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Home My WebLink About10/23/2020 - City Council - Agenda -SpecialCity Council Special Meeting A G E N D A Friday, October 23, 2020, 4:00 P M City Hall, Council Chambers, 114 N. Broad Street, Salem, VA 24153 1.C all to Order 2.C losed Session A.Closed Session Hold a Closed Session pursuant to Section 2.2-3711A(1) of the 1950 C ode of Virginia, as amended, to discuss a personnel matter pertaining to School Board appointments. 3.Adjournment Item # 5A October 12, 2020 Joshua Martin-Vincent Kier 209 Emmett Ave Salem, VA 24153 (540) 632-6034; joshuam.vkier@gmail.com Objective To aid the city I call home, Salem, in the position I am most needed utilizing my professional experience and personal strengths. Education Hollins University, Roanoke, VA September 2019 to December 2020 ●Masters of Arts, Teaching & learning Overall GPA: 4.0 Roanoke College, Salem, VA May 2013 ●Bachelor of Arts, English; Minor in Education with licensure program. Overall GPA: 3.657, Dean’s List Teaching Experience English Teacher, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2015-present ●Teach ~50 sophomores American Literature survey in a schedule alternating between three- seven period days and two- 75 minute block days. Develop novel, poetry, non-fiction, a Shakespearean drama, and writing units. Major units on East of Eden, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Macbeth, Invisible Man, and selected short stories and poetry. ●Teach ~18 seniors Thematic Literature in a schedule alternating between three- seven period days and two- 75 minute block days. Develop two unique thematic courses of study, a Shakespearean drama, as well as prepare seniors for the rigors of a college classroom setting. Each theme involves short fiction, long works, poetry, and how to consume the news. Major units on Fairy Tales, Antigone, Running in the Family, Ourika, and The Age of Innocence. English Teacher, Jefferson Forest High School, Forest, VA 2013-2015 ●Taught ~75 Pre-AP 9th grade students in a six period schedule. Collaboratively planned with AP Vertical Team to implement AP curriculum and necessary vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills. Developed units on major works including The Odyssey, Anthem, and Great Expectations, the writing process, prose/poetry analysis, rhetorical argument, and synthesis composition. ●Taught ~45 general level 11th grade students. Prepared students for End of Course Reading and Writing Standard of Learning tests through study of American literature, grammar, and persuasive writing. Taught survey of major periods of American literature through excerpts and full works. Related Experience/Leadership Finance Stewardship Committee, Salem Baptist Church, Salem VA 2018-present ●I am a deacon representative on a committee running a small, half-million dollar budget annually alongside setting priorities for spending and large purchases. New Faculty Support, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2018 ●Initiating a program to support new faculty hires at North Cross School with support of senior staff and teachers from each division. Deacon, Salem Baptist Church, Salem, VA 2017-present ●I attend meetings to attend to the physical needs, spiritual welfare, and unity of a congregation I have been a part of since I was 16 and an attendee four years prior. Summer Programs, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2017-present ●Design and deliver instruction for ~20 international students from North Cross School-Shanghai (Xinhe Campus). Create and implement a three-week, American Literature survey introducing students to the rigors of reading at a Western University humanities course. ●Design and deliver instruction for ~20 international students from North Cross School-Shanghai (Xinhe Campus). Create and deliver a three-week, Shakespeare course introducing students to Elizabethan drama, Shakespearean sonnets, and the rigors of composition in a Western University humanities course. Symposium Director, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2016-present ●Plan, schedule, and implement a day-long enrichment event for 200+ 8th-12th grade students. Invite local business leaders, professionals, and artists to campus for a keynote address or forty minute break-out sessions to share their passion and experience with students. Organize logistics, including locations and schedules for presenters and students. Facilitate relationships between North Cross School and community leaders and organizations. Calliope, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2016-present ● Faculty advisor for student-led literary magazine. Coordinating the senior editing staff in procuring submissions, editing creative writing, planning layouts, and submitting final copy for publication. Honor Council, North Cross School, Roanoke, VA 2015-2017 ●Faculty representative of student-led honor council. Helped support discussion and deliberation by students regarding individual honor offenses of their peers. Account Executive, Scott Insurance, Roanoke, VA 2008-2009 ●Primarily training to become a Property & Casualty account executive to handle middle-market companies’ insurance needs. Sales Representative, Rick Woodson Honda, Roanoke, VA 2007-2008 ●Cold calling, generating marketing material, and handling on-site walk-ins on a rotation basis among fellow salespeople to sell new and used cars. City of Salem Boards & Commissions Application Form Completing this form is one way to indicate your interest in being considered for appointment to some of the Boards and Commissions for the City of Salem. Only City residents will be considered for service on a Board or Commission. All appointments and re-appointments remain at the discretion of City Council. Please complete and either mail this form to: City of Salem, Attention: Judy Hough, 114 North Broad Street, Salem, Virginia 24153; email to jhough@salemva.gov or FAX to (540) 375-4048. Any questions please call the office at 540-375-3016. List a maximum of three (3) Boards, Commissions, Committees or Authorities on which you are interested in serving. 1. 2. 