Washington, D.C.

On May 4, Resource Managers from the Office of Field Operations (OFO) District Offices met with the OFO Resource Management and Financial Planning Staff (RMFPS) to improve administrative processes across OFO, learn about new requirements and participate in situational leadership training. The group met Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin and Deputy Administrator Terri Nintemann.

Pictured, front row, from left: Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin, Alameda District Resource Manager (RM) Sukhdeep Sidhu, Atlanta District Resource Coordinator (RC) Evette Manrique, Jackson District RC Heather Brown, Nintemann, Philadelphia District RM Tisha Smith, RMFPS Budget Analyst Jada Jackson, OFS Chief of Staff Atiya Khan, Chicago District RM Sherry Toberman.

Back row, from left: Springdale District RM Ed Anhalt; Des Moines District RC Andy Bingham; RMFPS Director Laura Palmer; Dallas District RM William Fountas; RMFPS Program Analyst (PA) Christina Walker, Budget Analyst Daniel Bradley, PAs Kara Saucier and Cortney Burgess, and Senior PA Kimberley Beall; Esteban; RMFPS PA Betty Thomas; Denver District Manager Dr. Robert Reeder; RMFPS Deputy Director Florice Spencer.

Photo by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

On May 5, FSIS Administrator Paul Kiecker participated in a work unit meeting at a poultry establishment. Kiecker met with employees to share information about FSIS policy updates, recruitment and retention incentives, and to discuss recently announced efforts to address Salmonella in frozen, stuffed, not-ready-to-eat chicken products.

Pictured, front row, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Michael Farnsworth and Kyarra Overweg; Program Analyst Dr. Stephanie J.S. Baiyasi; CSIs Tim Hardy, Dylan Zambrano and William Roth Jr.

Back row, from left: Kiecker, Deputy District Manager Dr. Gary Welcher; CSI Kristin Overhiser, Frontline Supervisor Dr. Ryan Lundquist; CSIs Tom Kersjes, Kerry Rogers, and Mike Krupecki; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Robert Sprik.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

Detroit, Mich.

On May 4, Administrator Paul Kiecker participated in a work unit meeting with employees of the Dearborn, East Lansing and Flint Circuits. The meeting also included members of the Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit’s (OIEA) Oak Park office. Kiecker discussed employee recruitment, retention and continuous development opportunities. There was a robust discussion about hiring incentives and career pathways within FSIS.

Standing: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Leo Nezentis, Aneel Khan, Marlo Cervantes, Daniela Capatana, Emmanuel Edwin and Jennifer Selengowski; Compliance Investigator (CI) Clark McKimmy; CSI Bill Miller; CSI Michael Raymond; Frontline Supervisor (FLS) Dennis Wlasiuk; CSIs Jessica Carters, George Gegich, Willie Virgil III, Patricia Jones, and Mandalynn Brown; CI James Lappin; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Heather Grodi; CSIs Angela Wininger, Alan Wheeler, and Renee Collins; FLS Raymond Andress; CSIs John Frye and Sarfaz Choadhri (in green); CI Jean-Marie Patten (in back); Deputy District Manager Dr. Gary Welcher (obscured); CSIs Ricky Fanall (obscured, in back), Katherine Angell (green butterfly), and Russell Keuning; SPHV Dr. Sarah Dunham.

Seated: CI Sara Ballee; CSI Jamie Little; Kiecker; SPHV Dr. Saun Keller; CSIs Charles Vincent and Chris Hang.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

Dearborn, Mich.

On May 3, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with night shift employees at a sausage establishment. Kiecker talked about employee development, recruitment incentives and career paths within FSIS. Following the meeting, Kiecker toured the plant.

Pictured, from left: Kiecker, Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Myra Kramp, Office of the Administrator Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, CSI Earthia Klein, Frontline Supervisor Dennis Wlasiuk, Deputy District Manager Dr. Gary Welcher and CSI Delila Garcia.

Photo by an establishment employee.

Reynoldsburg, Ohio

On May 3, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with area FSIS employees to talk about recruitment and retention, hiring incentives and career paths within the FSIS. Kiecker also shared FSIS updates on Salmonella and other policy topics.

Pictured, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Ken Mundt, James Gheller, Nikhat Ahmed, Albert Valentine and Daniel Joseph; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Glenn Escape; CSIs Nicholas Graham and Demond Ford; Columbus Frontline Supervisor (FLS) Daniel James; Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officer (EIAO) Scott Weidner; Cincinnati FLS Derek Toyne; EIAO Daryl Duvall; CSI Jay Sutton; Chicago District Manager Don­ald Fickey; CSIs Mikeal McCoy, David Van Dyke and Donald Hale; Kiecker.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

Canton, Ohio

On May 3, Administrator Paul Kiecker participated in a work unit meeting. Employees talked with Kiecker about staffing and recruitment incentives, and asked questions about the agency’s continuous development program. Kiecker also provided some FSIS policy updates on topics including beef inspection and the Salmonella framework initiative.

