Fullfilling SAHA's Mission
      Upcoming SAHA Pay Changes
      Planet Fitness® Offering SAHA
        Employees Special Pricing
      Ultimate Home Maintenance
      COLON CANCER: Signs,
        Symptoms, & Screening
      Race for the Cure Results

     


Fulfilling SAHA’s Mission and Looking to the Future
Greetings SAHA staff,
    First and foremost, I'd like to thank the Board, SAHA staff and the community of San Antonio for the warm welcome to SAHA.  It’s my honor to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of this great organization with such a noble and commendable mission:
    The San Antonio Housing Authority is committed to building and maintaining affordable housing for the citizens in our community. We seek to create safe neighborhoods by partnering with individuals and organizations to provide housing, education, and employment opportunities for families of modest means to become self-sufficient and improve their quality of life. We shall serve our clients and all citizens with the highest level of professionalism compassion and respect.
    For the past 13 years I have dedicated my professional life to improving the housing conditions and quality of life for thousands of individuals and families in Southern California. Now, I have the opportunity to serve San Antonians, and work collaboratively with residents as well as public, non-profit and private entities to preserve and expand the supply of affordable housing while creating thriving communities and empowering residents.
    As we embark together in furthering SAHA’s goals and providing service to the more than 25,000 households that we serve, I ask that you take a few minutes to reflect on SAHA’s mission and the role that you play in helping us achieve it. I further ask that you recommit yourselves to serving our customers and partners with the upmost respect and integrity.
    Lastly, I look forward to meeting each of you, either at the Employee Reception, planned for Friday, June 19; while having lunch in the Café; visiting a property; or somewhere around town. After all, I’ve quickly come to realize that one of the beauties of San Antonio is that we have the best of all worlds:  a large metropolitan city with the spirit of a small town.   
Planet Fitness® Offering SAHA Employees Special Pricing
    Planet Fitness® recently opened a new location in San Antonio at 25 NE Loop 410 at McCullough, and the company is offering our employees a special discount: an enrollment fee of $10 and a basic membership for $10 a month without a contract.
    You can upgrade your membership to PF Black™ for $19.99 a month. That membership includes the use of tanning booths, massage chairs and use of Planet Fitness® locations and requires a 12 month contract.
    For more information on Planet Fitness® memberships, call the McCullough location at 451-9236. Be sure to let them know that you are a SAHA employee.
    Remember that SAHA will reimburse you up to $25 a month for gym memberships. Simply keep your proof of payment and turn it in to Millie Clapp when requested in December 2009. Contact Millie at 477-6083 or millie_clapp@saha.org for questions on reimbursement.
Strive For Excellence
    Improving your work performance is similar to maintaining a house. You may work to improve your house during a period of time and later move on, but your goal should be to leave it in better shape than when you first moved in. When we improve our own home and feel good about its progress, we may lend a hand to help our neighbor. 
    Striving for excellence at work is like maintaining your house – you may continually to improve your performance and you may never be totally satisfied. Employees who strive for excellence are always looking for ways to invest in themselves, by studying their work environment and setting goals to reach for new achievements. They also work on ways to improve the system – not to necessarily change it but to improve, optimize and maximum it to potentially make it better for their neighbor.
    Excellent performance is what counts. Look at your output. Is what you are producing making a difference? Are you meeting your goals? Are you making the right effort to get the excellent results desired?
    Striving for excellence will never let you down. You will always be able to hold your head high knowing that you did everything you could by completing every task you do with excellence.
    A reputation for excellence is well worth the commitment it requires!
The Ultimate Home Maintenance Checklist
    Spring is a great time to give your house an annual “checkup.”
    You can get your home into shape with this handy checklist from Greg Haskett, vice president of The Home Team Inspection Service,
(www.hometeaminspection.com):
     Inspect Brickwork and Stucco  
    Look for spalling, the chipping of a brick’s face which leaves the brick’s interior susceptible to moisture & crumbling. This typically occurs on older homes. Efflorescence is an unsightly white deposit caused by soluble salts left behind during water evaporation. If this plagues your brick, the Brick Industry Assoc. suggests dry brushing in warm, dry weather to remove it. If you find water in the brick, consider sealing the brick with an appropriate sealant.
     Replace Rotted Siding or Trim; Repaint as Necessary
    Ron Gibbs, president of House Doctors Handyman Service (www.housedoctors.com), says repainting siding or trim is more than a one-weekend project and suggests painting the whole thing or at least a section at a time for color consistency.
     Clean Gutters & Downspouts
    Make sure gutters and downspouts direct water away from the house. Consider installing gutter guards.
    Inspect Your Roof
Shingles that turn up and turn down can make your roof inefficient and susceptible to leaks.
     Get a Chimney Check-Up
    Have a professional chimney sweep, clean and inspect your chimney.
     Don’t Overlook Your Attic
    Check your attic for proper ventilation. Keeping a good airflow will save you when it comes to cooling costs.      Check Your Heat/Air Unit; Change Batteries in Detectors
    Have your ducts professionally cleaned. It will make your indoor air healthier and your furnace more efficient. Change batteries on smoke & carbon monoxide detectors.
     Prune Landscaping & Create Good Drainage
    Shrubs and landscaping help guard against soil erosion, but should be planted at negative grade, which means water will flow away from the house to prevent growth against the foundation of the house itself.
     Give Concrete a Little TLC
    Seal and inspect asphalt or concrete driveways. Power wash concrete patios; inspect decks for rotting wood and secure railings.
     Weatherproof Windows and Doors
    Examine putty/caulk lines around exterior windows and doors; ensure weather stripping creates a good seal.




