MINUTES
FOR THE REGULAR MEETING
CALIFORNIA UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPEALS BOARD
Docket No. 5720
Open Session
The Appeals Board meeting convened at 11:00 a.m., December 10, 2025, with Chair Michael Allen presiding.
1. Roll Call: Members Present Absent
Michael Allen, Chair x
Laura Kent-Monning, Vice-Chair x
Mike Eng x
Bob Wieckowski x
Richard Roth x
2. Approval of Minutes:
The Board approved the November 19, 2025, Meeting Minutes.
3. Chair's Report:
Chair Allen wished the Board and the CUIAB organization a happy holiday season.
Since the last meeting, the Board resolved approximately 603 cases, all of which were processed through CAMS. Chair Allen thanked the Board and the members of the CUIAB organization for their work and dedication.
4. Board Member Reports:
Vice-Chair Kent-Monning thanked the staff who prepared for the holiday celebration that will occur after the Board meeting.
Members Wieckowski and Roth expressed their appreciation for the collaborative atmosphere and the dedication of the administrative staff.
Member Eng thanked Chief Cutri for his leadership and visits to the field offices throughout the year.
5. Public Comment:
There was no public comment.
6. Chief ALJ/Executive Director, Michael Cutri Report:
In November, the average daily appeals intake remained consistent with levels over the past two years. Overall inventory decreased by approximately 2,000 cases. The average case age rose slightly to 30.8 days and the field closed 37% of first-level appeals were resolved within 30 days, and 82.1% within 45 days.
Since the last Board meeting, CUIAB moved over 650 cases between field offices through CAMS. There were no security incidents.
At the end of December, Inglewood Office of Appeals Supervising ALJ Felicita Ngo plans to retire. Chief Cutri wished her a well-deserved retirement.
7. Supervising ALJ for Appellate Operations, Rebecca Bach Report:
In November, 52.2% of second-level appeals were resolved within 45 days and 69.7% within 75 days. The average case age was 39.7 days, significantly ahead of the national average.
Chair Allen thanked SJ Bach for ongoing assistance and support. Vice-Chair Kent-Monning and Member Eng also expressed their gratitude for SJ Bach’s support over the past year.
8. Chief Information Officer, John Caampued Report:
Chief Information Officer Caampued reported that migrating the Office of Tax Petitions to CAMS remains its top priority. To support these efforts, additional developers with expertise in Salesforce have been hired. Additionally, IT is working on enhancements to CAMS and modernizing technology platforms.
Chair Allen asked about potential security implications of quantum computing on data encryption. Chief Caampued advised that IT follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines and undergoes regular security audits to ensure compliance.
Vice-Chair Kent-Monning and Member Eng thanked CIO Caampued and IT for their work.
9. Chief of Administrative Services, Robert Silva Report:
Chief Silva reported one new employee joined Appellate Operations and a candidate is pending hire in the Sacramento Office of Appeals.
Effective December 1, a new contract for telephonic interpreter services was awarded to the vendor Language Arts. Vice-Chair Kent-Monning and Members Roth and Eng asked about quality control and mechanisms to provide feedback on the new interpreter vendor. Chief Silva advised that ALJs and parties provide feedback and that CUIAB has a language team that reviews complaints and monitors the vendor.
On November 21, CUIAB received the annual “Schedule 9” call letter requests from EDD’s Fiscal Programs Division for the 2026-27 fiscal year. These were submitted to EDD’s Fiscal Programs Division on December 5.
Chief Silva reported there are multiple copy machines due for replacement in the next year. However, with the increased printing needs, CUIAB will replace the aging copy machines with production printers to better serve the needs of telephonic hearings.
Chair Allen emphasized the importance of consulting staff who use this technology during the requisition process.
Member Roth inquired about the quality of the interpreting vendor in a hearing setting. Chief Silva explained that the ALJ and parties have the ability to provide feedback on the quality of the interpreter vendor, and CUIAB will review the hearing.
Closed Session:
There was no closed session.
Adjournment