APCD staff raise bullying and retaliation concerns; board appoints Dina Wyke as administrative services director
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Summary
Employees and a process-improvement team told the Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board that director and HR conduct left staff feeling unheard and demoralized; after closed session the board unanimously appointed Dina Wyke as administrative services director, who pledged to prioritize workforce engagement.
Hayden McPherson, an inspector with the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, told the board during public comment that staff have endured “bullying behavior” by Director Ali Gassimi and HR Manager Nancy Mendoza and that morale remains low despite repeated staff efforts to resolve issues internally. McPherson said the process-improvement team's recommendations were dismissed and asked the board to allow staff input on Mendoza's performance evaluation and to appoint someone willing to listen to employees.
Air quality engineer Laura Kranzler, speaking later, said the PIT (process improvement team) submitted nine recommendations in December that the director dismissed “without agreement or constructive dialogue,” leaving staff “deeply frustrated and disheartened.” Kranzler reminded the board that earlier public comments alleged retaliatory and discriminatory treatment involving the director and the HR manager and said staff had requested a management assessment for Nancy Mendoza; she said staff had received no update on that request and urged transparency about any investigations or actions.
After taking several action items and moving into closed session on the agenda's personnel item, the board returned to open session and announced it had “unanimously voted and concurred in the Air Pollution Control Officer's selection of Ms. Dina Wyke, appointing her as the district's administrative services director.” Wyke said she has 17 years of experience as an HR director with a large human services agency and told the board, “I heard you loud and clear,” and committed to being a “reliable partner to the board, the district leadership” focused on workforce engagement, inclusive behaviors and cultural transformation.
The public comments and Kranzler's requests for an update on a management assessment were not answered with a detailed public response in open session; the record shows the board's personnel decision (the Wyke appointment) but does not include an explicit status update or finding on the earlier requests concerning alleged retaliation or the management assessment.
Next steps recorded in the meeting: the board moved into and returned from closed session on item 16, announced the hire of the administrative services director, and adjourned. The public commenters asked the board to provide follow-up to staff about PIT recommendations, an update on any management assessment for the HR manager, and actions to rebuild morale; the transcript does not record those follow-ups being completed during the Feb. 10 meeting.