3. Mr. Mrs. Name: Date: ____________ Ms. Home Address: (Zip) Occupation: ________________________________ Employed by: ______________________________________ Home Phone No.: Business Phone No. Fax No. E-Mail: Do you live in the City of Salem? Yes ! No ! Are you currently a member of a City Board, Commission, Committee or Authority? Yes ! No ! If yes, please list: What talent(s) and/or experience can you bring to the Board(s)? What do you feel you can contribute to the Board(s) and to the community that may not be evident from information already on this form? Please use this space for any additional information you would like to provide: A resume or separate sheet with additional information may be included. Attendance requirements: City Council requires appointees to attend at least 75% of the yearly committee meetings. Absences may be excused because of personal illness or serious illness of members of the immediate family, death of a family member, unscheduled or unforeseen business trips, and emergency work assignments only. All other absences are recorded as unexcused. In light of the above, will you be able to attend at least 75% of the regular meetings of the boards to which you may be appointed? Yes ! No ! School Board of the City of Salem X Robin Ott 9/29/2020 40 Corbett St Salem, VA 24153 Professor Virginia Tech 540-986-6566 540-231-7195 robin_ott@ymail.com X X X My two children recently graduated from Salem High School. after growing up in the Salem City Schools. Because of this direct experience, I have a deeper understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school system. Additionally, I am a higher education professor with a recent graduate certificate in Engineering Education. These combined experiences give me better insight into current educational research and philosophies than any of the current/ other candidates. I believe my contributions will be bringing fresh eyes and new ideas to the Board. I appreciate robust conversation, have experience working on teams with varied viewpoints, and feel confident speaking my voice. ROBIN OTT 40 Corbett St. Salem, VA 24153 (540) 986-6566 robin_ott@ymail.com WORK HISTORY Virginia Tech May 2015 – Present Associate Professor of Practice, Mechanical Engineering Department & Senior Design Coordinator  Sole teacher for the ME4015 & ME4016, required two semester senior design course  Teach >400 senior mechanical engineering students in 50 different projects over a two semester design program  Develop new curriculum regarding design education and job preparedness  Recruit, and manage relationships with, industry leaders who sponsor senior design project teams  Raise funding for senior design projects from industry sponsors ($250K for AY 2019 -2020)  Assist student teams and industry sponsors evaluate new designs for commercialization  Research and publications in the area of student transition to work after graduation Intrexon Corporation June 2011 – March 2015 Senior Director, Project Management  Oversaw the operations of the UltraVector Division, reporting to the Vice President  Developed budgets for capital expenditures, consumables and salaries  Lead projects for launching new scientific protocols in the lab  Introduced lean manufacturing principles to laboratory  Mentored younger managers Advance Auto Parts May 2010 – June 2011 Project Manager – Factory Direct Order eCommerce Integration  Lead Business, eComm and IT teams in converting 128 FDO Suppliers to AAP’s eCommerce site  Developed Business Requirements for 8 phases of the project  Suggested in-house solution to replace a failed third party relationship  Achieved 170k SKUs online in 5 months  eComm sales for FDO parts grew from zero to $86k/week ($4.5 MM assuming a flat run rate)  Documented process flows for supplier on-boarding Ply Gem (formerly MW Windows) Aug 2008 – Jan 2010 Operations Manager  Responsible for 16 departments including Composite Window & Door, Entry Door, Vinyl Patio Door, Screens & Fabrication  Managed 150 hourly workers which included hiring, firing and personnel reviews  Managed the following metrics: Safety, Quality, Productivity, 5S, Scrap, Inventory Accuracy, Credit $ Returns  Improved departmental Safety record 67% YOY  Reduced Return Credit $ by 82% YOY  Achieved Quality performance of 97%  Improved departmental Productivity in 15 of 16 departments. Percentage improvements from 3 to 69%  Tripled capacity on key production line  Consolidated Tupelo, MS factory into my department in Rocky Mount Kollmorgen (formerly a Danaher Company) May 1999 - Jul 2008 Project/Program Manager Mar 2007 – Jul 2008  Lead joint design effort between Danaher Motion and a strategic automotive customer to develop AC induction traction motor for large scale hybrid vehicle – annual internal revenue at launch of $8.7 million  Created, maintained and drove 2+ year project schedule in MS Project – goal to launch Q2 2009  Forecasted, tracked & reported capital, material and engineering expenses/budgets of this $60 million project  Guided prototype delivery, material procurement, manufacturing readiness and quality functional groups  Key customer interface from schedule to invoicing to technical issues Materials Manager – Advanced Manufacturing Technology Apr 2004 – Mar 2007  Created, from scratch, Accelerated Product Development processes related to Supply Chain development for Global Kollmorgen Motors ($350 million) including prototyping qualification, contract negotiation, material presentation and training of receiving teams  Developed a team of Buyer, Planner & Purchasing Engineers to launch more than $22 million of new products  Evaluated, audited & qualified international suppliers (China, Hong Kong, UK, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Mexico)  Worked with Global Accounting Review Board to create custom Oracle reports for tracking material budget Danaher Business Systems (DBS) Manager Jan 2004 – Apr 2004  Managed Kaizen Funnel, organized & facilitated kaizens, tracked sustainment  Master Black Belt in Standard Work and also 5S  Certified instructor of Training and Facilitation Techniques for Instructors (TFTI – formerly known as Train the Trainer) Coordinator – Cardline Electronics Dec 2002 – Jan 2004  Implemented Standard Work & One Piece Flow  Reduced production backlog from $400,000 to < $10,000  Improved On-Time-Delivery from 84% to 94%  Improved Productivity by 125% while reducing head count by 29%  Reduced lead time for completed PCBAs from 5 days to < 1 day  Supervised team of ~25 direct labor associates including hiring, firing and personnel reviews  Developed Personnel Performance Tracking Database Supplier Quality Engineer Jan 2001 – Dec 2002  Reduced Supplier DPM by 50% in 2001 and again in 2002  Aided suppliers in responding with effective Corrective Action plans  Implemented Part Qualification Process (including training Buyers and Engineers)  Wrote and implemented Supplier Quality Manual  Established process for Supplier Deviation Requests Coordinator – Motor Assembly May 2000 – Dec 2000  