Pictured, front row, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Joshua Woltz, Ed Prebula and Dale Obringer; Supervisory CSI Christy Timbrook; CSI Steve Jankowski; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Maryanne Sutton; and CSIs Mia Isaac, Dave VanHorn and Nick Miller.

Back row, from left: CSIs Shawn Alleshouse and Thomas Vang; Kiecker; CSIs Troy Selhorst, Tammy Jackson, Jim Fagerty and Chris Roberts; SPHV Dr. Sharon Weatherspoon; Chicago District Manager Dr. Don Fickey; Frontline Supervisor Jeff Kish; CSIs Torri Santos, AnneMarie Foecking-Kappele, and Geneann Miranda; Enforcement, Investigation, and Analysis Officer (EIAO) John Williams; SPHV Dr. Dave Contini; EIAO Robyn Eberly; CSI Amanda Loprich.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

Georgetown, Del.

On May 3, USDA leadership visited a poultry slaughter and processing establishment. Leadership met with inspection personnel, observed inspection program personnel performing traditional as well as modernized inspection procedures at two different nearby establishments, and sought employee input about opportunities to enhance diversity and inclusion in USDA.

Pictured, back row, from left: Deputy District Manager Dr. Roger Murphy; USDA Senior Advisor Bernhard Kluger; Frontline Supervisor Dr. Catherine Banks; USDA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer L’Tonya Davis; Consumer Safety Inspector Beatrice Sturgis; USDA Senior Advisor Greg Jaffe; Deputy Assistant Administrator for Field Operations Dr. Hany Sidrak; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Janet MacDonna.

Front row, from left: USDA Senior Advisor Silvia Fabela; Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Sandra Eskin, USDA Special Assistant Caitlin Balagula; FSIS Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte.

Photo by establishment employee.

Cranberry Township, Penn.

On May 2, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with employees from the Saxonburg and Pittsburgh circuits at a work unit meeting. Twenty-nine people participated in person and were joined by 15 more employees on MS Teams. Kiecker provided FSIS updates on Salmonella and other policy topics, and led a discussion on employee development, recruitment and retention. Attendees in person and online were able to ask questions and participate in a conversation about career paths within FSIS.

Pictured, from left: Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Lisa Clyde, Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Baljeet Grewal, Frontline Supervisor (FLS) Marcel Kouassi, SPHV Dr. Heather Boehmer, CSI Elwin Weaver, FLS Beth Lehman, CSI Christopher Carter, CSI Mike Durzo and Kiecker.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

College Park, Md.

On April 12, Administrator Paul Kiecker attended the Office of Employee Experience and Development (OEED) all hands meeting. Kiecker discussed the importance of training and his vision for making FSIS the best place to work; answered questions from the group; and thanked everyone in OEED for their contributions to the FSIS mission.

Pictured, standing back row, from left: FSIS Chief Operating Officer Todd Reed; Office of the Administrator Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte; Veterinary Medical Officer Dr. Courtney Baldwin; Public Health Training Coordinators (PHTC) Dr. Joshua Rupert and Dr. Michael Goza; Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) Phillip Click; Chief Training Officer Stephanie Wilkins; Training and Program Analysis Specialist (TPAS) Matthew Fultz; Executive Associate for Employee Experience Pete Bridgeman; Management Analyst (MA) Greg DiNapoli; ITS Robert Glasgow; Instructional Systems Specialist (ISS) Bredell Evans; AgLearn Support Specialist (ALSS) Andrew Kitchen; ITS Ronald Vu; Warehouse Support Specialist (WSS) Douglas Sharp; Visual Information Specialists Micheall Myrie and Kamilah Molyneaux; Transformation Specialist Dr. Tracy Hewitt; Management Assistant DeeDee Fumey; PHTC Dr. Kimberly Burrell; WSS Anh Tuan Nguyen; Training Transformation and Distance Learning Staff Director Dean Norman.

Standing, front row, from left: PHTC Dr. Michael Chung; ITS Zahid Hussain; PHTC Dr. Benjamin Sun; Kiecker; PHTC Dr. Ramon Cana Alvarez; TPAS Adrian Jones; Program Specialist Erin Kersse; TPAS Ivori Lipscomb-Warren; Program Analyst (PA) Michael Dendinger; TPAS Dr. Brian Gates; PHTC Dr. Monique Wiggins; PHTC Dr. Alicia Hickman; TPAS Fortune Blain; PHTC Dr. Crystal Harris; Personnel Psychologist Jessica Gladfelter; TPAS Anna Wojcik; Training Coordinator (TC) Warren Shelton; ISS Stephani Cherkaoui; TC Evelyn Arce; Training Management Branch Chief Dr. Jennifer Webb; PA Mila Cook; Training Operations Branch Chief Dr. Hala Bessyoung; PHTC Dr. Beatriz Miguel; MA Abeni Ogun; Administrative Specialist Stephanie Kane; PHTC Dr. Tara Herbst; ISS Jessica Prior; Continuing Education Program Manager Tara Smith; Organization and Employee Development Branch Chief Sylvia Bourn.

