“Dia” S. Poole will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at its Spring Commencement
San Bernardino, Calif. California State University, San Bernardino announced that Respondia “Dia” S. Poole will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at its Spring Commencement, scheduled for May 18.
Poole has spent her career in public service, serving in all three branches of California’s government and with the County of San Bernardino. She has combined that work with volunteer service on the CSUSB Alumni Association Board and on the CSU Alumni Council, where she has twice led as president and chaired the council’s government relations committee. She was named Cal State San Bernardino’s Alumni Advocate of the Year in 2008.
Poole credits her CSUSB bachelor’s degree, earned as a nontraditional student, for opening opportunities for meaningful state-level public service. Her acceptance into the prestigious California Capital Fellows program in Sacramento launched her career in California state government. She was a highly regarded senior policy consultant to two of the State Assembly’s presiding leaders. She received a gubernatorial appointment to deputy director of public affairs for the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the largest state civil rights agency in the nation.
Poole’s state service culminated as a senior legislative advocate for the Judicial Council’s Office of Governmental Affairs. Her efforts were particularly significant for the Inland Empire, where the Superior Courts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties are the most under-resourced in the state.
Poole’s volunteer service is equally impressive. She is known throughout the CSU system as a well-respected alumna whose unwavering volunteer leadership for more than 20 years has helped to strengthen the CSU degree, increase state and federal investments in students and academic programs, promote alumni engagement, and improve graduation rates.
Her record of extraordinary volunteer leadership for the betterment of her alma mater and its students is extensive. Underrepresented students often lack accomplished professional role models, which makes her involvement as an Alumna Professor for a Day, a panelist for the President’s Scholars Leadership Symposium, and her workshops across disciplines to encourage students to apply for the competitive California Capital Fellows program, especially impactful.
Dia also serves on the CSUSB Master of Public Administration advisory board, where she encourages public sector employees to enter the program. She also champions curricular developments that advance university, local government, and community-based partnerships.
As a member of the CSUSB Philanthropic Foundation Board’s Advocacy Committee, Poole joins the campus delegation annually in Sacramento and often in Washington, D.C. Her philanthropic support to the university is demonstrated by her legacy, or estate, gift to the university.
“My life was forever changed by CSUSB and the opportunities it opened up to me,” said Poole. “It is why I have continued to volunteer here on this campus and with the CSU at large. It is such a tremendous honor to receive this recognition. I know that a CSU degree can transform the lives of all Californians who enroll. And if you are a nontraditional student? Don’t let that stop you. CSUSB administrators, faculty, staff, and students value the professional and life experience you bring with you.”
“Conferring an honorary doctorate upon Dia, a double graduate of our university, in recognition of her profound impact and dedicated service to the people of California and the betterment of her alma mater would be a great honor for CSUSB,” said university President Tomás D. Morales.
Poole is a two-time CSUSB graduate, with a B.A. in business administration and information management (1990) and an M.A. in communications studies (2023).
Photo caption: Black Rose Award winners. Left to right first row; Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, Sam’s Club Assistant Manager Michael Beauregard, California State University San Bernardino President Tomás Morales, San Bernardino City Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Marcus Funchess, American Career College Director of Education Tina Darling, City of Moreno Valley Park Commissioner James C. Baker II, Black Rose Awards Entertainment Chairperson Rev. Bronica Martindale, Black Culture Foundation Past President Ezekiel Adeleke, and Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Partner Jack B. Clarke Jr. Back Row: Black Culture Foundation President Carl Dameron, GPL-Grandparents Love Founder Aristotle McDaniel, and Black Rose Awards Founder and Black Culture Foundation Secretary Jim King.
“It’s time for young and old, novice and experienced to join us to honor our legacy of excellence and to build our leaders for the future,” said President Carl M Dameron, imploring people to become members at sbbcfoundation.org/membership.
Riverside, CA—The Black Culture Foundation, Inc. honored eight local heroes and awarded two scholarships at its annual Black Rose Awards Gala.
The recipients of the Dr. Juanita Scott Humanitarian of the Year Award was given to two individuals: Dr. Marcus Funchess, who serves as the assistant superintendent of human resources for the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and Jack B. Clarke Jr., a community leader and partner at the law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo.
“On behalf of CSUSB’s 20,000 students and 125,000 alumni, we are honored to receive the Founders Award from the Black Culture Foundation,” stated California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) President Dr. Tomás D. Morales. “We are proud of our partnership with the Black Culture Foundation and the African American community in the Inland Empire in advocating for educational opportunities to the residents of the Inland Empire.”
