A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER FOR CHARLESTON COUNTY

Charleston County Economic Development Hosts Annual Luncheon

On Tuesday, October 17, Charleston County Economic Development hosted its annual industry appreciation luncheon at Trident Technical College. This year’s theme “A Year in Motion” celebrated the past year of activities and accomplishments for Economic Development. Charleston County Economic Development Director Steve Dykes talked about

this years accomplishments which included doubling staff from five to ten members, making 15 public announcements (as of September 2017), accounting for 85.4 million in new capitol investments and over 1,000 new jobs.

Charleston County also nominated three companies for the South Carolina Department of Commerce Industry Impact Award. Terressentia, BoomTown, and Turbo

Technologies were all nominated. Ernest Andrade with the Charleston Digital Corridor was honored and recognized as the 2017 Economic Development Ambassador for his leadership and contributions that promote growth in the Charleston Community.

The luncheon also consisted of a panel of business leaders which included, Brian Diephuis, President of Industrial and Supply

Chain Services at ThyssenKrupp, Jeff Stanton, Worldwide Manufacturing Engineering Director of Cummins Turbo Technologies, Scott Stocker, Production Control Director of the 787 Program at Boeing, Jim Newsome, President and CEO of the South Carolina Ports Authority, and Paul Campbell, Executive Director and CEO of the Charleston County Aviation Authority. The panel was moderated by Live 5 News Anchor Ann McGill.

Check out the Employee Engagement Survey on page 11.

Charleston County EMS Workers Win Carolina Paramedic Competition

Congratulations to Charleston County Paramedics Chelsea Flynn and Liz Rowell for winning first place in the Carolina Paramedic Competition in Fayetteville, North Carolina the weekend of October 13. The Carolina Competition was started in 1997 to develop a challenging paramedic competition to showcase what paramedics do. The teams are judged based on two scenarios they are presented, the first on Friday night, and the second on Saturday. Participants are required to provide their own ambulance and equipment and are judged based on how they perform during each scenario. On Friday, during the first part of the competition, Rowell and Flynn were dispatched to a psychiatric patient who would not allow the EMS crew to perform treatment or get his vitals. After transferring the psychiatric patient to the hospital the crew was dispatched to a plane crash about a mile away and as they were returning to the ambulance gun

shots rang out in the area. The psych patient had taken a security guard’s gun and shot people at the hospital. The crew was judged for ten minutes after the gun shots started as they worked to treat patients at the hospital. During the second scenario, one crew member was judged on CPR compression quality while the partner had to drag a 150 pound dummy and do an equipment transfer one piece at a time for a total of five minutes. During that time there was a loud explosion with several injuries. Rowell and Flynn were then judged on their actions during this scenario. “This is a great honor and amazing accomplishment,” said EMS Director David Abrams. Charleston County EMS has participated in this event for many years and won first place in 1997 and 2007. compete in the preliminary

Flynn and Rowell treating “patients” during the shooting scenario

Rowell checking a “patient’s” vitals Flynn attending to a “patient” during Saturday’s event

Rowell and Flynn with their awards

Emerging Leader Graduation

On Tuesday, October 10, The first year Emerging Leader program participants were

honored as they graduated from the first part of the two-year program. The

participants, along with the coaches and committee members, were presented with

leather binders and challenge coins. They were also honored by County Council during

Tuesday night’s meeting.

Participants have spent the last year learning about the County’s operations both

internal and external and developing skills to be effective and inspiring leaders and

managers. They attended monthly day-long classes that included lectures, experiential learning opportunities such as case

studies, small group projects, book assignments and site visits to various County Operations. The second year of the program

involves more job shadowing, training opportunities and working in teams to complete a significant long-term project.

New Emerging Leader Class Welcomed

On Wednesday, October 18, the new Emerging Leader class was welcomed into the program by Charleston County Administrator Jennifer Miller. Guest speaker Lindsay Leonard, Senior Director of Global Engagement at Boeing, also talked to employees about her experience and leadership skills and how they relate to her role at Boeing South Carolina.

USS Yorktown Model on Display in the

Veterans Affairs Office

By Shawn Smetana

You can now see the entire USS Yorktown when you visit the Veteran's Affairs

Office, just in a smaller size. A complete replica of the aircraft carrier was

recently donated to the V-A Office and is now on display.

