Saving Lives Every Day! - March 2023

Employee Monthly Newsletter                                                                      March 2023

Message from Director Robinson

Happy Women's History and National Nutrition Month, Team DMV! Thank you for your interest in learning more about your agency and your colleagues and for continuing to read our monthly employee newsletters. I hope you find the content informative. This month's issue features several announcements, including my testimony before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment on Mayor Bowser's proposed Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which was held on Tuesday, March 28. You can view my testimony on our website here. The testimony was held in-person for the first time since the pandemic and it was great having DMV's Leadership Team in attendance.

Also, included in our March 2023 employee newsletter is:

Information About Your New Colleagues
Fun Fact
HR's Corner
National Nutrition Month exercises and healthy recipe
Photos from Valentine's Day
Motivational Corner
What's Happening Around the District

Additionally, join DC DMV's Wellness Champions Committee to learn how to strengthen your mind and build skills that will help you navigate through everyday life stressors by focusing on four factors: 1) emotional health; 2) financial health; 3) mental health; and 4) physical health. For more information or questions, please contact Montii Osei-Djan.

Lastly, as we celebrated Employee Appreciation Day this month, I want to personally thank each and every one of you again for all of your hard work and dedication to our customers and for helping to keep the District and our residents safe and moving. We are truly saving lives every day!

View my thank you message

-Gabriel

"Know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world." ~Oprah Winfrey

Welcome to Team DMV

Announcements

Happy Retirement Joan B. Saleh
34+ Years of Dedicated Service

Please join members of the Driver Services team for a retirement celebration honoring Joan Saleh's 34+ years of dedicated service. 💙🎈

Date: Sunday, May 7 | Time: 12-3:30 pm | Location: The Hamilton Restaurant

Read more details

AAMVA Workshop & Law Institute

On March 8-9, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) hosted the Workshop & Law Institute in San Antonio, Texas. It was a great opportunity to reconnect in person to learn and share with one another. View photos of the event by visiting AAMVA's Flickr page and check out the wrap-up video on their YouTube channel. Next year's workshop will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

In the photo (left to right): Shawn Watkins (Operations Manager), Taion Walters (Supervisor at Rhode Island Avenue), Paula Coyoy (Hearing Support Supervisor at Adjudication Services), Tracey Jackson (Supervisory Hearing Examiner at Adjudication Services) and Director Gabriel Robinson

Happy Women's History Month! As we celebrate this March, let us remember the history and accomplishments of amazing women, who have helped shape America as it is today.

Follow us on our social media channels as we are highlighting and celebrating accomplishments of Team DMV’s amazing women, who help shape and promote the safe operation of motor vehicles and public safety. ❤️ Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Employee Appreciation Day Celebration

Rhode Island Avenue

As Team DMV celebrated Employee Appreciation Day on Wednesday, March 1 with a wonderful message from Director Robinson and breakfast, our Rhode Island Avenue team went a little further with the celebration. On Friday, March 3, our Rhode Island Avenue team was treated to lunch (fried whiting fish, chicken and french fries and given a goodie bag (notebook, token of appreciation and a handwritten personalized card). Thank you Team Rhode Island for sharing!

View more photos

Adjudication Services

Keila Castro (March 4) | Regina Mathis (March 6) | Sean Mills (March 8) | Safiya Thompson (March 9) | Kraig Williams (March 16) | Patrick Spencer (March 17) | Letitia West (March 18) | Marshae Irving (March 20) | Tonia Dansby (March 21) | Stephen Lawson (March 23), De’Chelle Hampton (March 23) | Gerrel Woody (March 24) | Remigia Davis (March 26), Diamond Shears (March 26), Omar Newland (March 26) | Marquis Miles (March 27), Vanessa Newton-Bernard (March 27), Lacy Streeter (March 27) | Quanda Edwards (March 28), Shaumika Tate (March 28) | Zainab Al-Shammary (March 29)

#KudosDCDMV

(Compliments from our Social Media Fans)

"@dcdmv Excellent svc at the inspection station on Half St yesterday! Deangelo Baucum was quick and amusing!" ~Stephen Sears