Black Rose Award winners include City of Moreno Valley Park Commissioner James C. Baker II, Sam’s Club Assistant Manager Michael Beauregard, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo Partner Jack B. Clarke Jr., American Career College Director of Education and New Hope Missionary Baptist Church Nursing and Health Ministry Chair Tina Darling, San Bernardino City Unified School District Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Marcus Funchess, GPL-Grandparents Love Founder Aristotle McDaniel, California State University San Bernardino President Tomás Morales, and Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren.
Maya Johnson and Daniel Rivera Jr. received Dr. Margaret Hill Black Rose Young Adults Inspiration Awards including scholarships of $1,250 each.
The masters of ceremonies for the evening were Cal State University San Bernardino theatre arts professor Kathryn Ervin and former Judicial Council of California legislative advocate Dia S. Poole.
The masters of ceremonies for the evening were Dia Poole and Kathryn Ervin. Fonadation Presdent Carl M. Dameron is the man in the middel. Photo by Van Howard
Entertainment for the evening came from Unspeakable Praise youth praise dance group and the Original Mary Jane Girls leader lead singer Makeda Francisco. San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) student JhuMaani Chess sang a stirring rendition of the United States National Anthem and SBVC student Cherish Jackson moved the audience with her rendition of The Black National Anthem.
The Black Rose Awards are a complement to Black History Month. The awards are sponsored by the Black Culture Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1968, to foster a greater understanding of Black culture and heighten community awareness of the accomplishments of Black people, past and present, and to plan, coordinate, and direct an annual Black History Month parade and related cultural activities.
Foundation President Carl M. Dameron said, “The nomination committee chose outstanding Inland Empire leaders to receive Black Rose Awards this year. We are honored to recognize and publicly thank them for their longtime and ongoing service to the people of the Inland Empire.”
A list of all previous Black Rose Award winners from 1990 is on the Foundation website at sbbcfoundation.org
Entertainment for the evening came from the Original Mary Jane Girls leader lead singer Makeda Francisco. Photo by Van Howard
Event sponsors included The Southern California Gas Company, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Dameron Communications, Charles Bibbs, Southern California Edison, U.S. Representative Pete Aguilar (D-33), California State Assemblymember Eloise Reyes (D-50), The Social Lites, the law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo, and California State University, San Bernardino.
Certificates of achievement were presented to the Black Rose Awards winners from Representative Pete Aguilar, Representative Ken Calvert, California State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-23), State Senator Richard Roth (D-31), State Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-32), Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes (D-58), Assemblymember Dr. Corey A. Jackson (D-60), Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-45), Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, Assemblymember Greg Wallis (R-47), County of San Bernadino Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez, County of San Bernadino Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., and the Cities of Corona, Fontana, Highland, Rialto Riverside, and San Bernardino.
The evening closed with the swearing of Carl M. Dameron as president of the Black Culture Foundation. His theme for 2024 is “Its Time.” Dameron proclaimed that “it’s time to bring back the San Bernardino Black History Parade. It’s time to bring back the Black Senior King and Queen. It’s time for an Inland Empire-wide Black events calendar, all online, in one place, free for all to share events and access.”
Dameron concluded with “It’s time for young and old, novice and experienced to join us to honor our legacy of excellence and to build our leaders for the future.” He implored people to become members at sbbcfoundation.org/membership.
The Black Rose Awards are a complement to Black History Month. The awards are sponsored by the Black Culture Foundation, Inc. a nonprofit founded in 1968 by a small group of people who were concerned that, “…nationwide, our school systems have not yet incorporated Black history studies into regular school curriculums. Thus, allstudents miss the opportunity to learn more about a vital part of this country’s history.”
The Black Culture Foundation’s purpose “…is to foster an interest and a greater understanding of Black culture, to heighten community awareness of the accomplishments of Black people, past and present, and to plan, coordinate and direct an annual Black History Month parade and related cultural activities…[and] bridge the gaps across cultural lines by bringing the local community together to celebrate this event in the spirit of unity and brotherhood.”
The Black Rose Awards are the Foundation’s showcase cultural event.
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. —The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation has announced its award winners for 2024, they are honoring two people for The Dr. Juanita Scott Humanitarian of the Year Award. “We have chosen Dr. Marcus Funchess, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and Jack B. Clarke, Jr., partner at the law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo,” said Foundation President Ezekiel Adeleke.
Foundation President-elect Carl M. Dameron added, “We are also honoring California State University, San Bernardino, with the Jim King Founders Award.
Black Rose Award winners include Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana, James C. Baker II, Park Commissioner for the City of Moreno Valley; Michael Beauregard, Assistant Manager at Sam’s Club; Tina Darling, Assistant Director of the Vocational Nursing Program – Clinical at American Career College, Ontario, and Chair of the Nursing and Health Ministry at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church; and Aristotle McDaniel, founder of GPL-Grandparents Love.”
