In today’s political climate more women than ever are joining the ranks of the political world and getting involved in making policies that effect everyday Americans. Historically, this field has been predominantly lead by men, but at California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Anne Drumm who is the Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs.
Anne earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Minnesota and after moving to California, began working at the Fair Political Practices Commission investigating violations of the Political Reform Act.
It was at the FPPC when she volunteered to help in the Legislative Office that she developed her passion for public policy and legislative affairs. “It was a really small legislative office, it was sink or swim as there wasn’t anyone to hide behind so I learned quickly,” Anne said.
Anne left the FPPC and moved into private sector lobbying where she worked on a broad range of legislative topics. She was also selected to participate in the CORO Fellowship program in southern California. During the year-long fellowship, Anne learned that problem solving is best accomplished in a collaborative setting where all views can be heard and mutually agreeable solutions can be honed.
After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2004 and time for thoughtful reflection, Anne decided to change her career direction and return to public service where she could contribute by learning health policy. She began working at the Department of Health Services in 2005 and absorbed all she could while working on women’s health policies and other public health issues, which she felt were close to her heart.
“I love working in public policy, and the issues we work on are fulfilling and meaningful for me. I enjoy the challenge of finding the best path forward for complex problems.”
Anne joined CA DCSS in 2013 after serving several years as the Legislative Deputy at the Office of State Health Planning and Development. At CA DCSS she oversees the department’s legislative activity, including working on bills that impact the child support program. By working with legislative staff, Health and Human Services Agency staff and the Governor’s Office, she ensures that the department is represented in policy discussions.
When asked what she would tell young women seeking executive-level careers Anne says, “ask questions, identify mentors and be open to learning something completely out of your comfort zone.”
But she also extends responsibility to those who have walked the path already, “for those of us who are a few steps further down the road in our careers, we need to be sure to reach back and bring others along with us because that’s how the road continues to be built forward.”
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Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Celebrating International Women's Day, CA DCSS Recognizes its Female Executives
Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the United States economy, they hold less than 25 percent of jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Despite the huge gap in women-held positions in STEM fields, at the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Sumi Smith that serves as its Assistant Chief Information Officer.
Sumi earned her Bachelor’s degree in civil environmental engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and began her career as a civil engineer working on “superfund sites” across the United States. Superfund sites are polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. The sites Sumi worked on include Department of Defense sites, some of which had nerve gas testing conducted on its grounds.
She arrived in Sacramento to work on clean up at McClellan Air Force Base before modifying her approach to engineering and got into information technology (IT) as a Project Manager. She moved on to a position working at Cable Data (now Amdocs) which developed systems that provided billing services to cable telephone/television companies. From there she moved to a private company that built network management systems and then became an IT consultant for the State for eight years, assisting departments such as CalPERS, Department of Education and Department of Justice. She then joined the state as a full-time employee at the Department of Finance and then moved to California Department of Transportation as an Assistant CIO and Acting CIO before arriving at CA DCSS almost one year ago.
Change and challenge is something Sumi is very familiar with as she grew up moving all over the world, never really staying in one place for more than a few years. She’s lived all over the United States, Saudi Arabia, India and more. She’s been in California since college, the longest she’s lived anywhere.
All of that worldly education has given Sumi a unique perspective on International Women’s Day.
“I think of the impact that women have all over the world, women we will never hear about who are making impacts in their local communities,” Sumi said. “When I was boarding school in India there was a community of refugees that we would visit and the women there had started schools for their kids. They were literally living in the dirt and yet they were the happiest people I’ve known because they were creating their own community.”
As an Assistant CIO, it’s Sumi’s responsibility to carry out the IT initiatives of CA DCSS. “It’s important to be really connected to the business and the program and understand what the department is hoping to achieve and connecting that with technology that advances those goals.”
“I enjoy working with the people and I really enjoy learning about the program. It’s so complicated!” Sumi said. “Being a custodial parent myself and interacting with (CA DCSS) for years before I arrived, I had no idea the complexities that the department has.”
When asked what advice she has for young women seeking executive-level careers, Sumi said, “I have two girls of my own, I teach them to always say yes to opportunities and challenges to learn new things. Never let not knowing how to do something hold you back, always raise your hand, you can figure it out later.”
Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.
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Sumi earned her Bachelor’s degree in civil environmental engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and began her career as a civil engineer working on “superfund sites” across the United States. Superfund sites are polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. The sites Sumi worked on include Department of Defense sites, some of which had nerve gas testing conducted on its grounds.
