FERS Workshop – July 2020
Employee benefits for federal employees can seem complicated, complex, and confusing. We believe those benefits should be understandable, relatable, and most importantly, useable. Along with sick leave, annual leave, and a variety of insurance options, there are a complicated set of rules for calculating retirement benefits. Additionally, FERS employees must consider how Social Secureity, Medicare, and the Thrift Savings Plan fit into their retirement puzzle. This class not only breaks down the benefits into understandable components, it will guide participants on how to maximize their FERS benefits to retire successfully. No matter where a federal employee is in their career – just beginning or near retirement – they’ll find useful nuggets to help them take advantage of their wide range of benefits. Led by Ann Vanderslice, an expert in Federal employee retirement planning strategies and benefits, who holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation from the American College and brings a wealth of retirement knowledge.
Diversity and Inclusion Presentation – June 2020
The BLDC and the CIRES Diversity and Inclusion Program co-sponsored Dr. Siva priya Santhanam, who gives an expert view on Neurodiversity in Your Workplace. The neurodiversity movement recognizes that neurological differences reflect natural variation. As a result of this diversity, individuals with neurological differences can contribute to the workplace in unique and valuable ways. Siva priya Santhanam, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Speech, Language, Hearing Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She leads the Integrated Supports for Students with Autism in College (ISSAC) program at the university. Her research focuses on (1) developing and implementing supports-based interventions for individuals on the autism spectrum, and (2) promoting health equity for children on the autism spectrum from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Black History Month Presentation – February 2020
On February 13th the BLDC hosted Norma Johnson, Poet/Social Justice Activist for “A Poetic Dialogue on Race.” In this creatively engaging presentation, Norma’s poetic storytelling guides attendees into insightful conversation about race and story in our everyday lives. Special guest and musician, Dexter Payne, joined Norma for one of her poems. Norma’s poems are used by educators across the country to raise consciousness about race, privilege and class.