Implemented Standard Work and One Piece Flow  Achieved significant reduction in production backlog – from $800,000 to < $100,000  Supervised team of 15 direct labor associates including hiring, firing and personnel reviews Project Engineer May 1999 – May 2000  Managed launch of GoldLine Direct Drive Rotary (DDR) product line  Assisted customers in choosing specialized bearings and grease for non -standard applications  Oversaw design changes to meet UL requirements PTC (formerly Parametric Technology Corporation) Dec 1996 - May 1999 Senior Application Engineer  Provided engineering product design consulting for hundreds of companies in Virginia and Maryland  Performed structural, thermal, vibration & motion analysis on customer designs using Pro/MECHANICA  Conducted Process Assessments of customer engineering departments and developed improvement plans accordingly  Delivered high level customized Pro/ENGINEER demonstrations EDUCATION B.S. Mechanical Engineering Virginia Tech 1995 Principles of Effective Teaching – Certificate Virginia Tech Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2018 Graduate Certification in Engineering Education Virginia Tech 2020 PUBLICATIONS/POSTERS/PRESENTATIONS/WORKSHOPS Peer Reviewed Journals:  Ford, J., Paretti, M., Kotys-Schwartz, D., Howe, S., Gewirtz, C., Deters, J., Chowdhury, T., Ott, R., Alvarez, N., Knight, D., Hernandez, C., Rosenbauer, L., Kary, A., and Giardine, F. (in press, expected late 2019/early 2020) Transitioning from Capstone Design Courses to Workplaces: A Study of New Engineers’ First Three Months, International Journal of Engineering Education. Peer Reviewed Conference Papers and Presentations:  Howe, S., & Ott, R., & Paretti, M. C., & Hernandez, C., & Deters, J., & Gewirtz, C., & Giardine, F., & Kary, A. (2019, June), Women's Experiences in the Transition from Capstone Design Courses to Engineering Workplaces. Paper presented at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Tampa, Florida. https://peer.asee.org/33566  Paretti, M. C., Kotys-Schwartz, D., Ford, J., Howe, S., Ott, R. (2019, May). Process M atter(s): Leveraging the Design Process to Build Self-Directed Learning. Paper presented at the 2019 Clive L. Dym Mudd Design Workshop.  Exploring Communities of Practice and Achievement of Learning Outcomes in Humanitarian Engineering Senior Design Projects. Capstone Design Conference, Rochester, New York. Gewirtz, C., Taylor, A.R., Ott, R.S. (2018). Paper and poster session. CONFERENCES ATTENDED Capstone Design Conference Columbus, OH June 2016 Capstone Design Conference Rochester, NY June 2018 Clive L. Dym Mudd Design Workshop Claremont, CA June 2019 American Society of Engineering Education Tampa, FL June 2019 Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez 309 Orchard Street, ♦ Salem VA 24153 ♦ (540) 529-3283 ♦ tes129@gmail.com I am a self-motivated positive leader that believes public service is essential. I have served in all aspects of the Salem City Schools PTA boards from elementary to Council PTA. I encourage a “can-do” positive attitude when working with others. I interact positively, respectfully, and courteously with everyone from all socioeconomically backgrounds as well as race and ethnical backgrounds. Professional Experience Commonwealth of Virginia, Disability Determination Services a division of DARS, Richmond VA- Professional Relations Coordinator • Supervises various vendor file and program specialists. Insures that qualified staff are hired, promoted, evaluated and given necessary development, training and guidance. Communicates effectively with staff to keep them informed on goals, missions, and issues that impact the VA DDS, the agency and the budget. • Serves as the agency contact for the State Office of the Attorney General, DARS legal department, and SSA legal requests and actions. Investigates subpoenas and negotiates with attorneys issuing subpoenas when possible. Provides advice to DDS regional offices regarding subpoena compliance aligned to Privacy Act requirements. Responds and provides requested data as policy directs for all agency FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests. Coordinates and Created the Virginia Disability Advisory Committee. • Serves as liaison to the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and Social Services for Medicaid claims and Medicaid Hearings. Tracks aged Medical claims and works with the regional offices to expedite processing time. Provides training and promotes open communication with other state and federal agencies involved. • Acts as the VA DDS representative and spokesperson for community outreach and educational services to medical, paramedical, advocacy, social services and legislative groups. Promotes positive public relations, exemplifying a favorable image of the VA DDS to the public. • Directs statewide medical and professional relations program. Complies information for DDS regional offices, Social Security Administration (SSA) regional office and DARS. Conducts costs analysis of revisions of policies and procedures. Analyzes the DARS edit report to ensure errors are researched and corrected timely to stay within prompt payment timeframes. • Interprets SSA policies and procedures and applies them to state operations. Analyzes proposed changes in federal and state policies and procedures to determine probably impact, possible consequences, training needs, and identifies steps necessary to implement changes. Maintains the Standard Operating Procedures documents for several areas in the state. Additional Skills • Ability to seek and provide information related to legal issues such as subpoenas, court orders, lawsuits, etc. • Ability to field questions, encourage positive relationships and work well with others. • Ability to organize and manage multiple and sometimes unrelated responsibilities in a timely manner as well as prioritize duties. • Ability to analyze information, reaching conclusions, and making feasible recommendations for the consistent and efficient operation of any program when given the task. • Completed HIPPA Compliance Certification. • Over 18 years of PTA Board Service, as President, Vice President and various other positions from elementary school to high school as well as the Salem City PTA Council Reflections Chair for two years. • Served on the Salem Band Boosters Board for nine years. • Serve on the Bethel Back to School Bash committee, planning and working the back to school supply and shoe drive for students in Salem. • A member of The Governor’s Coordinating Council on Homelessness. • Former member of the