The model was built by Edward Alan Sarkisian. His father, Edward Sarkisian,

served aboard the Yorktown as a Marine gunner from 1943-1945. Edward says

he has a God given talent to build these models and he wanted to put his skills to good use.

"When I build a model like this I try to emulate the ship. Not just a model, but a regime in time, said Edward.

The model was delivered to the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant in 2008 for a reunion. According to Edward,

the display has been in storage so they made a connection with the Charleston County Veteran's Affairs Office to find it a new

home. This project could not have been completed without the efforts of Todd Cummins, Executive Director of the USS

Yorktown, and especially Dwight Cargile, of the Charleston American Legion, for their assistance in finding the new home for the

Yorktown model.

"I knew the Yorktown and I was involved in the Yorktown since I was a toddler. I was at all the reunions and I remember the ship

coming down here in the 70's. I just thought it would be great to have a model to emulate the last few months of the war. So I

worked on it and executed it."

The model is outlined with pieces of the actual flight deck wood and the public is welcome to come by and check out the new

edition to the Veteran's Affairs Office at the Charleston County Public Services Building.

Charleston County Employees Send VegasStrong Message By Kevin Limehouse

In 2016, Charleston County employees got to meet and work with staff from Las Vegas when we meet as finalists of the All Amer-ican City Competition. Their mayor and staff were very kind to us in the aftermath of the Emanuel AME shooting and we wanted to return the favor. Last Friday, we pulled together as many members of our team that we could, including the choir Spiritually Yours, and made this video https://youtu.be/g5cVOSteMrA.

Charleston County Hosts Citadel Leadership Day at our Emergency

Services Building

Last Wednesday, Charleston County hosted Citadel Cadets at our Emergency Services Building for their Leadership Day. Vice

Chairman Herbert Sass, Charleston County Administrator Jennifer Miller, EMS Director David Abrams, Emergency Management

Director Jason Patno, Feet Operations Direct Mike Filan, Stormwater Program Manager Chris Wannamaker, and Sgt. Fletcher

Ferguson spoke to cadets about how leadership skills apply in local government. Cadets also got to tour our Consolidated

Dispatch and Emergency Operations centers.

The Public Works Department hosted an Italian themed fundraiser luncheon on Monday, October 16 to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Campaign “Making Strides against Breast Cancer.” The depart-ment not only dressed up Frank Pandullo in as much pink as possible, but also donated over $150 to the cause. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

On October 12, staff members from Transportation Development, Environmental Management, Public Works, Fleet Operations and Human Resources Department participated in the 2017 Charleston Business Journal’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) High School Career Fair. More than 2,000 students from the tri-county area attended this event.

Charleston County Employees and Diversity Committee Members attend Latin American Festival On October 15, Charleston County employees and Diversity Committee Members attended the Latin American Festival at Wannamaker Park in North Charleston. The festival included the sights and sounds of the Latin world with live Salsa and Merengue music, authentic foods, and fun activities for the entire family.

The mission of the Diversity

Committee is to promote

diversity awareness and cultural

connectivity through various

committee activities and by being

role models and leaders

throughout the county.

Left: Sasha Vargas-Fimiani and Mina McCann the Diversity Committee co-chair and chairwoman with Stacey Clark educating the public on 911 and Charleston County’s Diversity Committee

Diversity Committee Member Lt. Rita

Zelinsky teaching kids about staying safe.

Diwali, The Festival of Lights Started October 19

Diwali is one of the most celebrated festivals of India. The celebration started last Thursday and continues for five days. On the third day the key rituals of the Diwali Festival take place. They include light of the Diyas and candles around the house, and worshiping the Laxmi Ganesha to summon health and wealth.

REMINDER! IT’S TIME TO NOMINATE YOUR CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYEE AND SUPERVISOR OF THE THIRD QUARTER 2017! "People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise and rewards." --Dale Carnegie

YOU HAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON Tuesday, October 24, 2017 TO NOMINATE YOUR CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYEE OF THE QUARTER AND FOR SUPERVISOR OF THE QUARTER for July - September, 2017! If you want to submit a nomination for a TEAM AWARD, please contact me and I will send you a Team Nomination Form. Teams that are assigned projects outside of their normal departmental responsibilities, reduce cost, or accomplish significant goals, are eligible for this award.

