Looking Back on 2017 – CSDA President Final article

By Natalie Dillon, Director, Yolo County DCSS

Where does the time go? It sure flies by, when you are keeping busy and having fun. I feel this way about this last year, as the CSDA President. The work of the Association, bringing together the collective, to accomplish our mission –is rewarding and fulfilling work. I am honored and proud to have committed much of my time to this endeavor.

At the end of 2017, I will hand over the presidential reins to the very capable Don Semon, Director of the El Dorado County Department of Child Support Services and our current Vice President.

In review of the CSDA Business Plan, I am truly proud of what we have been able to accomplish over this past year. We have focused on developing our advocacy and “one voice” platforms in addition to building an improved communication infrastructure, and strong governance. Our One Voice newsletter includes industry specific and general information of interest to our readers. The development and implementation of the CSDA SharePoint tool will be a boom for us all. We have started the lengthy process of developing a CSDA Board Policy and Procedure Manual that will support us for years to come. We are in the process of developing the 2018 Business Strategy, which is the second year of our three-year strategic plan and look forward to focusing all our energies on accomplishing these goals.

I continue to be proud of the excellent training and education programs the Association sponsors – the Annual Child Support Training Conference & Expo, Legal College, Leadership Institute and the Children and Families Policy Symposium. Attendee feedback from each of these events continues to prove the high caliber of education our Association provides.

We continue to make progress developing relationships with our stakeholders. Working closely with DCSS will remain a priority for the Association. The Child Support Program allocation continues to be an issue in California. We have worked closely with DCSS through the CSDA Finance Committee as well as the Program, Policy and Regulation Committee.

We have several new Board members that will start in 2018, bringing with them a fresh perspective and considerable enthusiasm. They will join a solid, committed board that has been focusing on being more strategic and managing the affairs of this organization. It has been my pleasure to have worked with such a dedicated Board to improve the outcomes for the families served by the California Child Support Program.

We have also spent a considerable amount of time this year in reviewing and revamping our committee structure. We have consolidated committee functions while creating new committees and task forces to address new and emerging concerns. I welcome the new committee chairs and look forward to our first-ever Committee Leadership Orientation, where we hope to enlist the help of our committee work to accomplish our strategic goals as outlined in our business plan.

A partnership between the CSDA Board, Membership and staff is key to our success. We have been focusing on building a strong staff team in support of the Association’s work, in addition to getting to know each one of the Directors and our respective leadership teams. We have welcomed on board Stacy Gray – a wonderful addition to the team. Danielle Wermund’s technical knowledge and proficiency are amazing assets; as are Lisa Bispham’s organizational skills and detailed historic understanding of CSDA. And, we can’t forget she is our Meeting Planner Extraordinaire!

Last, but not least, I would like to thank each one of you. As I started this article, I referenced bringing together the collective. You are part of the collective. Whether you are a Child Support Professional, a business partner, stakeholder or customer – you are a vital component to accomplishing the mission of this association – to educate, collaborate and advocate in support of California’s families. Thank you for all that you do!