Upcoming SAHA Pay Changes
  SAHA’s leadership has worked diligently to balance the challenges of the current economic climate with our desire to reward and retain our employees that work hard each day to deliver our services to our clients.
Many of you are aware that our Board of Commissioners approved an expansion of the pay grades, effective July 2008, significantly raising the maximum range for all positions. 
    In November, the Board also authorized the reimplementation of an agency-wide cost of living adjustment (COLA), which will go into effect at the beginning of our fiscal year, July 1, 2009.  The COLA is determined each year by prevailing economic conditions and budget constraints.  The proposed FY 2010 Budget that has been presented to the Board allows for a 2 percent COLA for this year, as part of the agency’s annual operating budget.
    With the addition of the COLA also comes a change in the merit pay.  Effective July 1, 2009, merit pay increases will now be earned up to 2 percent, according to the employee’s performance rating at their annual performance evaluation.
    Together, the 2 percent COLA, along with a potential maximum of 2 percent merit, provides SAHA employees the opportunity to receive up to 4 percent in pay increases for the fiscal year, starting July 2009.
    Given the current economic concerns in our City and throughout the nation, SAHA is very pleased to have found the cost savings necessary to afford these much deserved pay increase opportunities for our workforce.
    We also want our employees to know that SAHA’s senior management team has been reviewing our current performance evaluation tool, with the intent to revise, as necessary, to encourage improved communication between supervisors and those who report to them. Once completed, the tool will be introduced, along with training for supervisors and non-supervisors, alike.
    If you have any questions about the new compensation plan, please visit with your supervisor, or, as always, please feel free to visit with an HR representative.