We are asking for nominations of employees and supervisors who have gone beyond the call of duty!

Employee of the Quarter

Did you, one of your employees OR coworkers work with someone on a project during July - September, 2017 who was a big help? Did one of your employees or colleagues go above and beyond the call of duty to help out another employee or a cus-tomer during this past quarter? Did you notice an employee (yours or an employee from another department) perform ex-traordinarily during the past three-six months? Implement cost savings? Improve quality? If you can answer YES to any of these questions, please nominate that person to be Employee of the Quarter! Include all the details in your nomination.

Supervisor of the Quarter

Does your supervisor or a supervisor on your team display significant leadership and management skills? Did these skills en-able your work group or another supervisor’s work group to reach or exceed its goal (s) for the quarter? Did your supervisor lead the way in accomplishing cost-savings, quality or productivity…or provide exceptional assistance to you or the team in order to do so?

Nominate a candidate for Employee of the Quarter and/or Supervisor of the Quarter; help us recognize exceptional perfor-mance; please let others in your department know that ANYONE can nominate an employee or supervisor for this award! All nominations are due to Roslyn Harris, Human Resources, Tuesday, October 24, by 12:00 midnight either by email or interof-fice mail. Please click on the following link http://ccintranet.charlestoncounty.org/recognition.php to find the blank nomina-tion forms. If you have questions or concerns, please email or call Roslyn at 958-4703.

Have You Used Your 2017 Personal Holiday?

Don’t forget about your Personal Holiday! If you are a full-time, benefits-eligible County employee, you can select one day off

in the calendar year. Personal holiday hours are equal to the amount of hours in your regular scheduled work day. The cut off

to use the 2017 Personal Holiday is December 31, 2017. Employees who do not use their Personal Holiday during the calendar

year will lose it. It’s your holiday- choose it and use it, don’t lose it!

If you are unsure of whether or not you have taken your personal holiday, you can look at your next pay stub (blue sheet) to

check. If you have used it, you will see a line item in the top left hand corner notated as “Pers Hol” and you will see a Y-T-D

Amount. If you have not used it, there will not be a line item with a description of “Pers Hol”. You may also contact your de-

partment’s payroll representative if you need further clarification.

Drug Free Workplace Training

Safety and Risk Management is offering revised training for

Supervisors on Substance Abuse in the workplace. This training is

designed to bring supervisors up to date on the County drug and

alcohol testing program, discuss trends in

substance abuse, assist them in recognizing possible substance

abuse in the workplace and what to do about it.

We encourage all supervisors and managers to

attend a session of this training when they are able.

The next session of this class is offered on Thursday, November 9th In the

Jury Assembly Room of the Judicial Center downtown. It will begin

promptly at 1:00PM and should be done around 4:00PM.

Online registration is available for this class and other classes on a

first come first served basis at:

http://ccintranet/TrainingRegistration/Trainingregistration.php?id=3

The Employee Engagement Survey has been Extended

The survey has been extended to November 9.

To complete the survey, follow this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCEES2017.

You may also complete a hard copy survey in HR if it is more convenient.

Human Resources is offering an incentive for completing the survey. Employees will be instructed at the end of the survey on how to enter for a drawing. Their names will be entered and each week multiple $25 gift certificates will be awarded and announced in the County Courier.

This Week’s Winners

Robert Tague from the Sherriff’s office

Naomi Nation from the Solicitor’s office

Christopher Yaw from Transportation and Development

Charlie Chu from Facilities

Open Enrollment 2017 Updates

During open enrollment, eligible employees, retirees, survivors and COBRA subscribers may change their coverage for the following year. Open

enrollment ends October 31, 2017.

If you are satisfied with your current coverage, no action is needed... Make a note, however, you must re-enroll in flexible spending accounts

each year.

Changes that you make during open enrollment will take effect January 1, 2018.

Reminders:

MetLife is the new life insurance vendor. Premiums for Dependent Life-Spouse coverage will be based upon spouse’s age, not the employ-

ee’s age.

A former spouse who is covered by a State Health Plan subscriber must have his own policy under the Plan.