"Shoutout to TeamDC. @dcdmv sent me a timely email reminder to get my car inspected, with all the info I needed on opening hours and busy times. The professional, friendly team completed the inspection is under 2 minutes and I was on my way. DC rocks. @mayorbowser" ~Kathleen Vickland

"My sweetie and I just went to the @dcdmv in Georgetown. It was swift, efficient and filled with really nice conversation. Best DMV experience ever. Well, it could have been better if we had the time to go to @MasonLobster afterwards. Luckily we still have to do our registration." ~Jim Dunn

""@dcdmv - excellent service today from Edward Tate and the team working at the Half Street Inspection Lanes. Professional, efficient and very nice." ~Jenny Backus

"Wanted to thank @dcdmv (Edward Tate) for an amazingly fast car inspection at the SW location. As fast as you get tickets from over eager officers! :)" ~Seema Sirohi

"I wanted to comment on the Team at the Inspection Station on 1/2 street. That group of employees are EXCEPTIONAL! If every District employee were that congenial we would be without a doubt the happiest city in the US. I had time to chat with Larry Walker and Gerrel Woody while my car was being inspected and they honestly made the remainder of my day a happy one ... especially because I did not want to go to the inspection station in the first place but those guys made the process EASY and ENJOYABLE. Hire more like them! 22 year citizen of DC." ~Mary Fernandez [compliment for Larry Walker and Gerrel Woody from the DC Government web form]

"@dcdmv Chenia Crews is an asset to your team! She made everything so smooth and was a joy to work with!" ~Taylor

"@dcdmv big thank you to Ms C Crews at Georgetown service center for helping me with my complicated situation. She was amazing, nice and super helpful!" ~Noah Gray

"Thank you to the employees of @dcdmv who provided efficient and friendly service today at the vehicle inspection center! Reggie Taylor and crew were fantastic!" ~DCDanceHound

"Yesterday Mr Herb Jones and team did an excellent job of leading my vehicle through the inspection line, patient professional and kind. The world would be a better place if these people were in charge." ~Mr Richard Kohlhoff

Fun Fact

Lack of Hiking Trails in Ward 8 On Tuesday, March 21, Staff Assistant Keith Jones Jr. was featured in an article written by Jacob Fenston from DCist. DC's Ward 8 is blessed with some 500 acres of forested parkland, but there are not many ways to access those parks, with just a few miles of trails. Take, for example, Shepherd Parkway — a long strip of forest along the bluffs of Congress Heights, above where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers meet. The forest is bordered by some two dozen blocks of row houses, apartment buildings, and an elementary school. But there is no way for residents to get into the woods. Not one trailhead. Not one tenth-mile of trail.

“Literally in your backyard, so much nature, so much access — but no access at the same time,” says Keith Jones, community outreach coordinator for Ward 8 Woods and a lifelong resident of the ward. Read more

HRs Corner

Update your resume and sharpen up your skills. This position is not included in the DC DMV Hiring Fair: -Trainer (closes April 5)

DCHR Employee Wellness Series

The DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) wellness program offers a wide range of free courses including fitness classes, mental health seminars, cooking demonstrations and so much more. Find the perfect wellness activities to help you create a healthy lifestyle. Available to only you, as a DC Government employee and your family!

March is National Nutrition Month! A time to focus on food and nutrition; diet and exercise are fuel for your future. This month, we have an opportunity to learn the basics of nutrition, herbs and plant-based meal prep.

Check out a list of free upcoming wellness activities to help you create a healthy lifestyle on DCHR's website.

Employee Rewards Program

The "Employee Rewards Program" campaign aims to raise DC Employee Health Benefits Program (DCEHBP) participants awareness of rewards they may be eligible for through their health care provider. In partnership with healthcare vendors, the DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) wants to ensure employees reap the full benefits of their worksite wellness program, which depending on carrier, may include various incentives and rewards (paid for by the carrier) for making healthy lifestyle choices and engaging in specific health-related activities. Learn more

National Nutrition Month

Spring Into Fitness

Spring has sprung, which means warmer weather and longer days. Together, this makes it the perfect time to start a new spring workout plan!

