Saving Lives Every Day! - May 2024

Employee Monthly Newsletter                                                                      May 2024

Message from Director Robinson

Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, #TeamDMV! Thank you for reading our May 2024 newsletter. I hope everyone is doing well and will enjoy readying this month's issue. A few announcements:

✅ On Wednesday, April 24, I appeared before the Committee on Transportation and the Environment on Mayor Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2025 proposed budget, “A Fair Shot: Strategic Investment and Shared Sacrifice,” the District’s 29th consecutive balanced budget. In case you missed my testimony, you can watch the replay here. You can also read my testimony here.

✅ During Mayor Bowser's Back to Basics Season: Sprucing Up for Spring, members of Vehicle Services and I showcased the innovation and convenience of our newest self-service on-board diagnostic emissions test kiosk at the Fort Stanton Recreation Center in Ward 8. You can watch the video here. You can also view photos from the event here.

✅ #TeamDMV's Communications Department has updated several key documents and templates for both internal and external communications. DMV staff can refer to this link for guidance and access to the newly updated branding guide and agency logos posted on our intranet. All staff must come into compliance with the use of the new branding guidelines by Saturday, June 1. This includes required review and necessary changes to email signature, font usage, PowerPoint templates and more. I would like to thank Kellye Underwood for all of her hard work and dedication on creating #TeamDMV's new and improved branding documents.

Managers and teams may seek assistance in implementing any of the communications documents by scheduling tutorial sessions with the Communications Department if needed. Please reach out to public information officer Chiderah Monde or management analyst Kellye Underwood. 

✅ May is Mental Health Awareness Month! I want to remind you that there are confidential resources available if you or someone you know needs help. You are not alone. Call 988 if you or someone else is experiencing a mental health, substance use or suicidal crisis. Call the District’s Mental Health Hotline 24/7 at 1-(888)-793-4357 to speak with a behavioral health professional and get help solving a problem or to learn more about resources available to you. Never be afraid to ask for help. Additional resources are available below. 💚💚

✅ As we celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday, May 12, I hope all mothers at #TeamDMV had an enjoyable day with family and friends. ❤️❤️

✅ Lastly, this year we celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27...the unofficial kickoff to summer. I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing holiday spending time with friends and family!

-Gabriel

“Choose the positive. You have a choice, you are the master of your attitude, choose the positive, the constructive. Optimism is a faith that leads to success.” -Bruce Lee

Meet Your New Colleagues

Mandatory District-Wide Employee Training

Mayor Bowser's Order: 2023-131 Sexual Harassment

Mayor Bowser issued Mayor's Order 2023-131, reaffirming the District government's stance against all forms of inappropriate workplace behavior, specifically sexual harassment. Whether it involves interactions among District government employees or between employees and the public, the Mayor’s Order recognizes sexual harassment as a particularly egregious form of workplace misconduct, characterized by its unjust, demeaning and demoralizing nature.

It is crucial for all employees to understand this policy to enhance their awareness of their behavior and to aid in holding others accountable by reporting any misconduct.

All employees need to complete the yearly online training on the Mayor’s Order and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace. This training, accessible via PeopleSoft, explains the different parts of the Mayor’s Order and is mandatory for all staff members to ensure understanding.

Employees must complete the training by Friday, June 14.

To access the required training, employees should follow the below steps:

💻 Log in to PeopleSoft.
💻 Click on the "Request Training" tile on the ESS homepage.
💻 Select "My Mandatory Training".
💻 Locate the training ("Mayor’s Order 2023-131 District Sexual Harassment") and click "View Online" to start the training video. Make sure pop-ups are enabled on your browser.
💻 After completing the training video, you'll receive a short feedback survey. Complete the survey to access the training assessment.
💻 Once you finish the feedback survey, you'll receive the training assessment. You must score 100 percent to complete the training and be given credit for the training. If not, you can retake the survey.

For assistance, please contact the Center for Learning and Development helpdesk at or by submitting a ServiceNow ticket.

Thank you for complying with this notice.

