Meet the new Alpine Health and Human Services director

Hugh Margesson is the new director of Alpine County Health and Human Services.

Originally from Canada, Margesson came to California for graduate work at California State University at Long Beach. He has lived in the United States ever since.

After nearly two decades of living in the states, he met and married a Nebraska girl named Marlene. They have one son Rob, who is completing his dissertation in Colorado and teaches at Regis University.

Rob is married to Shawna and they have two daughters. Margesson turned down a job offer in Colorado, which would have given him proximity to his grandchildren, to accept his job in Alpine County. The Margessons are in the process of selling a home in San Clemente, Calif., and perhaps building a home here in Alpine County.

His office is located at the Health and Social Services Building on Diamond Valley Road and he has an open door policy for all residents. His job includes overseeing the medical clinic, the mental health clinic, and social services.

The medical clinic always has nursing staff available during business hours, and a physician, Dr. Richard Harvey, is available three days a week.

All those in need of medical care are treated at the clinic. The clinic accepts Medi-Cal, Medi-Care, private insurance, and provides free services for people with minimal income. Julie Ola is currently in charge of the Emergency Medical Technician team. The mental health department's director is Franck Jocabelli. Among the services offered are marriage and family counseling and recovery programs for drug and alcohol addiction. Currently, there is an opening for a clinician to work with children at Diamond Valley School. Staff members at Margesson's department also support the Over 50 Club and other services for senior citizens.

He called his job "both a passion and a calling."

His background in social services includes creating foster family and residential treatment programs. In addition he has created non-public school programs. Margesson created and administered a non-profit organization in Irvine, Calif., called "Walking Shield." That non-profit's goal was to improve the life of indigenous people and it reached out to 14 reservations in seven states. He also worked with a non-profit foundation established by actor Jamie Cromwell that brought the arts to impoverished people.

He said his "work with abused and neglected children, indigenous people, and struggling people allows him to see the complexities of our society."

All of his experience in the field of social work confirms his belief that each individual deserves equal opportunity. He said his passion is finding ways to overcome various challenges people have so they may have equal access.

Alpine County is home to Washoe people, who make up 18 percent of the population. Margesson said he envisions his role with the Washoe as a facilitator in a reconciliation process.

He has begun dialog with Deanne Roberts, a Washoe, to formulate definitions of what kind of relationship the Washoe would like to have in the community. The new director shared an interesting conversation that he had with Phillip Bennett, the board of supervisors member representing the Washoe people.

Bennett voiced a concern that the Washoe are asked to "move into" the lifestyle of Alpine County, but that Alpine County residents are not asked to "move into" the Washoe culture.

Margesson is open to such dialog and very interested in solving problems. He and some of the staff will attend a conference given by UC Davis on the topic cultural humility, which addresses the concerns addressed by Bennett.

At a recent county assessment meeting, Margesson said he was pleasantly surprised that representatives from many levels of county government attended and voiced strong community support for healing the various rifts within the department of social services and the community as a whole.

He said it is his goal to help the staff recover from a difficult time by helping staff members to become all that they can be. He said his motto underscores his compassion: "Working together, not individually, at creating a work environment to help the greatest number of people in greatest need."

Since his son has a doctorate in speech and communication, his daughter-in-law is finishing her doctorate in social work, and his wife is a licensed clinical social worker, the whole family is focused on helping others.

Margesson said his family taught him an important lesson in getting along with people. That lesson is the power of forgiving and forgetting after discord.

Margesson is also an accomplished cyclist, and one lesson he learned from that sport is that difficulties at work are like pedaling uphill. They are challenges and they can be overcome.

Last weekend, Margesson spent one day hiking into Horse Thief Canyon and restoring a wooden elephant statue that honors the memory of former director Kathy Kerr.

The next day he joined the 50 Plus Club on a trip to Bear Valley for an afternoon symphony performance.

A staff member at health and human services, Gail Day, was also on that trip.

"I think we all want to keep this one," Day said. "He is good."