Panelists 2A: The Workplace Environment: What Does Normal Now Mean?
Kitha Torregano- Kitha Torregano, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside with a focus in Human Resources Management and English. Kitha currently serves as the Human Resources Manager for Tri-City Mental Health Authority, which serves as the public Department of Mental health for the cities of Claremont, La Verne and Pomona. Kitha has over 17 years of public sector human resources experience working previously for Caltrans, Riverside Transit Agency, County of Riverside and the City of Gardena prior to her career with Tri-City. She has experience in the full array of human resources at the public level ranging from recruitment and selection, leave administration, employee relations, negotiations, and classification and compensation.
Elizabeth Renteria- Elizabeth Rentería, LCSW is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Social Work and currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer at Tri-City Mental Health Services, the local mental health authority for the cities of La Verne, Claremont and Pomona California. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor for Portland State University School of Social Work Distance learning Program and prior to returning to working for Tri-City Mentalhealth he was the clinical Program Manager for Comprehensive Care for Children, Youth and Families for Deschutes County Behavioral Health in Bend, Oregon. Elizabeth has presented at both local and national conferences on systems of care, mental health, equity and diversity and program development topics.
Panelist 2B: Telecommuting post-COVID for the public sector: Legal and practical considerations
Kelly Trainer Policky– Kelly Trainer Policky serves as the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority’s Employment Programs Manager. A licensed California attorney, Kelly has worked as an advisor, trainer, investigator, and negotiator for public agencies for almost 20 years. She has a passion for the preventative side of the practice of law, and oversees the Authority’s Employment Hotline, providing advice and counsel support to over 120 member agencies on complex, high-risk employment law issues. In this capacity, she works directly with members on issues such as reasonable accommodation and the interactive process, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, discipline, freedom of speech and association, privacy, and social media. Kelly is also a highly-regarded trainer, and regularly conducts a variety of seminars and workplace trainings for employees on matters such as harassment prevention, disability discrimination, implicit bias, workplace investigations, managing difficult employees, workplace violence, discipline and termination, social media, performance evaluations, creating effective documentation, and leaves of absence.