The State Vision Plan’s eyeglass frame benefit will change from every 24 months to every 12 months.

MyBenefits

Open enrollment is easy when you use MyBenefits. Please click on the link below or review your Benefits Advantage for instructions. A repre-

sentative from the Human Resources department is available to help you with questions you may have.

If you’re a subscriber, you can use MyBenefits throughout the year to:

Update your contact information;

Print a list of the insurance plans under which you are covered;

Get your eight-digit Benefits Identification Number (BIN);

Add a newborn to your coverage;

Update your life insurance beneficiaries; and

Approve changes made as a result of a special eligibility situation

http://www.peba.sc.gov/assets/benefitsadvantage.pdf

MoneyPlus

Enroll in, re-enroll in or drop flexible spending accounts:

Dependent Care Spending Account

Medical Spending Account

Limited-use Spending Account

Enroll in or drop a Health Savings Account.

A Health Savings Account is available to Savings Plan members

Ward Services

Enrollers from Ward Services will be available to assist with enrolling in the PEBA and voluntary benefits. Enrollers will be at various location through October 25, 2017. Please bring your most current paystub when enrolling in one of the voluntary benefits.

Voluntary Short Term Disability Insurance

The Voluntary Short Term Disability Insurance administered through Colonial Life Insurance is available for enrollment through the end of Octo-ber. The coverage will take effect January 1, 2018. The flyer and enrollment forms are below. All enrollment forms need to be sent to Human Re-sources.

Please contact Marcella Clark @ mclark@.charlestoncounty.org 843-958-4706, Aundrea Dixon @ adixon@charlestoncounty.org 843-958-4723 or the Human Resource Department at 843-958-4700 if you have questions.

2018 Benefits Guide http://www.peba.sc.gov/assets/2018ibg.pdf

wellness

Monday, Oct. 23

Barre @ Blake 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 24

Yoga @ Blake 12:05 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Yoga @ DAODAS 12:05 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 26

Barre @ PSB 12:05 p.m.

Yoga @ ESB 12:05 p.m.

Yoga @ SO-LEC 5:15 p.m.

Mobile On-site Mammography

Two locations and dates in October

The Public Services Building at 4045 Bridge View Drive October 26, 2017 from 8:45am –2:45pm

APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED To schedule an appointment, call Outreach Services at 843-792-0878

FLU SHOT SCHEDULE

Oct. 17th 7:30am - 8:15am @ Bee’s Ferry Landfill

Oct. 19th 1pm – 4:00pm @ PSB (EOC/Rm B339)

Oct. 26th 9:00am – 3:00pm @ Main Library

Oct. 27th 11:00am – 2:00 pm @ Judicial Courtroom 3D

Oct. 30th 5:30am @ Det. Center

Oct. 30th 9:00 am for Non-Shift employees

@ Det. Center

Oct. 30th 5:30pm @ Det. Center

Oct. 31st 12:00pm-2:00pm @ SO-LEC

Overdose Prevention and Narcan Training Seminar

LUNCH & LEARN @ the Public Services Building Tuesday, Oct. 24 12-1pm 3RD FLOOR, B-339

This seminar is for ALL individuals interested in learning more about prescription opioids & heroin addictions and what, if

anything, a non-medical person can do in the event of an overdose.

In today's world it would be difficult to find someone that hasn't been personally affected, or knows someone that has been,

by this terrible epidemic of addiction.

Upon completion of this one-hour training program all attendees will receive a 4 mgs. Narcan Nasal Spray and a Heroin/

Opioid Overdose Rescue Kit.

If you would like to attend please register with the below link – Lunch will be provided for all registrants

http://ccintranet.charlestoncounty.org/TrainingRegistration/Trainingregistration.php?id=1

Dear Readers,

Every week, the new Courier edition will replace the previous edition. Archives will not be available on the

link. However, we are providing two ways to access the archive Courier editions.

Archive editions will be available on the Intranet.

Archive editions will be available on the County’s Internal WordPress site:

www.chascountygov.wordpress.com

(The password to access the Courier editions is: countycourier1234.)

Thank you!

Shawn Smetana, Public Information Office

County Courier Editor

All articles can be submitted to Kelsey Barlow Roland at kbarlow@charlestoncounty.org by

Wednesdays!