Seated, from left: Project Manager Lori Davis; ISS Dr. Stephanie Tavarez; PHTCs Echo Li and Dr. Christie Royal; PA Cecilia Matthews; Employee Engagement and Recognition Staff Director Valerie Green; PHTC Dr. Angela McIntyre; MA Dr. LaRia Robinson; Management and Program Analyst Sonya Stewart; TCs Denise Gallman and Lara D’Amore; ALSS Ashley Jones; ISS Susan Ramirez; Assistant Administrator for OEED Dr. Soumaya Tohamy.

Photo by Audio Visual Production Specialist Brien Aho.

Philadelphia, Pa.

On May 2, Administrator Paul Kiecker met with participants in the new Inspection Methods-Hybrid course, which includes virtual and in-person classroom training.

Pictured, front row, from left: Public Health Training Coordinator (PHTC) Dr. Angela McIntyre; CSIs Ester De Leon Roblero, Gabriela Orta, Maria Cisneros, Md Islam, Corey Byrd, Cheryl Thornton, Jeremine Benjamin, Clemmy McKenzie, and Maria Martinez; PHTC Tara Herbst.

Middle row, from left: CSI Dain Becker, Kiecker; Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officer Randy Reece; CSIs Billy Davis Jr., Taylor Harrison, and Mathilda Chiapetta; Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) Meat Inspector Scott McCormick; CSIs Gary Laubscher, Learie Pope and Charles Shannon.

Back row, from left: CSIs Emmanuel Vargas-Lopez and Kevin Icart; PHTC Josh Rupert, CSI Sami Beniamin, State of Illinois Consumer Safety Officer (CSO) Andrew Hladikek; CSIs Aleksandr Lyba and Eric Kratzer, Illinois CSOs Beth Castleberry and Bryant Harwell.

Not Pictured: Food Inspector James Confer, Jr.

Photo by OA Chief of Staff Karen Hunter.

Atlanta, Ga.

On May 1, Administrator Kiecker met with participants and instructors of the new hybrid Inspection Methods training.

Pictured, front row, from left: Public Health Training Coordinator (PHTC) Dr. Monique Wiggins; North Carolina State Inspector Brad Landress; Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Darnecia Banks; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture State Inspector Abigail Kleinke; Supervisory Veterinary Medical Officer (SVMO) Dr. Trisherne Roberts; CSI Rose Ann Diagbel, Food Inspectors (FI) Andrea Jorgenson and Daimarys Fontes; CSIs La Sondra Moden and Dorisbel Toia; Food Inspector-Slaughter (FI-S) William Bernier; PHTC Dr. Crystal Harris-Smith.

Behind the front row, from left: Frontline Supervisor-Adjunct PHTC Dr. Jenifer Tolan; CSI Lawrence Lee; Kiecker; SVMOs (Public Health) Dr. Zach Rathbun and Dr. Andres White; CSI Graham Horgli; FI Cordaryl White Sr.; FI-S Rachel Johnson; FI Emily Smith; Alabama Department of Agriculture State Inspector Robert Wood; VMO Dr. Adil Hussain; FI-Ss James Thompson-Coleman, Jamick Gates, Equilla Green and Autumn Morris; FIs Ajang Deng Biar and Lino Tarango-Barraza, North Carolina Dept of Agriculture Talmadge-Aiken Field Inspector Christopher Smith; FI-S Ron Skow; CSI Genevieve Griffin.

Photo by Office of the Administrator Chief of Staff Karen Hunter.

Dallas, Texas

On May 1, Administrator Paul Kiecker visited employees taking and conducting new Inspection Methods-Hybrid (IM-H) training in Dallas.

May 1-5 was the first week of IM-H training in Dallas, with many participants meeting in person for the first time since before the COVID pandemic. They were excited to network and form small study group cohorts for the duration of the course.

Pictured, front row, from left: Public Health Training Coordinator (PHTC) Denise Hickman; Training Management Branch Chief Jennifer Webb; PHTCs Dr. Kim Burrell and Echo Li; CSIs Latosha Griffin, Julian Martinez, Neihidy Garcia, Diana Herrera, Brenda Jimenez, Jessica Ramirez Diaz, Hwanchol Lim and Jose Cisneros.