The Black Rose Awards are Friday, February 23, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are going FAST, get your tickets TODAY: https://sbbcfoundation.org/events/2024-black-rose-awards/
The Black Rose Awards are Friday, February 23, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are going FAST, get your tickets TODAY: https://sbbcfoundation.org/events/2024-black-rose-awards/
Shiane, Shaila, Carl, and Malaika Dameron all enjoy the Gold Standard of Care at LaSalle Medical Associates.
“We not only need more Black physicians, but we also need both doctors and patients to communicate more openly,” says Dr. Albert Arteaga, Chair of LaSalle Medical Associates.
REDLANDS, CA. — A 2022 study by Pew Research finds that most Black Americans feel good about the quality of health care they have received recently. But the findings are mixed, with 47% saying outcomes have gotten better over the past 20 years, 31% saying they’re the same and 20% feel things have gotten worse.
On March 29, 2023, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a study, “Key Data on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity” that noted, “While inequities in access to and use of health care contribute to disparities in health, inequities across broader social and economic factors that drive health, often referred to as social determinants of health, also play a major role.”
Social determinants include “socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood and physical environment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care.” Several initiatives within and outside of the healthcare system are working to address these factors.
Nonetheless, two things not mentioned in these studies need to be pointed out. Dr. Albert Arteaga, Chair of LaSalle Medical Associates, the Inland Empire’s largest independent healthcare provider, said, “We not only need more Black physicians, but we also need both doctors and patients to communicate more openly.”
Dr. Arteaga points out that it is only natural that Black patients will feel more comfortable being treated by a Black physician.
A 2021 study from the National Library of Medicine found that 5.8% of family medicine doctors are Black, 7.8% of internal medicine specialists, and 7.3% of pediatricians.
Blacks make up 13.6% of the U.S. population, so the number of Black physicians is under-represented.
Dr. Arteaga adds that a key factor in patient satisfaction with their healthcare provider is trust. “At LaSalle,” commented Dr. Arteaga, “we address this in several ways.
“One is that when we open a facility, it stays open in the same location. Our Black and Hispanic patients know that the LaSalle clinic they visit is going to be in the same place for the long term. Our patients trust that their LaSalle facility isn’t going to move. We opened our first clinic in Fontana in 1984 and it’s still in the same location,” he continued.
LaSalle employs a diverse staff who all provide a Gold Standard of care for their patients. Part of that lofty standard includes communicating effectively and openly with patients. The old saw about “bedside manner” includes the style of a person’s communication with others, per Merriam-Webster, and LaSalle’s staff are skilled at providing a good bedside manner.
“Another thing our patients can count on is that their health care provider won’t change. We don’t believe in transferring staff from one location to another. The relationship a LaSalle patient has with their doctor won’t be interrupted because of some HR policy that moves providers around.
“Lastly, our facilities are scrupulously clean. We maintain a Gold Standard of cleanliness in all our clinics that match our Gold Standard of care for all patients, regardless of their racial or ethnic background.”
Dr. Arteaga emphasized, “We encourage anyone who feels uneasy about communicating with their health care provider to contact their insurer and ask for a different doctor. Good communication is so important a part of good healthcare, no one should be going without it.”
For more information call 1-855-349-6019 or go online to LaSalleMedical.com.
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How to Eliminate Black Disparities in Healthcare
“We not only need more Black physicians, but we also need both doctors and patients to communicate more openly,” says Dr. Albert Arteaga, Chair of LaSalle Medical Associates.
REDLANDS, CA. —A 2022 study by Pew Research finds that most Black Americans feel good about the quality of health care they have received recently. But the findings are mixed, with 47% saying outcomes have gotten better over the past 20 years, 31% saying they’re the same and 20% feel things have gotten worse.
A 2023 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation noted, “While inequities in access to and use of health care contribute to disparities in health, inequities across broader social and economic factors that drive health, often referred to as social determinants of health, also play a major role.”
However, Dr. Albert Arteaga, Chair of LaSalle Medical Associates, points to two things not mentioned in these two studies—the need for more Black doctors and better communication between doctors and patients. “We not only need more Black physicians, we also need both doctors and patients to communicate more openly,” he said.
LaSalle provides a Gold Standard of care to all its patients, regardless of race or ethnicity. This includes communicating effectively and openly with patients. A good “bedside manner” includes communication style with others, per Merriam-Webster, and LaSalle’s people practice a good bedside manner with everyone they see.