City Of Salem Schools Parental Involvement Committee. • A member of the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR) leadership committee for the nation as well as a member of the Virginia SOAR leadership team. Work email- Teresa.sizemore-hernandez@ssa.gov Work phone- 540-613-0344 HR203 (Rev. 04/01/01) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee ID# or SS#: 360-66-73 Position Number: D0765 Agency & Division: DARS - DDS Work Title: Professional Relations Coordinator This form documents and recognizes you for the extraordinary contribution you have made in the performance of your duties. You are commended for your exemplary accomplishment/performance. Description of specific extraordinary contributions: As part of our DCPS processing, Teresa was instrumental in reviewing our current CE processes. As part of this review, she discovered that the agency could reap significant cost-savings by eliminating unnecessary CPT codes. She performed a full review of the CPT codes and worked with PROs, MCs, and Management Team (MT) to eliminate unnecessary codes. She also reviewed our other CE processes, like our practice of mailing protocols with every CE packet to vendors. She worked with the PROs to come to consensus on eliminating this practice, significantly reducing our printing, paper, and mailing costs. She then presented the information to MT, who agreed to the recommendations, realizing the significant cost savings to the Agency without any detriment to customer service. Thank you for continually looking for ways to streamline our CE processes and save resources for the Agency! Supervisor’s Signature: /s/ Danita R. Scherff Date: 06/28/2018 Reviewer’s Comments: Signature: /s/Leon Scales Date: 07/30/2018 Employee’s Comments: Signature: /s/ Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Date: 08/06/2018 Note: An employee must receive at least one Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution during the performance cycle to be eligible for an overall “Extraordinary Contributor” rating on the performance evaluation conducted in the same performance cycle. Receipt of one or more Acknowledgement forms does not automatically entitle an employee to the “Extraordinary Contributor” rating. HR203 (Rev. 04/01/01) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee ID# or SS#: 360-66-73 Position Number: D0765 Agency & Division: DARS - DDS Work Title: Professional Relations Coordinator This form documents and recognizes you for the extraordinary contribution you have made in the performance of your duties. You are commended for your exemplary accomplishment/performance. Description of specific extraordinary contributions: At the request of the DDS Director, Teresa Sizemore- Hernandez organized a new Advisory Committee to promote communication between the DDS, SSA Partners, and Attorneys/Authorized Representatives. The new committee will be called VDAC (Virginia Disability Advisory Committee). Teresa solicited feedback from these groups, who were all excited to participate. All agreed that quarterly meetings would be beneficial to start. Teresa worked with these groups to set up a preliminary meeting with a few core people to set goals/objectives for the Committee and begin brainstorming beneficial topics to discuss with the larger group. At this meeting, the core group discussed several items to address in the larger group, like 1696 scanning from the FO, auto- printing of a rep barcode, and representative ERE access to claim files at OHO. The group felt that the meeting was a positive start and that there are definitely areas where we can improve communication and solve problematic trends. A larger Committee meeting will be scheduled for early fall. Teresa’s personable nature set the group at ease during the initial meeting. She facilitated positive communication and helped to plan strategies for the larger Committee in the future. Thank you for your continued dedication to building professional relationships with our community partners! Supervisor’s Signature: /s/ Danita R. Scherff Date: 05/15/2019 Reviewer’s Comments: Signature: /s/Leon A. Scales Date: 5/16/2019 Employee’s Comments: I am looking forward to the future of this committee! Signature: /s/Teresa Sizemore- Hernandez Date: 05/17/2019 Note: An employee must receive at least one Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution during the performance cycle to be eligible for an overall “Extraordinary Contributor” rating on the performance evaluation conducted in the same performance cycle. Receipt of one or more Acknowledgement forms does not automatically entitle an employee to the “Extraordinary Contributor” rating. HR203 (Rev. 04/01/01) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee ID# or SS#: 360-66-73 Position Number: D0765 Agency & Division: DARS - DDS Work Title: Professional Relations Coordinator This form documents and recognizes you for the extraordinary contribution you have made in the performance of your duties. You are commended for your exemplary accomplishment/performance. Description of specific extraordinary contributions: We have seen unprecedented change and uncertainty in the DDS Professional Relations arena as a result of the Coronavirus effects on the health care industry. At the end of March, SSA temporarily suspended all CE activity. Teresa worked with the VA DDS offices to ensure all scheduled CEs were cancelled immediately. She worked with the PROs and Leadership Team to establish an interim process for CEs that would need to be rescheduled as well as new CE requests. In mid-April, SSA announced that it was considering various video/tele-health CE options for mental status examinations. This announcement was made official at the end of the month. Teresa worked with the PROs to create new business processes to initiate this practice in our DDS. She also worked with IT to ensure that the CE packets would contain appropriate information regarding the appointment to both the provider and the claimant. She communicated this information to the Leadership Team so that all employees could be notified of the new workflow. We thank you for being flexible during this unprecedented time and for continuing to work with all of our staff to ensure this new process works as smoothly as possible. Supervisor’s Signature: /s/ Danita R. Scherff Date: 05/04/2020 Reviewer’s Comments: Thanks for stepping up and managing the chaos! Signature: /s/Leon Scales Date: 5/4/2020 Employee’s Comments: Signature: Date: Note: An employee must receive at least one Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution during the performance cycle to be eligible for an overall “Extraordinary Contributor” rating on the performance evaluation conducted in the same performance cycle. Receipt of one or more Acknowledgement forms does not automatically entitle an employee to the “Extraordinary Contributor” rating. HR203 (Rev. 04/01/01) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTION Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee ID# or SS#: 360-66-73 Position Number: D0765 Agency & Division: DARS - DDS Work Title: Professional Relations Coordinator This form documents and recognizes you for the extraordinary contribution you have made in the performance of your duties. You are commended for your exemplary accomplishment/performance. Description of specific extraordinary contributions: Our Professional Relations Coordinator, Teresa Sizemore- Hernandez worked closely with Beth Prunkl (DARS) on the renewal/re-bidding of the DDS’ teledictation contract. When the contract was awarded to one company, another company filed a protest. Teresa and Beth worked diligently with the Department of General Services (DGS) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to ensure we were taking appropriate steps through this legal process. To ensure that our operations were minimally affected, she continually communicated updates and developments with her supervisor, the DDS Director, and the Professional Relations Officers in each office. She worked with her supervisor, going over several “worst case scenarios,” brainstorming solutions that would minimize the effect of the protest on our CE providers, employees, and clients. Thank you for continually looking for ways to ensure that our DDS can maintain efficient operations with minimal disturbance, despite various obstacles! Supervisor’s Signature: /s/ Danita R. Scherff Date: 06/20/2017 Reviewer’s Comments: Signature: /s/Leon Scales Date: 06/20/2017 Employee’s Comments: Thank you so much! Signature: /s/Teresa Sizemore- Hernandez Date: 06/20/2017 Note: An employee must receive at least one Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution during the performance cycle to be eligible for an overall “Extraordinary Contributor” rating on the performance evaluation conducted in the same performance cycle. Receipt of one or more Acknowledgement forms does not automatically entitle an employee to the “Extraordinary Contributor” rating. Revised 9/20/18 EMPLOYEE WORK PROFILE - CONFIDENTIAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Employee Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee ID #: 3606673 Agency Name & Number: DARS 262 Work Title: Professional Relations Coordinator Position #: D0765 Performance Evaluation Year: 2019 Core Responsibilities: Performance Measure: Performance Management Major Contributor Yes No – Communicates reasonable expectations to staff in a clear and concise manner. Yes No – Addresses performance issues in a timely manner. Yes No – Provides staff with constructive feedback throughout the performance year. Yes No – Completes and submits evaluations to HR by established deadlines. Yes No – Uses good judgment and makes reasonable decisions. Program Management, Monitoring, & Evaluation Major Contributor Exceeds the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Meets the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Fails to meet the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Public Relations/Agency Liaison Extraordinary Contributor Exceeds the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Meets the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Fails to meet the performance measures as outlined in the EWP System Updates for Vendor File & CE Processes Major Contributor Exceeds the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Meets the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Fails to meet the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Policy Analysis Contributor Exceeds the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Meets the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Fails to meet the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Special Assignments: Performance Measure: Organizing Virginia Disability Advisory Committee (VDAC) Major Contributor Exceeds the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Meets the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Fails to meet the performance measures as outlined in the EWP Evaluation Factors: Factors Measures: (Indicate all that apply) Customer Service Major Contributor Yes No – Interacts positively, respectfully, and courteously with colleagues, management, and the public Yes No – Responds credibly to inquiries and requests in a timely manner Interpersonal Relations Major Contributor Yes No – Maintains effective working relationships with staff and colleagues. Yes No – Contributes positively to the team. Yes No – Demonstrates a “can-do” positive attitude. Communication Major Contributor Yes No – Communicates clearly and effectively Yes No – Keeps supervisor and colleagues updated as needed Planning / Analytical Skills / Decision Making Contributor Yes No – Is organized and prepared to accomplish tasks and assignments Yes No – Looks for ways to work smarter and more efficiently Yes No – Obtains and reviews relevant data to effectively address and resolve issues Yes No – Makes defensible and reasonable decisions Adapting to Change Extraordinary Contributor Yes No – Maintains an open-mind for change. Yes No – Reacts positively and professionally as changes occur, especially in situations of disagreement Yes No – Keeps abreast of relevant technological advancements. Revised 9/20/18 Supervisor and/or Reviewer Comments Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez supervises the Program Specialist-Vendors (Mr. Johnson) and two Vendor File Table Maintenance Technicians (Ms. Eady and Ms. O’Neil). She promotes a team approach with her staff. She ensured that her team members performed all mandatory federal, state, and agency training. She also appropriately completed extraordinary contributor forms and performance evaluations in a timely manner. She attends all management team meetings and provides updates to the rest of management on important professional relations issues. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez holds bi-weekly conference calls with the PROs around the state. She has also had two face-to-face meetings with the PROs this year. She continually works with PROs and SSA Regional Office to incorporate new HIT and ERE providers. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez was a member of SSA’s HIT Cadre – Documentation/Training Subgroup. She frequently updated our vendor file with new HIT partners when notified by Regional Office. The Virginia DDS eliminated our transcription services for CE vendors, effective August 2019. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez notified all CE providers of this change in the Annual PRO Newsletter. To date, there have been no significant delays in the CE report response times. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez attended the VA DDS Supervisor's Conference in the spring. She also attended the Regional PRO meeting in Philadelphia and presented information about DCPS with the Roanoke DDS PRO. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez attends SSA/DDS/OHO Partnership meetings with the Regional DDS Offices, either in person or via phone. She maintains positive relationships and communicates regularly with DMAS/DSS, which has been very beneficial as Virginia's Medicaid Expansion policy went into effect this year. She works closely with the Virginia SOAR Coordinator to ensure smooth operations between our agencies. She also attended the VHIMA conference, the Governor's Coordinating Council on Homelessness Meeting, the Collaborations Conference, and Project Homeless Connect 2019. Ms. Sizemore-Hernandez took the lead in planning/hosting our first Virginia Disability Advisory Committee (VDAC) meeting in May. This committee will be comprised of SSA and DDS employees as well as authorized representatives across the state. Her ability to forge new and positive relationships was recognized in this meeting. She is currently planning the 2nd VDAC meeting, to be held in October. She continues to monitor the Edit Report and Vendor File/ERE Work Queues. When there are issues or back-ups, she works closely with Dabrina and the Regional Office staff to ensure the work remains up-to-date. She also worked with IT staff to purge our vendor file of unnecessary information. She works closely with Bob Johnson to ensure CPT codes and fees are maintained in MicroPact. She has been working with her supervisor and the DCPS staff to steamline our CE processes and CPT codes. She also worked with her supervisor and the PROs to reduce the amount of mail/postage being used for CE packets, which also simplified the information for the claimant. OVERALL RATING EXTRAORDINARY CONTRIBUTOR – This rating recognizes exemplary accomplishments and overall performance that considerably and consistently exceeds the requirements of the position. An employee must have received an “Acknowledgment of Extraordinary Contribution” during the performance cycle to receive this rating. Documentation must be submitted with the evaluation. MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR – This rating recognizes special accomplishments and overall performance that frequently exceeds the requirements of the position. This rating, (not used by VBPD), is NOT an official rating utilized by the Commonwealth. The official rating entered in the State Human Resources Information System will be “Contributor.” CONTRIBUTOR – This rating recognizes the overall performance meets the requirements of the position. BELOW CONTRIBUTOR – This rating recognizes consistent substandard performance that fails to meet the requirements of the position. An employee must have received a “Written Notice” or “Notice of Improvement Needed/Substandard Performance” during the performance cycle to receive this rating. Documentation must be submitted with the evaluation. Supervisor’s MUST contact their HR Business Partner to discuss the re-evaluation process. Revised 9/20/18 Required Signatures & Acknowledgement of Receipt Supervisor Comments: Supervisor Name: Danita R. Scherff Supervisor Signature: /s/D. Scherff Date: 10/15/2019 Reviewer Comments: Thanks for an excellent year! Reviewer Name: Leon A. Scales Reviewer Signature: /s/Leon A. Scales Date: 10/18/19 Employee Comments: Employee Name: Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee Signature: /s/ Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez Employee signature acknowledges receipt of the evaluation but does not indicate agreement with the ratings or any comments therein. Date: 10/25/2019 Disability Determination Services Reference: Code of VA 63.1-248.3 – 5 POMS: GN 03314.120 GN 03316.135 DI 23003.001 Date: ReIssued 09/28/2020 Category: Adjudication NOTICE: All information presented in this issue is instructive, clarifying or administrative in nature and does not represent new substantive rules that could reasonably be expected to have an impact on entitlement determinations. CRITICAL ACTIONS WHEN DDS BECOMES AWARE OF ABUSE OR CONTAGIOUS DISEASE Potential Child Abuse Discovered at CE Potential Elder Abuse or Abuse of an Incapacitated Adult Notification Language Contagious Disease Alerts COVID Notification Reporting Suspected Abuse of a Child, a Person over 60 Years of Age, or an Incapacitated Adult 18 Years of Age or Older Please note that SSA must be consulted before DDS makes a disclosure without the individual’s consent to Protective Services concerning suspected abuse. In situations of imminent danger, however, appropriate law enforcement authorities must be notified immediately and SSA and Protective Services will be notified after the immediate danger has been resolved. CE providers are required to notify DDS when they make a disclosure to Child or Adult Protective Services or law enforcement authorities and DDS must inform SSA of the disclosure. The individual about whom the disclosure is made must also be notified in writing of the release of information. This is explained in more detail in the instructions below. Potential Child Abuse Discovered at CE • The Code of Virginia Section 63.1-248.3 requires physicians and psychologists (among others) to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the local DSS Child Protective Services or the DSS toll-free child abuse and neglect Hotline. Section 63.1-248.5 states that persons required by law to report abuse “shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability in connection therewith, unless it is proven that such person acted in bad faith or with malicious intent.” DDS is not required by this law to report child abuse and is not conferred immunity. However, our concern for the well-being of the child involved requires us to ensure that it is brought to the attention of the proper authorities and the procedures below should be followed. • Adjudicators and state agency consultants are responsible for noting indications