💖 Heartfelt Thank You 💖

A Special Dedication to DMV's Support Services Team

A special shout out to our Support Services Team from DMV's Community Outreach Coordinator/Correspondence Management Specialist Demaria Corley:

I would like to take this opportunity to give a huge THANK YOU and shout out to Support Services. The entire team is extremely helpful with our teams' supply and transportation needs.

As the season becomes warmer, so does our participation in community outreach events. They are appreciated for their time and helpfulness with setup, transportation, assembly, heavy lifting, etc., during all seasons of the year.

Thanks for all that you do! You guys are a well-oiled machine! 💖💪

Much appreciated,
Demaria

#DidYouKnow 🤔

DC Trivia Are you really a Washingtonian? Let's see! Ready, set, play! ✏️🖊️ DC uses letters for streets traveling east to west and numbers for streets traveling north and south. What letters are not used to name a DC street? 🤔

May is Lupus Awareness Month Just because people can't see the impacts of lupus, doesn't mean they don't exist. What is lupus? Lupus is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of the body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system — the body system that usually fights infections — attacks healthy tissue instead. #DidYouKnow Lupus is two to three times more prevalent among African American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women than among White women?

Visit the Lupus Foundation of America website to learn more about this disease and how you can get involved. 💜💜

May is #AAPIHeritageMonth Let us take time to reflect and celebrate the important role that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have played in our shared history.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have contributed significantly to many facets of American culture and society, including science and medicine, literature and art, sports and recreation, government and politics and activism and law.

Of course, in 2021, Kamala Harris became the first female Asian American Vice President of the United States. We did it Joe! ❤️🧡💛

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month This month is a great opportunity to raise awareness and increase motorcycle safety messaging. Between 2016 and 2020, 27 motorcycle fatalities in the District represented 18.2 percent of all traffic fatalities (148).

During the same time, 440 motorcycle injuries represented about 3.3 percent of all injuries (13,443) also in the District. An average of 47.6 percent of all motorcycle crashes resulted in an injury.

🗣️ Calling all motorcycle riders! Please ride aware, know your limits and ride within them. Also understand your motorcycle's limitations and the environment in which you ride. 🏍️

What's Happening at #TeamDMV

Cheers to Your Second Act, William Dorsey
38 Years of Government Service

Enjoy Your Retirement by Genie Graveline

Dear William,

You worked so hard for so many years,
Giving everything you had to give.
But now is the time to put yourself first,
To relax, to enjoy and to live!

Take in the song of the birds when you wake,
Get in touch with an old friend or two,
Learn to do something you've never done before,
Find adventure in all that you do!

So much awaits you around every bend,
There are so many places to see!
Travel afar, if that suits you,
Or read by the shade of a tree.

But never forget as you go along,
That honestly, right from the start,
All of the moments we shared through the years,
Left an imprint in our hearts!

With love,
Your #TeamDMV Family

Leah Givens (May 1) | Tyrone Sweatt (May 6) | Tyronica Best (May 9), Tony Dugger (May 9) | Catrina Jones (May 10), Raja Bandla (May 10) | Terrence Butler (May 11) | Dajashanae Kenndey (May 13) | Dominic Dickerson (May 14) | Christine Felker (May 17) | Jacqueline Spencer (May 18), Kimberly Campbell-Perkins (May 18) | Shirley Massey (May 21) | Simandra Rennie (May 22) | Selena Crump (May 28), Jeffrey Brazier (May 28) | Karen Campbell-Tate (May 29) | Maurice Kartey (May 31)

Kudos #TeamDMV

(Compliment(s) from our Social Media Fans)

"Tested out the Takoma kiosk with two constituents and while the scanner may be fickle, no issues to report here. This DMV kiosk is operable and convenient. @dcdmv" ~Camille Davis

"@dcdmv excellent service at the Southwest Inspection center, thank you Oscar Ventura." ~Dev Ganesan

HR Corner

#TeamDMV Shines at DCHR's Hiring Fair:
Spring Into Your New Career

On Thursday, May 16, #TeamDMV was proud to participate in DCHR's Spring Into Your New Career Hiring Fair at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. DMV held interviews for Legal Instrument Examiner positions and made 12 contingency offers!