Dr. Arteaga emphasized, “I encourage anyone who feels uneasy about communicating with their health care provider to contact their insurer and ask for a different doctor. Good communication is so important a part of good healthcare, no one should be going without it.”
For more information call 1-855-349-6019 or go online to LaSalleMedical.com.
The League of Women Voters, San Bernardino celebrated their 48th annual Citizens of Achievement and Civic Engagement Ceremony honoring community leaders and organizations on a beautiful Sunday, October 8, 2023, at the Sterling Natural Resource Center in Highland, CA.
Honorees included Francine Cepeda Blacksher in recognition for being the founder of the Pacific Islander Graduate Recognition Program; Dr. Jenna Cortez-Aguirre for her work with St. Mary’s Ballet Folklorico of Redlands; Kristin Malaby for starting So Cal Trash Army clearing trash from the mountain recreation areas.
Also honored were Dr. Enrique Murillo, Jr., founder of Latino Education & Advocacy Days (LEAD) and appointment by President Joe Biden to the United States Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics of all age groups; Ratibu Shadidi (William “Bill” Henry Jacocks) posthumously for his community activities, civic engagement, social activism, and advocate of “Kwanzaa Consciousness.”
The League of Women Voters recognized Ratibu Shadidi as a Citizen of Achievement. Ratibu’s Award acceptance by son-in-law Carl M. Dameron and first grandchild Teriki Shani Thillet presented by Twilla Carthen. Video and editing by Giacomo Thillet Video link:https://youtu.be/dXr67-QwVq4?si=ecGQbT4dw6okXK4u
Finally honored were High Desert Pearls for advocating social justice including campaigning in the high desert local schools to increase voter participation, registration, and education; Inland Empire Children’s Book Project’s main focus of volunteer work includes giving books to children ages 0-18 (donations and volunteers are always welcome); and Westside Action Group, unofficially known as WAG to reduce racial inequities in employment, education, government, etc. in the City of San Bernardino.
After the program, the League was honored with recognition from San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran and council members Kimberly Calvin, and Damon Alexander, along with community leaders San Bernardino City School Board Member Felicia Alexander and County School Board Member Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers.
San Bernardino Council members Kimberly Calvin, and Damon Alexander, present a certificate of achievement to League Members Kathy Ervin, and Twila Carthen, also present San Bernardino City School Board Member Felicia Alexander and County School Board Member Dr. Gwendolyn Dowdy-Rodgers
The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. Instead, it encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.
The League of Women Voters takes positions on issues after studying the issues, meeting together to review the study results, and voting on the positions that follow from those studies. The League of Women Voters of the San Bernardino Area subscribes to the positions held by the League of Women Voters on the national, state, and local levels.
Carl Dameron has a diabetic check-up with his PA at Lasalle Medical Clinic’s Mt. Vernon Office. Carl and his family of four have been LaSalle patient since 2004.
“We see a lot of Latino and Black people and sad to say, type 2 diabetes and its harmful effects are far too common with us,” said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Albert Arteaga.”
SAN BERNARDINO, CAIF. There is an old saying that “You are what you eat.” And when it comes to what you eat and your chances of contracting type 2 diabetes, this is especially true.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, “You can inherit a predisposition for diabetes, a disease that disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minorities.” The FDA goes on to note that the death rate for Hispanics from diabetes is “50 percent higher than for non-Hispanic whites.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health research studies spanning the years 2018 and 2019 found that non-Hispanic Blacks were “twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes” and “2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with diabetes and associated long-term complications than non-Hispanic whites.”
San Bernardino County’s population is 55.8 percent Hispanic or Latino and 9.4 percent Black or African American, per the United States Census Bureau’s July 2022 estimates. In Riverside County, the percentages are 51.6 for Hispanics or Latinos and 7.5 for Blacks or African Americans.
“We see a lot of Latino and Black people,” said LaSalle Medical Associates CEO Dr. Albert Arteaga, “and sad to say, type 2 diabetes and its harmful effects are far too common with us.” Type 2 diabetes is a major health concern for the Inland Empire and LaSalle Medical Associates works hard to address the problem.
Dr. Arteaga says, “Our physicians make it a point to discuss proper nutrition with patients they see who may be pre-diabetic or who have already been diagnosed with the disease.”
Several risk factors contribute to this problem and one of those is eating the wrong foods. Latino and African American diets often include fatty pork, foods fried or cooked with lard or unhealthy shortenings and oils, and starchy vegetables like beans, corn, potatoes, chickpeas, and parsnips, not to mention lots of sugary soft drinks and juices.
