by Lina Bickel, CalSAWS Project Manager
Many of you know this is my last week; I will leave at 4 PM on Friday 12/23/22 to begin my next chapter as a retiree. I’ve been here at DSS for 30 years and three months, and prior to that, I worked a combined five years for our Sheriff’s Department and Probation Department. I am so grateful for this long public service career, and I have enjoyed every assignment along the way. I feel so lucky to have been part of the DSS family and appreciate every opportunity offered to me over these many years.
If you are reading this as someone new to the department whom I have not met, I have a message for you:
Maybe you came to us just needing a job and aren’t thinking about a career. Neither was I in September 1992. But the people in this department made me feel like I belonged, like I had a purpose here. I showed up and did my best, and my efforts were rewarded with new opportunities and space to grow. I came to DSS with no college education but thanks to tuition reimbursement, I leave here having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership. I raised a family during my years here. I somehow built a career when all I thought I needed was a job. You are needed here.
To those of you I know and have worked with, please know how much I will miss you. My respect, admiration, and affection for you run deep. Thank you for making me better. The work we accomplished together matters so much, and I know you will keep DSS moving forward and through whatever challenges come. Remember, there will be successes too. Enjoy them. Somehow I think I will know how our CalSAWS migration goes—and I have great confidence in all of you who will lead the way.
I’m not hard to find on Instagram if that’s your thing: linabickel. You need to request to follow as I keep my account private, but friends and family get in, and that includes you.
Warm wishes to you all, no matter how you celebrate this time of year! And my best wishes for a wonderful 2023.
One last follow-up. Last night my team (Dalet, Leo, and Viri) treated me to dinner and presented me with one of the loveliest gifts I have ever received. The basket was brimming with special surprises, but one gift in particular just took my breath away. I will treasure the beautiful memory book with all the pictures and kind words from people I have worked with. Words of affirmation are powerful—the best gift, in my opinion—and I am deeply touched by every word written in this book. My husband read every message with me (and even joined me in shedding a few tears) and said: “your work people are so generous and wonderful,” and he is right. You are.
I leave with a grateful heart.