The biggest mistake most people make when trying to lose fat fast is performing high-rep workouts and overdoing cardio. The best way to increase your metabolism is to increase your muscle mass, so you burn more calories both during exercise and at rest—and that means heavier weights and lower reps. It also means hard exercises. Here's how the spring body plan works.

Pasta Primavera Recipe by Dominic Dickerson Ingredients ✔️ 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips ✔️ 2 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips ✔️ 3 cloves of garlic, minced ✔️ 1 red or yellow onion, thinly sliced ✔️ 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips ✔️ 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips ✔️ 1/4 cup olive oil ✔️ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper ✔️ 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs or herbs de Provence ✔️ 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta) ✔️ 15 cherry tomatoes, halved ✔️ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan ✔️ ½ lemon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 minutes total; OR

3. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sliced vegetables, salt, and several grinds of pepper and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite) about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

5. Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Squeeze the ½ lemon over the dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

(Optional)
o You can add a protein to the pasta primavera. Chicken, shrimp or fish are good options.
o You can also use any pasta or veggies you want.

Fun fact: Primavera means spring or springtime!

Hear the Crunch

Hear the Crunch is an annual event where students, parents, educators, policymakers, advocates and other organizations in DC take synchronized bites into apples in support of school breakfast.

On Wednesday, March 8, several Team DMV members did #HeartheCrunch! 🍏🍎

Learn more about the event

Let’s hold on to the love season a little longer with a few Team DMV Valentine's Day photos.

View more photos

Motivational Corner

By Talayna Clements, Correspondence Management Specialist

What exactly is happiness at work? And why does it matter?

Happiness is a state of emotional well-being, when good things happen at a specific moment, or more broadly, as a positive evaluation of one’s life and accomplishments. An example of happiness at work could be gratitude or recognition after receiving an award or promotion, the feeling of accomplishment when helping a customer resolve an issue, or having friendly professional relationships with your co-workers. The happier you are, the more you’ll achieve, yielding tangle profits to you and your business.

Happiness at work is crucial because it can lead to increased productivity, better performance, improved team collaboration, and greater customer satisfaction. It can also lead to higher employee retention rates and improved organizational morale. Organizations can ensure that their employees are motivated and engaged in their roles by understanding what makes them happy at work and how to create an environment for them to thrive.

There are several ways to foster an engaging and supportive culture in the workplace, such as team-building activities, open communication channels, recognition of achievements, and a strong focus on employee development. These activities help create a positive atmosphere that encourages collaboration between co-workers and promotes a healthy work-life balance. By focusing on these strategies, businesses can ensure an engaging and supportive environment for their employees.

Technology can be a powerful tool for creating a happier workplace. Using digital tools to monitor employee engagement and satisfaction, employers can provide engaging and supportive resources. Technology can also help create better communication between managers and employees, which is critical to fostering a positive work environment. Additionally, technology can track employee progress and provide feedback to help workers reach their goals faster.

In closing, with the right strategies in place, workplaces have the potential to become more productive and enjoyable for everyone involved making it a win-win for all!

What's Happening Around the District

DC DPW Has Begun Street Sweeping Attention DC residents! DC DPW has kicked off its spring operations and is working hard to keep DC clean and beautiful.

Learn more on DC DPW's website about street sweeping, alley cleaning, yard waste collection, mowing, graffiti removal and helping hands neighbor clean up.

Get Ready for DPR Summer Camp The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is proud to offer District families the opportunity to enroll their children in various camps that foster development and create life-long friendships. Before and after care is available at all sites. Visit their website to find the right camp and location and sign up today! Learn more

Spring registration is also still open for the DPR camps. Options include swimming, team sports, spring break camp, movie nights and much more. See what DPR has to offer.

2023 District of Pride Showcase Calling all DC performers and artists! 🗣️ Know any performers interested in participating in Mayor Bowser's District of Pride Showcase at The Lincoln Theater on Thursday, June 29? Seeking: Dancers, DJs, bands, singers, rappers, poets, comedians, drag performers and more! Register #Pride2023

Have Some Exciting News to Share?

Have some exciting news to share with your colleagues? It can be a family recipe, birth announcement, vacation, sporting event, etc.

Send your photos and a small write-up to Kellye.Underwood@dc.gov by Friday, April 14, 2023.