Fort Campbell, Ky,

On June 13-14, FSIS participated in Fort Campbell’s Transition Assistance Program’s Hiring Our Heroes Mega Career Fair. FSIS’ Veterans and Persons with Disabilities Outreach Program Manager Shonda Moore and Human Resources Business Systems Division Director Corinne Calhoun, both Office of Management (OM), spoke with hundreds of transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses about FSIS’ Inspector Apprenticeship Programs and other agency career opportunities. Nearly 60 participants expressed interest in working for FSIS. On June 15, Moore also met with officials at Fort Knox to begin outreach expansion efforts there. FSIS has 27 veterans and transitioning service members participating in its apprenticeship programs, with eight scheduled to convert to permanent, full-time employment by the end of fiscal year 2023. Learn more about FSIS’ apprenticeship programs or email Shonda.Moore@usda.gov. 

Calhoun (left) and Moore await the arrival of participants at the start of the event.

Photo taken by another federal employee.

Moore discusses the apprenticeship programs with an interested service member who is signing up to receive more information.

Photo by Office of Human Resources Business Systems Division Director Corinne Calhoun, OM.

Urbandale, Iowa

On June 7, Administrator Paul Kiecker and Deputy Administrator Terri Nintemann met with personnel in the FSIS Financial Services Center (FSC). The FSC team processes the agency’s payroll and achievement awards as well as employee reimbursements for local travel, clothing and equipment. FSC also issues monthly statements to the establishments and collects the payments owed to FSIS. Kiecker and Nintemann toured the facility and shared information on career development and employee engagement, while hearing from employees about their individual career paths and how they joined FSIS.

Pictured, front row, from left: Financial Program Specialists (FPS) Janet Epstein and Sally Moffet; Nintemann; Billing Analysis & Management Branch Chief Matthew Sanderson; FPSs Rebecca Cook, Katie Grimm, Dawn McFadden and Becky Johnson; Supervisory Financial Systems Analyst (SFSA) Dawn Larson; FPS Rebecca Brouillet.

Back row, from left: SFSA Jordan Goldie; Resource Management Specialist Ray Sheridan; Deputy District Managers Jeffery Jacobsen and Dr. Mark Johnson; Financial Management Division Director Christine Turner; Kiecker; FPSs Tamara Russell, Janci Duran, Stephanie Stewart, Deanna Russo, Candice Taylor, Shauna Armstrong and Shalon Olson; Accounts Payable Management Branch Chief Kenneth Sturgis; FPSs Bradley Rozendaal and Anthony McFadden.

Photo by Chief of Staff Karen Hunter, OA.

Washington, D.C.

On June 13, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (pictured: fourth from the left) met with Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban (far left), union representatives from the National Joint Council (NJC) of Food Inspection Locals and representatives from the FSIS Labor and Employee Relations Division. The Secretary brought the group together to congratulate the negotiating teams for FSIS and the NJC for finalizing a new labor management agreement, which took effect June 7, 2023.

Pictured, from left: Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Emilio Esteban, Office of Management (OM) Chief Negotiator Matthew Epperson; Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) and NJC Vice Chair Dana Barilla, OFO; Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; CSI and NJC Chair Paula Soldner, OFO; then OM Labor and Employee Relations Division Director Derek Kushmerek.

Photo by Chief of Staff Atiya Khan, Office of Food Safety.

Alexandria, Va.

On May 8-12, new supervisors took part in the Hybrid-New Supervisor Training Program (H-NSTP). The goal of the training is to prepare new supervisors for the challenges of their leadership roles and to emphasize supervisory behaviors that encompass the knowledge, skills and other attributes required to build high-performance teams.

Pictured, back row, from left; Supervisory Consumer Safety Inspectors (SCSIs) Cedric Carter and Luis Escapa; Supervisory Public Health Veterinarians (SPHVs) Dr. Neil Vezeau and Dr. Arthur Yak; SCSI Jose Perez; SPHVs Dr. Cameron Davis, Dr. Richard Daniels and Dr. Stephanie Gaddam; SCSI William Pittman; SPHV Dr. Leon Leishman.

Fourth row: SCSIs Bertice Thomas, Christopher Armwood, Angela Freer, Landon Rung, Jody Van Ven Roy, Richard Molsbee and Michael Mah; SPHV Dr. Veronica Rietkerk.

