Business Gentrification, salon safety, and the Department of Licensing

We received an email forward today from our salon adivsor, Laurie Foster of the King County Environmental investigators that she received from the Department of Licensing (DOL).

The email from Sandra of the Cosmetology DOL said, "We are currently recruiting for one public member to serve on the Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, and Manicuring Advisory Board. A public member is a consumer who is unaffiliated with the cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and manicuring industry."
source: http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/news.html

This was our reply...

"Hello Laurie and Sandra (and kevin, quang, secret, victoria and frank)
Thank you for forwarding this position to my attention.

The Department of Licensing as it pertains to the cosmetology industry is failing in its communication with nail salon owners and I appreciate the efforts of its committee to fulfill positions that are underrepresented.

In an industry that is dominated by 40% of the Vietnamese population I must ask why there is no one on the advisory committee that represents this group?

I went to the website for the DOL to find out a little bit more about who is serving on the advisory committee and the mission of the organization.

Here is what I've discovered...
Vision: To promote safety, we educate and practice professionally and competently.

* Anne Martin, Chair — esthetician
* Sylvia Garcia, Vice Chair — vocational school
* Kathleen Sather — manicurist, esthetician
* Larry Geiger — cosmetologist
* Mary Tanneberg — cosmetologist, esthetician
* Gary Howse — private school
* Tom Johnson — barber
* James Moran — manicurist
* Vacant — public member

Just yesterday an inspector visited my salon. There were new rule changes that I wasn't even aware of since the last visit to my nail spa.

If there is a section on the website for new updates on the DOL's website as it pertains to the cosmetology section it was not clearly labeled.
I am extremely computer savvy and I had difficulty finding it.

I am forwarding this message to the board of directors for VAEDA/WAVA, ECOSS, CCEJ and Evergreen Beauty & Barber.

I know for a fact that the DOL does not send out immediate law changes to their licensees nor to Salon Owners.

In order for the DOL to fulfill its mission of providing safety to the public then they must work together to communicate the new changes effectively through proper communication and not merely imposing stricter laws.

I hope together we can find a solution for better representation of undeserved groups. And I hope we can move forward to strengthen our communication between new law changes and communication to salon owners and licensees.

Feel free to call me at 206.361.9888

Many Blessings

-Robert Luu