All state employees must complete an online learning module called “The Road to Cultural Competence,” by December 31, 2021. New state employees must complete the training within the first 90 days of their employment. The Department of Human Resource Management and its Office of Workforce Engagement created the training in response to legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2020. DMAS is tracking participation in this training module to ensure that our agency complies with this requirement. 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness and support survivors of domestic violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence first observed a national Day of Unity in October 1981. Domestic violence includes physical and/or sexual violence, threats, as well as economic and emotional/psychological abuse.

Lakeisha Churchill-Noel will be working as a Behavioral Health Operations Specialist in the Behavioral Health Services Division. For the past five years, she was employed with the Virginia Department of Social Services, where she worked as a Program Consultant Sr. for the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Development and the Division of Benefit Programs, where she led the development and implementation of the Virginia Restaurant Meals Program. She was also employed with the Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck Community Services Board for six years as a Lead Behavioral Specialist for the Therapeutic Day Treatment Program for youth and adolescents.

Dalia Tejada Halter will be working for Policy, Regulation, and Member Engagement (PRME) as a bilingual Outreach and Member Engagement Specialist.

She holds a Doctorate in Education and Leadership, Specialist in Community College Teaching, and an MBA from Arkansas State University. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from her hometown of Bogota, Colombia. She is an experienced learning and development professional, and is passionate about education, outreach, and community engagement. She is positive, compassionate, honest and self-motivated.

Priyanka Kanchana will be a Systems Integration Analyst/Tester for the Information Management Division. She is a dedicated IT professional with overall 17 years of Information Systems experience, along with 14 years of proven ability in leading multiple Medicare and Medicaid health care programs.

She is a project lead with demonstrated experience, leading a team of 20-plus IT professionals. 

Katharine LaBoy is joining the Federal Reporting Division as a Financial Services Specialist II. She is a dedicated, driven, and well-respected senior executive with more than 15 years of experience in finance, human capital, and operations management.

She is passionate about being a contributor to diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and coaching women c-suite executives. 

Mari Mackey is taking on her new role as Appeals Information Technology Manager in the Appeals Division. She joined DMAS in 2018 in a business analyst role and served as the Product Owner of the Appeal Information Management System (AIMS).

Prior to joining DMAS, Mari worked at a global consulting company and was responsible for managing the local office, reviewing project deliverables and revenue projection. In her free time, she enjoys biking, gardening, and spending time with her two dogs, Sophie and Oliver.

Elizabeth Maghsoodi has accepted the position of Regional HCBS Compliance Manager for the Southwest Region of Virginia and will be working in the High Needs Support division.

Elizabeth’s career has focused on ensuring the health, safety, and satisfaction of people receiving services. She is looking forward to this new opportunity to join a team who will continue to make sure that people are benefitting from living in their communities and that they are in the most integrated settings available.

Christine Robinson is a Program Support Tech Sr. in the Fiscal Division. She has more than 10 years of administrative and clerical experience working with various medical and public health organizations.

During these years she has had the pleasure of providing a variety of program assistance to client groups ranging from refugees to army veterans.

This training covers all facets of Human Resource management and provides guidance on the actual functional processes in HR, such as HR legal compliance, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act accommodation process, and corrective action under the state’s Standards of Conduct policy. 

New managers and supervisors, as well as individuals assuming manager or supervisor roles for the first time at DMAS, will learn their responsibilities regarding these important topics. The DMAS Academy offers this course quarterly over two days, with 3-hour sessions each day. 

This salad’s sweet-earthy flavors pair deliciously with roast pork or chicken. You can buy and prep a whole squash - start with one that's 2 pounds. Or purchase precut butternut squash at your supermarket.

It's a great shortcut for time-pressed cooks. Be sure to trim down the pieces to small, even-size cubes or slices before roasting to allow for even browning. If you dice the pear ahead of time, toss it with lemon juice to avoid browning.

DMV 2 Go will be in the Monroe Building, Conference Room B, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 9 to provide DMV services including:

OnTheSquareVA is excited to have the Virginia Film Office join us on November 10  from noon to 1 p.m. for an exclusive event: Cinema in Virginia. 

Registration is required for this virtual Zoom event.  Register here.