of child abuse/neglect when reviewing CEs and referring the claims folder to the Regional Director or his/her designee. It is also possible that a CE provider will call to report same and such calls should be transferred to the RD/designee. Please document the case with all actions taken. • Claim referred to RD/designee: If the RD/designee concurs that child abuse/neglect is suspected and the CE provider does not indicate reporting it, the RD/designee must contact the CE provider to determine if he/she has reported the abuse. If not, the necessity for the CE provider to do so should be explained, citing the appropriate code if necessary. If the CE provider asks that we report it instead, point out that it is for the provider’s protection that we ask that the provider report the suspected abuse/neglect. If we report it, authorities may question why the provider did not. A summary of the discussion and the provider’s agreement to report this must be documented in the VCPS worksheet. • Call referred to RD/designee: The RD/designee should follow the steps above to ensure that the CE provider will notify authorities, document the VCPS worksheet accordingly, and ask the CE provider to note in the CE that he/she has reported the suspected abuse/neglect. • In the rare instance in which the CE provider concurs abuse is suspect but refuses to report it, the RD/designee will contact as Teresa Sizemore Hernandez at 540-613-0344 or email Teresa.Sizemore-Hernandez@ssa.gov or Leon Scales at 804-662-7625 and inform them of our intent to report the suspected abuse to Child Protective Services. (Note that the CE provider is refusing to comply with state law and his/her refusal should be considered grounds for removal form the CE Panel.) The DDS Administrative Office should also be contacted if DDS suspects abuse based on information obtained from sources other than a CE. Back to Top Potential Elder Abuse or Abuse of an Incapacitated Adult • The Consultative Examination provider as well as the DDS employees are required by law (Code of Virginia Section 63.2-1603 et seq.) to immediately report suspected abuse of anyone over the age of 60 or of any incapacitated adult 18 years of age or older and have immunity if it is done without malice. Employees are, however, not required to report suspected abuse if they have acutal knowledge that it has been reported by other parties. If a CE provider notifies us that he/she has reported abuse, the RD/designee will notify the Administrative Office (contact Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez (540-613-0344) or Leon Scales (804-662-7625). • The subject individual will be notified of the disclosure. Document the VCPS worksheet summarizing all actions taken. Back to Top Notification Language NOTE: If a disclosure is made, send a notice to the individual whose record was disclosed. The following is suggested language for the notice: This to advise you the Social Security Administration recently released information about you to the _________________________ in a compelling circumstance involving the health and safety of an individual. We made this disclosure in accordance with the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(8)) and SSA regulations (20 C.F.R. § 401.160). Both the Privacy Act and our regulations permit us to disclose information in a compelling circumstance affecting the health and safety of an individual. If you want information about the information we released, you can contact our office. If you contact our office, please refer to this notice. Back to Top Contagious Disease Alerts DI 23003.001 If, during the course of case development, DDS personnel discover that a claimant has a contagious disease, the DDS Analyst must consult with an Medical Consultant (MC) if there is a question of a contagious disease previously unknown to the FO. The MC must assess the potential for transmission during the interview process and the analyst and the MC must exercise sound judgment in determining whether an alert is warranted. For example, alerting the FO to a case of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is not warranted. However, the FO must be alerted in the event of the discovery of contagious diseases such as: • untreated tuberculosis (TB) • meningitis, or • measles. A complete list of contagious diseases would be extensive and dynamic. The examples provided should not be considered an all inclusive list. If it is determined that notification of the FO is appropriate: • DDS staff must immediately notify Regional Director (RD) or other member of management acting as the RD designee. • DDS management must immediately notify the Administrative Office, Teresa Sizemore Hernandez. The PRC will notify Regional Office. • The RO must immediately notify management in the FO that took the claim. • If the medical consultant is concerned that the disease should be reported under the Virginia Department of Health regulations on Reportable Disease, the Regional Director/Designee should contact the Administrative Office for guidance (contact Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez (540-613-0344) or Leon Scales (804-662-7625). See http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/regulations.htm for regulations and reportable disease list. Under no circumstances should the examiner make any outside contacts. COVID Possible COVID exposure. If a CE provider alerts the VA DDS of possible COVID exposure to the claimants, the PRO will notify the analysts of their claimant’s possible exposure. The analyst will call the claimant to explain there was possible COVID exposure. If the claimant does not answer the call, send a call in letter. Do not send a letter alerting of COVID exposure as this should be done verbally. Document the claim of all actions. If the claimant alerts the VA DDS of possible COVID or positive for COVID after their CE appointment, the analyst will document the claim and do a PRO Work Queue alerting the PRO of the CE provider/date claimant was exposed or tested positive. The PRO will notifiy the CE provider as well as all analysts with claimants that have possible exposure. The analysts will need to call their claimants, if no answer send a call in letter. Do not alert of COVID in written letter. Back to Top ADDITIONAL SERVICES In partnership with people with disabilities, the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services provides and advocates for the highest quality services that empower individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and full inclusion into society Since the primary source of evidence is the applicant’s treating physician, the Medical Community is vital to the success of the Disability Determination Services program. Many other resources in the state and community are important as well. Disability Determination Services extends its appreciation to and welcomes the interest and concern of all those who serve persons with disabilities in Virginia. FURTHER INFORMATION Anyone interested in obtaining further information about DDS or electronic transmission of medical or psychological evidence should contact the nearest regional office listed below. