Columbia, S.C.

On July 11, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with FSIS employees to hear their individual career stories and discuss various agency initiatives. The group talked about the return of the non-monetary awards, outreach, and recruitment items (Notice 34-23), career advancement opportunities in FSIS, and connectivity and hardware issues at a local establishment.

Pictured, from left: Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Satondra McAulay, Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Keri Powell, Frontline Supervisor (FLS) John Black, CSIs Dorotha Davis and Joyce Page, OIEA/CID Southeast Deputy Regional Director Krishna Cabine, CSI Vernell Jones, Deputy District Manager Barney Welch, CSIs Bilal Haroon and Shavonte Wright, FLS Dr. Kayce Beckford, SPHV Dr. Cheryl Stiles, OIEA Compliance Investigator Lomar Pryce, and SPHV Dr. Gretchen Kleckley.

Photo by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Sumter, S.C.

On July 11, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with FSIS employees at a chicken slaughter and processing establishment to hear their individual career stories and discuss various agency initiatives. The group talked about the status of the district veterinary medical officer position, Salmonella initiatives in poultry, tuition reimbursement being open to all employees (Notice 33-23) and employee engagement through monthly Employee Town Hall Meetings. Unless otherwise noted, employees are in the Office of Field Operations (OFO); the other program areas and offices represented were the Office of the Administrator (OA), the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), and the Office of Investigations, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA).

Pictured, from left: Food Inspector (FI) Joseph Watkins, Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Galen Vosseller, OIEA Compliance Investigator Lomar Pryce, OCFO Budget Analyst Phil Mollé, OIEA/CID Southeast Deputy Regional Director Krishna Cabine, FI Caitlyn Bragg, Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Patricia Payne, Administrator Kiecker, SPHVs Dr. Angelica Puryear and Dr. Elizabeth Cuttino, Frontline Supervisor Dr. Kayce Beckford, Deputy District Manager Barney Welch, and CSI James Owens III.

Photo by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Charleston, S.C.

On July 13, Administrator Paul Kiecker gave the introductory remarks at the 84th American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers' Exhibition (the formal name for the American Association of Meat Processors’ annual convention). Kiecker updated attendees on topics such as animal raising claims, industry guidelines, small/very small establishment support, overtime/holiday fee reduction, FSIS communications outlets, and the agency’s Salmonella illness reduction efforts.

Pictured above: Administrator Kiecker describes the FSIS mission and vision during his presentation.

Pictured above, from left: Administrator Kiecker; Enforcement, Investigation and Audit Officer Phyllis Flippen; Resource Management Specialist Davi-Anne Phillip; and OPACE Congressional and Public Affairs Staff Acting Deputy Director Dr. Linda Lilyestrom at the convention center exhibit hall’s USDA booth.

Photos by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Washington, D.C.

On June 22, Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education (OPACE) Congressional and Public Affairs Staff (CPAS) Legislative Analyst Cody Kahlig participated in the USDA Interns and Recent Graduates Welcome Event. A proud graduate of Texas Tech University, Kahlig shared his journey from packing up his truck in Lubbock, Texas, to a fulfilling career with CPAS. He was steadfast in our key message, emphasizing the four vital steps in food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Furthermore, he underscored the critical role of public communication in food recalls, highlighting its significance in safeguarding public health.

Pictured above: Kahlig, far left, participates in the panel discussion.

Pictured above: Kahlig (in dark suit, back row center) and event participants gather for a photo.

Photos by Writer-Editor Andrés Talero, OPACE.

Mexico City, Mexico

The 2023 Feds Feed Families campaign is underway, and FSIS officials are playing their part in the battle against hunger, which knows no borders. In early June, while in Mexico City conducting an equivalence audit of Mexico’s food safety inspection system (the National Service of Food and Agriculture Health, Safety and Quality, or SENASICA), FSIS Senior Program Auditors Jonathan Morse and Joel Bachert contributed 12 bags of pasta, 12 cans of tuna and four cans of pork products for needy families in Mexico, donating them to a collection center at SENASICA headquarters.

Pictured, from left: Bachert and Morse.

Photo by a SENASICA official.

Arcadia, Wis.

June was men’s health month. On June 16, the FSIS day shift at an establishment wore blue to bring awareness to men’s health issues and facts, such as men’s health statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. Even though Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Mark Whelan was working off site, he was still part of the group photo, “wearing” a colleague’s eye-catching blue and green hat.

Pictured, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSI) Sheila Kupietz, Flor Valenzo and Jeanette Pampuch; Whelan pictured in printed photo; CSI Rian Tuma; Supervisory CSI Ashley Lorentz.

Pictured: CSI Jeanette Pampuch wore blue head to toe.

From left: CSIs Flor Valenzo and Rian Tuma tried blue cupcakes.

Arcadia photos by Supervisory CSI Ashley Lorentz, OFO.