HR Employee Spotlight
    My name is Kenneth Mitchell and I am a HR Rep II – (compensation) in SAHA’s Human Resources Department, a position I have held since December 1, 2008.
    In this position, I’m responsible for tracking the employee performance review process, including effectiveness, timely submission and data analysis. I also work closely with the HR information system representative to ensure appropriate employee data is being maintained and loaded into JDE (J.D. Edwards), which is SAHA’s data management system.
    My main job function is to perform periodic maintenance on our salary structure to ensure our organizational pay structure is compatible with similar positions, and that it is fair and equitable for current and future employees.
    We use local salary surveys, job descriptions, desk audits and job analysis data to compare SAHA to other public housing authorities and city/government agencies that have demographics that closely match San Antonio.
In addition, I maintain and update all job descriptions on the “L” Drive and SAHA intranet and maintain the organizational charts for SAHA. I also evaluate, track and monitor all job description qualification (JDQ) requests and make recommendations to the SAHA Compensation Committee. I am a member of that committee along with the chief operating officer, chief financial officer and VP of corporate relations & human resources.
    My immediate professional goals are to obtain my Professional Human Resource (PHR) certification and my Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification within the next eighteen months.
    Before joining SAHA, I was a customer service manager for the nation’s fourth largest production builder. Prior to that, I was in the U.S. Navy for 24 years and retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer in June 2005.
I was born and raised in Selma, N.C. and my wife, Nina is from Mission, Texas. We have four children.
    I’m a 1999 graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy and a certified Master Training Specialist. I also have a master’s in human resources from Chapman University in California and a bachelor’s in adult workforce education training and development from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL.
    I’m very excited about being a member of the SAHA team and I look forward to the many rewards and challenges that lie ahead. If I can be of any assistance please contact me at 477-6403 or Kenneth_mitchell@saha.org.
COLON CANCER: Signs, Symptoms, & Screening
   The signs and symptoms of colon cancer typically only appear in more advanced disease, which is why screening is so important.
    Regular screening is the best way to find colon cancer early. Some screening tests may even be able to prevent colorectal cancer entirely by finding certain types of polyps in the colon that could become cancerous.
    The American Cancer Society recommends regular screening for colorectal cancer for all men and women starting at age 50. People with a family history of the disease are encouraged to talk with their health professional about beginning screening at a younger age. Ask your doctor which tests are available where you live and which option is best for you. 
    If you notice a change in bowel habits, dark stools, rectal bleeding, cramping/abdominal pain, or persistent weakness and fatigue, see your doctor right away. Although most of these symptoms are likely to be caused by conditions other than colorectal cancer, you should get checked out. 
    Don’t wait – you have a much better chance of fighting colon cancer if it’s found early.
    Remember that Humana now covers a colonoscopy at 100% after you have met your deductible.
    Source:  American Cancer Society
Komen Race for the Cure Results
    SAHA had an impressive turnout at this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on April 4.
The creativity, commitment and enthusiasm displayed by our employees was remarkable.
    We more than doubled the number of registered participants from 2008. In addition, our staff donated $365.50 in SAHA’s name through pledges, the donation box, bake sale, and spa gift basket raffle (won by Janie Campos) – well over this year’s goal of $150.
    Another team headed by Norma Hinojosa and consisting of several SAHA employees was the hit of the race. Their jeweled bra outfits were so inventive and original, the media and numerous others took their picture. The team surpassed its goal of $300 by raising $420.
    SAHA looks forward to a bigger and even better year for next year’s race (May 1, 2010).
    Thanks to all who participated and donated to this wonderful cause!
Help Save a Life by Donating Blood
    You can help save lives by donating blood next Wednesday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. The blood drive will be in the parking lot at the central office. All donors will receive a red recycled shopping bag from the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center. For more information or to schedule a time to donate, contact Millie at 477-6083.


HR CONTACT NUMBERS
Name
Ext.
Radio
Cell #
Ann McKinney 6491 N/A N/A
Crystal Montana 6118 49 N/A
Denise Golson 6120 412 336-1498
Gerry Avila 6867 404 336-9072
Kenneth Mitchell 6403 N/A N/A

 
Name
Ext.
Radio
Cell #
Leo Martinez 6116 N/A N/A
Marcella Maldonado 6125 N/A N/A
Melanie Villalobos 6130 325 336-1932
Millie Clapp 6083 124 389-7989
Pat Morrison 6575 N/A 389-7388


For further information, please contact:
human_resources@saha.org