Some foods are loaded with refined sugars that few people think as high in sugar, including barbecue sauces, ketchup, baked beans, tomato soups and sauces, canned fruits and vegetables, salad dressings, and Asian-style sauces like Thai sweet chili and teriyaki. These, too, are often part of ethnic minority diets.
Now that the Covid pandemic has receded, LaSalle’s clinics are reaching out to encourage people to come in for preventive health screenings that include talking about diet and diabetes. “We see a lot of Latino and Black clients and we make sure that they get the facts about how important good nutrition is to their overall health and especially diabetes prevention and treatment,” said Dr. Arteaga.
“In addition to avoiding the bad foods, we recommend good ones: lean pork, chicken—especially with the skin off and roasted rather than fried, fish, and healthy veggies—spinach, kale, broccoli, beets, carrots, collard greens, cabbage, cucumbers, cauliflower, raw tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, alfalfa sprouts, and garlic,” added Dr. Arteaga.
Another key factor is consistent management. Diabetes has no cure. Once a person has it, no magic pill or shot will make it go away. “You must stick with your treatment program,” said Dr. Arteaga. “Staying on one’s meds and sticking to a healthy diet is something we constantly remind our adult and pediatric patients to do.”
LaSalle serves many people who are covered by Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. They also accept patients covered by Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Molina, Care 1st, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). LaSalle knows how to help people who lack insurance enroll in coverage that fits their needs.
For more information about LaSalle Medical Associates, call (855) 349-6019 or go online to LaSalleMedical.com.
LaSalle Medical Associates, Inc. is one of the largest independent and Latino-owned healthcare companies in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The corporate office is in Redlands.
LaSalle operates six clinics employing more than 100 dedicated healthcare professionals, treating children, adults, and seniors in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. LaSalle’s patients are primarily served by Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. LaSalle also accepts Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Molina, Care 1st, Health Net, and Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) coverage.
LaSalle is also an Independent Practice Association (IPA) of independently contracted doctors, hospitals, and clinics, delivering high-quality patient care to approximately 365,000 patients in Fresno, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, and Tulare counties.
Dameron Communications of San Bernardino, CA has been honored with recognition by UpCity.com in its selection of “Top PR Agencies 2022.”
San Bernardino, Calif. – Dameron Communications of San Bernardino, CA has been honored with recognition by UpCity.com in its selection of “Top PR Agencies 2022.”
Carl Dameron, founder of Dameron Communications said: “This is quite an honor for us. The fact that UpCity.com included Dameron Communications in its selection of “Top PR Agencies 2022,” signals that our constant efforts toward business excellence are paying off. We are proud to be included in this recognition.”
Dameron Communications’ is an Advertising and public relations agency based in Southern California receiving award-winning client accolades, and delivering effective Advertising and public relations for more than 30 years.
“We infuse research and creativity into our advertising and public relations methods to deliver winning and measurable results,” said Dameron.
He added, “We serve clients who make the world a better place: businesses small or large; candidates; governments or nonprofits; and products, services, or causes. We reach our clients’ communications goals.”
Following the publication of Dameron Communications’ selection for UpCity.com’sTop PR Agencies 2022 list, American Registry seconded the honor and added Dameron Communications to the “Registry of Business Excellence™”. An exclusive recognition plaque, shown above, has been designed to commemorate this honor.
For more information on Dameron Communications, located in San Bernardino, CA please call 909-534-9500, or visit Dameron Communications.com.
Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications
“I am honored to receive this recognition for our work in Adverting and Public Relations,” said Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications.
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. – Corp Today Magazine, named Dameron Communications as the 2022 Global Business Awards Best Full-Service Advertising & PR Agency—California 2022
Corp Today is a business magazine covering the world for companies. Corp Today is a platform that focuses on emerging and leading fastest-growing companies and their style of doing business and ways of delivering effective and collaborative solutions to strengthen market share.
“Our dedicated team of in-house researchers has handpicked each of our 2022 award winners. This proven approach ensures that we award on merit, and not popularity, and recognize the very best in the business,” said Corp Today’s Patricia Waldron.
“I am honored to receive this recognition for our work in Advertising and Public Relations,” said Carl M. Dameron, president of Dameron Communications. “Since 1988 we have worked hard to deliver effective adverting and public relations delivering significant public relations successes.”
Dameron Communications’ is Advertising and public relations agency based in a Southern California receiving award winning client accolades, and delivering effective Advertising and public relations for more than 30 years.
“We infuse research and creativity into our advertising and public relations methods to deliver winning and measurable results,” said Dameron.
He added, “We serve clients who make the world a better place: businesses small or large; candidates; governments or nonprofits; and products, services, or causes. We reach our clients’ communications goals.”
