Tag: culture

Gratitude and Giving Back Are Key!

Among our Highlands team, giving back is second nature. Whether it’s organizing a river clean-up event, sponsoring fundraisers for the MLK Celebration and CASA, or donating annually to charities of our employees’ choice – there’s a sincere appreciation for what we have and for what we…

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Continuous Learning Through MasterClass

I recently completed the MasterClass “Building Inclusive Teams” with the goal of expanding my knowledge around inclusivity. What resulted was greater self-awareness and a strengthened desire to be more curious in all I do. Here are my three takeaways: Self-awareness. Our minds generate tens of…

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Engaging with the Future Work Force

The benefits of internships to students are well documented. They gain tangible work experience, they delve into a specific type of work to better understand it, and they hone their scholastic teachings into real-world abilities. Less often discussed are the advantages that internships offer companies…

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A Memorable Day at the Special Olympics

Excitement was in the air on March 18 at the Special Olympics 2023 Folsom Basketball Regional Competition! After an 8-week basketball season, these tournaments showcased the efforts of the 300 Special Olympians from Sacramento, Placer, and Yolo counties. These determined and passionate athletes were an…

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Happy Lunar New Year!

As part of a State IT project with over 1200 team members, I’m pleased to be co-chair of our team’s Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Employee Resource Group (ERG). I have developed multiple communications, teambuilding activities, and events to foster awareness of the AAPI community.…

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Lots of Good News

Part of my role at Highlands is to post articles that are meaningful to our clients and colleagues. However, researching industry developments and good news can be challenging sometimes. But as an eternal optimist, I’ve found some great sources including Good News Network and Beautiful…

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Rediscovering the Value of In-Person Team Meetings

Since May 2020, I’ve been part of a large team working on California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over countless virtual meetings, chats, and emails, we’ve spent long days and occasional weekends “together” sharing many experiences and successes over the past years. Earlier this month,…

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The Many Benefits of Internships

This summer, I was pleased to design an internship to enable a college student the chance to gain valuable skills outside of the classroom. Catarina has been studying at Columbia University and came to us with a positive “can-do” attitude. We were also fortunate to…

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Increased Productivity Through Vacation

It’s taken me 15 years to take a vacation. Even when taking one or two days off, I’ve felt afraid to fully switch off my computer and cell. My work ethic and fear has kept me tethered to electronic devices. What if something happens? What…

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Celebrating 20 Years!

This month we celebrate our 20th year in business and now coming to the realization that our firm is no longer a teenager. At the ripe age 20 we are just now coming into our own. We continue to improve our methodologies based on real…

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