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 8004 Franklin Farms Drive Richmond, VA 23229 Leon Scales, DDS Director Teresa Sizemore-Hernandez, Professional Relations Coordinator Telephone: (804) 662-9322 FAIRFAX REGIONAL OFFICE 11150 Fairfax Boulevard, Suite 200 Fairfax, VA 22030 Telephone: (800) 379-9548 or (703) 934-7400 Letha Yeary, Manager Vida Cyrus, Professional Relations Officer NORFOLK REGIONAL OFFICE 5850 Lake Herbert Drive, Suite 200 Norfolk, VA 23502 Telephone: (800) 379-4403 or (757) 466-4300 Cheryl McCall, Regional Director Sandra Bouldin, Professional Relations Officer RICHMOND REGIONAL OFFICE 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 200 Richmond, VA 23233 Telephone: (800) 523-5007 or (804) 367-4700 Brett Fielding, Regional Director Zachary Reynolds, Professional Relations Officer ROANOKE REGIONAL OFFICE 612 S. Jefferson Street, Suite 300 Roanoke, VA 24011 Telephone: (800) 627-1288 or (540) 857-7748 Mary H. (Betsy) Stone, Regional Director Melissa Phillips, Professional Relations Officer EXTENDED SERVICES TEAM (EST) ROANOKE OFFICE 111 Franklin Road, SE, Suite 250 Roanoke, VA 24011 Telephone: (877) 892-6871 or (540) 512-1880 Sharon Lee, Manager Melissa Phillips, Professional Relations Officer Assistance from DARS is provided without regard to race, color, creed, sex, national origin or disability. (AA/EEO) Prepared by DARS 8004 Franklin Farms Drive RICHMOND, VA 23229 DEPARTMENT FOR AGING AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES A DIVISION OF VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT FOR AGING AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES Disability Determination Services (DDS) processes claims for benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Disability Programs. A division within the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), DDS works in partnership with the Social Security Administration and follows federal regulations in making its decisions. MISSION DDS is committed to making accurate, prompt decisions on disability claims under the Disability Insurance Benefits (Title II) and Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI) Programs. DISABILITY INSURANCE BENEFITS PROGRAM (SSDI) This program requires a person with a disability to have worked for a substantial period in employment covered by Social Security. Beginning at age 18, a dependent, adult child of a worker who is retired, disabled or deceased, may be eligible for benefits if the child became permanently disabled before age 22. Benefits also may be paid to a widow, widower or surviving divorced spouse of an insured worker. SSDI is funded through the Social Security Trust Fund. SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME PROGRAM (SSI) This federally funded program is based on financial need – it is not necessary for persons with disabilities to have worked under Social Security. Basic medical criteria for eligibility are the same for both SSI and SSDI. Recipients of benefits under both programs also may be eligible for Medicaid or Medicare benefits. DISABILITY DECISION A team comprised of a staff physician or clinical psychologist and a professionally trained analyst makes this decision locally at one of four DDS regional offices statewide. Applications for benefits are taken at the local Social Security Office and forwarded to the appropriate DDS regional office. MEDICAL CRITERIA Federal regulations list medical criteria for disability. Benefits are allowed if an applicant’s physical and/or mental status meets requirements in the listed criteria or is determined to be of equivalent severity to those listed. MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE Requests for this evidence are sent to public and private treatment or evaluation facilities including: health departments, Veterans Administration facilities, schools, mental health clinics, private physicians and hospitals VOCATIONAL CRITERIA When an applicant’s impairment fails to meet or equal the listed severity, yet causes significant restrictions, vocational criteria are considered. These restrictions must be assessed in terms of the applicant’s remaining capacity for work-related physical or mental activities. This “residual functional capacity” is then considered along with age, education and past work experience to determine the applicant’s vocational outlook. Disability benefits are allowed when the vocational outlook is deemed unfavorable due to the applicant’s inability to reasonably return to past work or adapt to a new, less demanding job. TREATING PHYSICIAN Medical information describing a patient’s physical and/or mental status is requested from the treating physician. Federal legislation emphasizes the importance of medical evidence from the individual’s own physician or psychologist. CONSULTATIVE EVALUATION When a decision absolutely cannot be made based on evidence from treating sources, DDS authorizes and funds a consultative evaluation. Community based physicians, psychologists and facilities supply these services according to a fee schedule established by DARS’ Medical Advisory Committee based on Medicare fees. The applicant’s own treating physician may provide the consultative examination if he/she has the special qualifications and equipment necessary. CONTINUING DISABILITY REVIEW Enacted by Congress in 1980, the Continuing Disability Review process affects almost everyone receiving disability benefits. Most beneficiaries have their cases reviewed at least once every three years to assure that only those eligible continue to receive benefits. ELECTRONIC RECORDS EXPRESS To improve the efficiency of the disability case processing system, DDS promotes the use of electronic submission of medical and psychological evidence. Evidence providers can submit records by toll-free fax or uploading records through Social Security’s Electronic Records Express Web site (https://eme.ssa.gov). The evidence is immediately available for the DDS analyst to review and payment can be made promptly.