The Status Quo is Nowhere to Be Found During a Pandemic

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Jess Weihe Director or Marketing, Mustang Marketing VCLA Cohort XXVI “Listen to their voices,” rung in my head — a sentiment expressed from an earlier speaker, as Michael Jump, chief deputy district attorney and director of victim and community services for the  County of Ventura, shared with us why the ceilings in the new Ventura County…

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Agriculture, Water, and the Environment

Dhruv Pandya VCLA Cohort XXVI Information Security Specialist, J.D. Power Terri Anderson VCLA Cohort XXVI Labor Relations Manager, County of Ventura What a day! Ventura County is known for many things, but one of THE top things for which our county is known for is Agriculture. And of course, how agriculture grows is affected by…

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Societal Inequities in Education

Rabiah Rahman, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Attorney/Founder, Rabiah At Law VCLA Cohort XXVI has once again demonstrated why we are #Virtutallythebest! On Feb. 5, 2021, we convened on Zoom to discuss education and how Ventura County’s educators are leading during this time of crisis.  Nearly a year into the COVID-19 global pandemic, educators have had to navigate…

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The Well-Being of Students During COVID

Katlyn Simber-Clickner, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Recreation Coordinator, Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District As I began to write this reflection, I wanted to highlight all the things that Distance Learning has taken from students and I wanted to highlight all the positives that have come from Distance Learning. As I went down that rabbit hole it…

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Homelessness in VC

Erika Singletary, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Operations Specialist II, Ventura County Office of Education The temperatures this winter in Ventura County have been higher than average and we are behind in the average rainfall. For some, this represents drought conditions, to others however, it means that they may be able to cope with the elements a little…

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The State of Public Safety

Nick Odenath, VCLA Cohort XXVI  President, Ventura County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association I found this VCLA session of particular interest.  The focus of this session was on public safety in Ventura County.  You might be asking yourself why is this a session Nick was looking forward too since he has spent the last 19 years in public…

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Public Safety-Working Together

Christina Tokatlian, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Forensic Scientist  and Local CODIS Administrator Ventura County Sheriff’s Office November 8, 2018 is a day I will never forget.  I remember waking up that morning to go to work and the first piece of news I heard about was the horrific Borderline shooting that took place the night before and…

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VCLA – Fountain of Knowledge & Inspiration

Julius Sokenu, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Interim President, Moorpark College Ventura County Community College District Prior to Friday, November 13, I did not know what it felt like to hold a drum between my legs and place my palms in a V to drum. Now I have proof that drumming is good for the heart and elevates…

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Whose Eyes Are You Seeing VC Through?

Tracy McAulay, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Management Analyst County of Ventura Like the first two VCLA sessions, session 3 was a whirlwind. We delved into the economy, transportation and the arts – no small task for a single day. All of the presentations were fascinating, and I could write pages. As I reflected on the day, I…

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Virtually the Best – Reflection

Jennifer Duston, VCLA Cohort XXVI  Client Partner Franklin Covey As John Quincy Adams so eloquently stated, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, & become more, you are a leader.” I couldn’t choose words more appropriate to describe Cohort XXVI and our day of learning with community leaders as a part…

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