Second row, from left: PHTC Dr. Ben Sun; CSIs Cynthia Knowles, Michael Jones Sr., Kiona Harris, Zoe Thompson, Shakiya Canton, Jessica Ray, Baljit Kaur and Abdi Arale.

Third row, from left: CSIs Guadalupe Marquez, Demarcus Marks, Marley Luce, Shawn Kelly, Laine Hampton and Eric Rodriguez.

Fourth row, from left: CSIs Denise Flores, Heath White, Jose Sotomayor, Bernardo Ocampo-Bahena, Miguel Blanco Corona, Raul Razo and Tyler Marler.

Back row, from left CSIs Vance Wilkerson, Zachary Duty and Kendrick Fleming; Kiecker; CSIs Seth Thompson and Daniel Saldana; SPHV Dr. Boris Brglez, CSIs Jose Cruz Jr. and Matthew True.

Photo by Office of the Administrator Chief of Staff Karen Hunter.

Washington, D.C.

On April 17, Team FSIS inspired hundreds of youth to future public service by promoting agency careers at 4-H’s Inaugural Youth Career Fair. Over 300 energetic middle and high school students took selfies with Thermy, learned about food safety and interacted with our “tools of the trade” at the FSIS booth. The students’ interests ranged from veterinarian and inspector positions to science, public affairs and policy. FSIS also participated in the Cool Jobs Panel. The agency’s future looks bright if this group is any indicator.

Team FSIS included employees from the Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Education (OPACE); Office of Management (OM); Office of Field Operations (OFO); Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD); Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA); and the Office of Public Health Science (OPHS). Team members not pictured below: OM Chief Talent Management Officer Janet Stevens and OPACE Congressional and Public Affairs Staff Acting Deputy Director Dr. Lynda Lilyestrom. 

Pictured above, from left: OIEA Supervisory Investigator Wanda Fuentes (as Thermy) and OPHS Microbiologist Bryce Merrill staff the selfie station.

Photo by OM Chief Talent Management Officer Janet Stevens.

Pictured, from left: OPACE Food Safety Education Staff Technical Information Specialist and Senior Team Lead Lynn Williams and OM Student Employment Program Manager Kyesha Lewis.

Photo by OM Chief Talent Management Officer Janet Stevens.

From left: OFO Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officers Jessica Poindexter and Christina Hastings; OPPD Biological Scientist Dr. Scott Updike.

Photo by OM Chief Talent Management Officer Janet Stevens.

Salt Lake City, Utah

On April 18-20, the Office of Field Operations (OFO) held its National Frontline Supervisor (FLS) Conference with FSIS leadership and FLSs across the country to cover a wide range of topics, including staffing, recruitment, conflict resolution, training, PHIS and much more. Approximately 220 FLSs attended. 

Pictured above: FSIS leadership held a town hall for FLSs to hear from and ask questions of leaders of other FSIS program areas and agency leadership.

Photo by Program Analyst Alexandra Tarrant, OFO.

Pictured above: Office of Food Safety and FSIS leaders presented FLS Dr. Kenneth Clevenger from Dallas, Texas (second from left), with a certificate for 60 years of service with FSIS. Pictured, from left: former Assistant Administrator for OFO Dr. Philip Bronstein, Clevenger, Administrator Paul Kiecker and Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban.

Photo by Program Analyst Alexandra Tarrant, OFO.

Pictured above: Administrator Paul Kiecker speaks to the FLSs in Salt Lake City.

Photo by OFO Program Analyst Alexandra Tarrant.

Camilla, Ga.

On March 13, Consumer Safety Inspector Alton Scott Hayes received a signed certificate and pin acknowledging his 30 years of service.

Pictured: Hayes.

Photo by Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Thelma Brown, OFO.

Tampa, Fla.

On April 6, Administrator Paul Kiecker met at a federally-regulated establishment with local FSIS employees from the Office of Field Operations (OFO); Office of Management (OM); and Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA). Kiecker thanked them for their dedication to food safety and discussed recruitment and staffing issues, employee engagement, and opportunities for continuous education.

Employees are with OFO unless otherwise specified.

Pictured, front, row, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Carlos Diaz, Edward McAdams, and Miguel Torres-Crespo; OM Human Resources Specialist (HRS) Irina Chizh, Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) Dr. Danielle Doyle.

Middle row, from left: OIEA Compliance Investigator Bobby Coleman, CSI Thomas Hathaway, SPHV Dr. Richard Daniels, CSI Phyllis Frazier, OM HRS Kristina Pasalich, Kiecker.

Back row, from left: CSI Jefferson Sands, FLS Chris Wagstaff, Deputy District Manager Tracy Bryant.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.