THANK YOU to everyone who assisted with making this hiring fair a success! 🫶🫶

Take a virtual tour of the fair | See video of #TeamDMV

This month, we celebrate Mental Health Month, Women’s Health Month and National Bike Month.

As we continue to break the stigma surrounding mental health, the next question you want to ask yourself is- What am I doing to care for my mental health? Is it through therapy sessions? Is it by honoring your weekends and time off? Maybe it is taking mini breaks throughout the workday. It could be one of those, a combination or something unique for you. There is no one-size-fits-all all.

DCHR webinars direct address mental health topics so you can feel safe joining, learning and engaging with professional speakers.

Be sure to check out Mindful Mondays, which includes guided meditations and Mental Wellness Tuesdays, which will include Breaking the Stigma, Exploring Mental Health Treatment Options, Therapy and Beyond and Suicide Awareness and Prevention. Wellbeing Wednesdays will feature exciting workshops including a Bike Health webinar by goDCgo and a Virtual Cooking Demo with Asian American and Pacific Islander dishes! Lastly, Transformation Tuesdays and Thursdays will include free fitness classes available to you in DC so you can connect further with the community all while caring for your health.

For more information and resources, visit DCHR's website.

A"May"zing In-Person DCHR Courses

Register and complete at least two in-person training sessions all month long to be entered in DCHR's raffle of gift cards with two grand prize winners receiving an Apple Watch.

Log in to PeopleSoft to register today! The contest ends on Friday, May 31. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 3.

View available courses below. 👇

Financially Fit DC at Work: Student Loans

If you're still paying off your student debt, you probably know the stress it can cause. Whether it's living paycheck to paycheck, being unable to save much money for things you want (like a house) or knowing how much extra you're paying in interest, being in debt is no fun.

Join the Department of Insurance, Securities & Banking (DISB) on Friday, May 31, from 11 am - 12 pm to learn about sources of funding, repayment programs, debt consolidation and more. Register

Let's Get Ready to Summeeerrr!

Blueberry Lemonade Recipe by Kiina Powell

Summer is on its way and all you want to think about are beaches, cool air and refreshing drinks. Here's a nice cool, refreshing drink to help kick off summer. 🥤🏖️😎 Six servings Ingredients 🥤 1 ½ cup of blueberries 🥤 ¾ cups of granulated sugar or to taste 🥤 7 ½ cups of water (2 cups aside) 🥤 ¾ cup fresh lemon juice Add the blueberries, sugar and 2 cups of water to a small pot on high heat. Warm the water until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently.

🥤 Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the sieve to remove as much liquid as possible. If desired, skim any impurities from the top of the blueberry syrup. 🥤Add ice to a pitcher then pour in the strained blueberry syrup, the remaining 5 ½ cups of cold water, and the lemon juice then stir to combine. 🥤 Serve the blueberry lemonade over ice garnished with blueberries and lemon slices.

News You Can Use Around the District

#JumpIn, DC!

It's warming up in the District and we know what that means: outdoor pool season is almost here! 🏊

Join Mayor Bowser and DC DPR to celebrate summer with free food, music, giveaways and a splash at the annual DC pool party.

🗓️ Friday, May 24
⏰ 3 pm
📍 Anacostia Pool (1800 Anacostia Drive SE)

Spring services are here! From street sweeping to mowing, DC DPW teams are out taking care of DC neighborhoods. 🧹🧱🪠🍂

Is there an area you think needs attention? Submit a 311 request at:

💻 311.dc.gov
📞 311

Learn more

DC DPR Summer Programs are Here “Winter is copper, autumn is bronze, spring is silver, and summer is GOLD.”- Matshona Dhliwayo 🌞 DC summer programs are now open for registration! From aquatics to cultural arts, sports, fitness and more; find something for you and your family to do this summer with programs all over the District. Learn more

DC's Annual Truck Touch 🚨 Countdown to adventure! Get ready for DC's Annual Truck Touch 2024 🚚. Experience the magic of big machines and the thrill of the Electric Vehicle Grand Prix! 🗓️ Saturday, June 1 ⏰ 8 am - 1 pm 📍 RFK Stadium, Lot 8 💻 Register

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, prom or graduation, etc.

Send your photos and a small write-up to Kellye.Underwood@dc.gov.