She arrived in Sacramento to work on clean up at McClellan Air Force Base before modifying her approach to engineering and got into information technology (IT) as a Project Manager. She moved on to a position working at Cable Data (now Amdocs) which developed systems that provided billing services to cable telephone/television companies. From there she moved to a private company that built network management systems and then became an IT consultant for the State for eight years, assisting departments such as CalPERS, Department of Education and Department of Justice. She then joined the state as a full-time employee at the Department of Finance and then moved to California Department of Transportation as an Assistant CIO and Acting CIO before arriving at CA DCSS almost one year ago.
Change and challenge is something Sumi is very familiar with as she grew up moving all over the world, never really staying in one place for more than a few years. She’s lived all over the United States, Saudi Arabia, India and more. She’s been in California since college, the longest she’s lived anywhere.
All of that worldly education has given Sumi a unique perspective on International Women’s Day.
“I think of the impact that women have all over the world, women we will never hear about who are making impacts in their local communities,” Sumi said. “When I was boarding school in India there was a community of refugees that we would visit and the women there had started schools for their kids. They were literally living in the dirt and yet they were the happiest people I’ve known because they were creating their own community.”
As an Assistant CIO, it’s Sumi’s responsibility to carry out the IT initiatives of CA DCSS. “It’s important to be really connected to the business and the program and understand what the department is hoping to achieve and connecting that with technology that advances those goals.”
“I enjoy working with the people and I really enjoy learning about the program. It’s so complicated!” Sumi said. “Being a custodial parent myself and interacting with (CA DCSS) for years before I arrived, I had no idea the complexities that the department has.”
When asked what advice she has for young women seeking executive-level careers, Sumi said, “I have two girls of my own, I teach them to always say yes to opportunities and challenges to learn new things. Never let not knowing how to do something hold you back, always raise your hand, you can figure it out later.”
Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.
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Celebrating International Women's Day, CA DCSS Recognizes its Female Executives
In the currently male-dominated world of finance there are women making huge strides and taking over leadership positions. At the California Department of Child Support Services (CA DCSS) it is Irene Briggs that is the Deputy Director of the Administrative Services Division (ASD) and oversees the financial services, procurement and contracts, human resources and facility operations for the department.
Irene has worked her way up through the administrative ranks over the last 20 years, beginning as an office assistant for the Sacramento School District at 18 years old. She was the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of State Hospitals before moving to CA DCSS in 2015.
During her time moving through the ranks she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
“I really enjoy supporting all of the changes Child Support is making to better serve its customers,” Irene said. “My focus is not only providing support for all of those changes for our customers, but it’s also on providing support for the almost 700 employees we have at the State Department of Child Support.”
In addition to managing the finances of CA DCSS,
Irene also oversees the budget allocations to each of the 49 county/regional child support departments. It’s a massive task that requires finesse, financial acuity and boldness to balance the needs of the diverse counties in California.
Not only does Irene work in finance as a profession, she is also a mom to a ten-year old daughter and is the Vice President of the Sacramento Girl’s Softball League. She spends a lot of her free-time doing non-profit work in support of the league and its players.
When asked what advice she would give to young women seeking executive level careers, Irene responded, “don’t be afraid to learn a variety of skills and subject matters. Explore the options out there because the more exposure you get the more opportunities you have.”
Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.
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Irene has worked her way up through the administrative ranks over the last 20 years, beginning as an office assistant for the Sacramento School District at 18 years old. She was the Chief Financial Officer for the Department of State Hospitals before moving to CA DCSS in 2015.
During her time moving through the ranks she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science as well as a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
“I really enjoy supporting all of the changes Child Support is making to better serve its customers,” Irene said. “My focus is not only providing support for all of those changes for our customers, but it’s also on providing support for the almost 700 employees we have at the State Department of Child Support.”
In addition to managing the finances of CA DCSS,
Irene also oversees the budget allocations to each of the 49 county/regional child support departments. It’s a massive task that requires finesse, financial acuity and boldness to balance the needs of the diverse counties in California.
Not only does Irene work in finance as a profession, she is also a mom to a ten-year old daughter and is the Vice President of the Sacramento Girl’s Softball League. She spends a lot of her free-time doing non-profit work in support of the league and its players.
When asked what advice she would give to young women seeking executive level careers, Irene responded, “don’t be afraid to learn a variety of skills and subject matters. Explore the options out there because the more exposure you get the more opportunities you have.”
Of the 22 Executive staff members at CA DCSS, 17 of them are women. Currently, CA DCSS has women who lead in technology, communication, legal, legislative, fiscal and Director’s positions.
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