “the Force” is a pop culture term that even non-fans have adopted for years.  

If you ask "Star Wars" fans for their own definition they will likely say that “the Force” is a power that connects all things.

So if I said, “May the Force be with you in 2016,” what would that really mean to us as an organization - regardless of where you land on the "Star Wars" fan spectrum? What ties us together as one County? Here’s how I’d imagine it.

• A relationship with the people we serve that promotes trust, civic engagement and the highest level of customer satisfaction in the country.
• Our position as an industry leader in efficiency, integration and innovation in providing government services.
• A vibrant community that promotes planning, development, infrastructure and services that strengthen the local economy.
• A natural environment for residents, visitors, and future generations to enjoy.
• A work culture that maintains a skilled, diverse and adaptable workforce that feels valued, engaged, empowered and trusted.
• An environment that values ethics and character above all else.
• A place where every resident has the opportunity to be healthy, safe and thriving – where everyone has the opportunity to Live Well.

If any of those things describes the potential of “the Force” to give us energy or connect us as an organization working for the public good, then I’m ready to begin my Jedi training in 2016.

2015 is over.  We had a really good year.  The economy was strong.  Our program performance was excellent.  We accomplished some amazing goals like the smooth transition of Proposition 47, fire service enhancements, expanding services for veterans, record park attendance, increasing access to health care and nutritional assistance, expanding our ERGs, countless state and national awards for excellence, seamless consolidation of our juvenile camps, expansion of our PERT and IHOT, just to name a few.   

Our successes are all attributable to you and your exceptional commitment to public service.  Thank you. 

Now it’s time to say goodbye to 2015 and embrace the new challenges and possibilities of 2016. 

We have a presidential election year ahead. Our Registrar is gearing up for the extra turnout that brings, and you can count on all the call going out for employees to help at the polls.

The El Nino forecast means a whole new set of preparedness activity, on top of being ready for wildfires, earthquakes and more.

Even if El Nino lives up to its billing, it won’t mean the end of the state’s drought. We’ve done a lot to tighten our taps, but we’ll continue our efforts to be even more water-wise.

We’ll be opening and working on new facilities and other capital projects to better serve and support both the public and employees (more coming soon on InSite about that).

Mental health will be getting more attention at the state and local level, sharpening our focus on these services.    

We’ll expand on our innovative juvenile justice programs, developing new and better approaches to keeping young people on the right path.

There will be important work on other priorities including stormwater regulations, self sufficiency, refugee services, body cameras, homelessness, agricultural pests, child welfare services, maybe even a new stadium – and that’s barely scratching the surface!

The good news is – we’re ready!  May the Force be with us.