Third row: SCSI Ashlyn Parise; SPHV Dr. Beth Mock; SCSIs Jamessa Quick, Jeff Hullderman, Raquel Bauer, Arthealter Hunt, Neenicho Lester, Sarah Gallaway and Jennifer Fowler.

Second row: SPHV Dr. Jeffery Smart; SCSI Daniel McQueen; SPHV Dr. Hannah Sather; SCSI Paul McCullough; SPHV Dr. Trina Ward; SCSI Lori Sanders; SCSIs Sheila Matthewson and Davis Cheng; Branch Chief Kim Quigley; SPHV Dr. Karissa Frealy.

Seated row: SPHV Dr. John Rouleau; Supervisory Enforcement, Analysis and Investigations Officer Drew Martin; SCSI Melissa Byrd; SPHV Dr. Angela Hampton; SCSIs Rodney Griffin, Angela Houston and LaShayla Scott; Frontline Supervisor Dr. Marcel Kouassi.

Not Pictured: Management and Program Analyst Betty Thomas, OFO.

Photo by H-NSTP Manager Fortune “Tina” Blain, OEED.

Ames, Iowa

On April 20, the Office of Field Operations (OFO) Des Moines District held its annual Food Safety Summit in conjunction with Iowa State University (ISU) and with the participation of staff from the Office of Policy and Program Development (OPPD) . The goal of the Food Safety Summit is to educate, exchange information and open lines of communication between industry, public health officials and regulatory agencies. This year’s topics included Appendix A and B, carcass monitoring and prerequisite programs.

Appendix A & B were discussed from a policy perspective by OPPD)Risk Innovations and Management Staff Food Technologist Dr. Aaron Beczkiewicz. ISU Associate Professor and Smithfield Foods Chair in Meat Science Extension Dr. Terry Houser discussed monitoring and using humidity data. ISU Microbiology and Animal Science Professor Dr. Jim Dickson then discussed how to build supporting documentation when falling into the scientific gaps. The Carcass Monitoring presentation was given by Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production Technical Services Senior Manager Dr. Steve Larsen, and the prerequisite program presentation was given by OPPD Policy Development Staff Officer Dr. Thomas Vermeersh.

Pictured, back row, from left: Enforcement, Analysis, and Investigations Officer (EIAO) Steve Calhoun; Dickson, Vermeersh; Beczkiewicz; Houser; ISU Animal Science Department Meat Science Program Coordinator Matt Wenger.

Front row, from left: Supervisory EIAO Dr. Randy Kumpost; EIAOs Tanya Phillips and Dr. Heather Bopes.

Not pictured: Larsen. 

Photo by SEIAO Patrick Stillwell, OFO.

San Luis Obispo, Calif.

On May 8, Chief Operating Officer Todd Reed met with frontline supervisors (FLS) at the Alameda District Frontline Supervisors Conference. The group told their career stories, provided feedback about the Public Health Information System and discussed the benefits of working in FSIS and ways to increase recruitment and retention.

Pictured, from left: FLSs Dr. Fausto Manotok, Lisa Ko, Dr. Maredyth Dutton and Heather Havens; Reed; FLS Dr. Altaf Ahmed; Deputy District Manager (DDM) Dr. Gregory Abreu; FLS Dr. Vaughn Taylor-Lehman; Resource Manager Tutu Sidhu; FLSs Dr. Belinda Keller, Dr. Matthew Vahabi, Nashante Barnes, Dr. Molly Johnson and Dr. Dawn Walters; DDM Frank Gillis; Supervisory Enforcement, Investigations and Analysis Officer Michelle Tiojanco; FLSs Dr. Faryka Rogers, Dr. Nerisa Riedl, Dr. Alaaeldeen Ahmed, Timothy Drake, Tracy Hernandez and Dr. Sara Leisgang; District Manager William Griffin; FLSs Kathryn Tapp and Dr. Paul Reid.

Photo by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Albuquerque, N.M.

On May 9, Chief Operating Officer Todd Reed met with inspection program personnel and Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA) compliance investigators at a raw meat processing establishment. The group told their individual career stories, discussed development and shadow opportunities in FSIS (see Notice 38-22), talked about the $1,000 referral award (see Notice 55-22), and shared their eagerness for the return of non-monetary awards so they can get more of the USDA-branded items that are coming soon.

Pictured, back row, from left: Compliance Investigator (CI) Guillermo Orquiz, Reed, CI Zachary Bourn, Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Kim Nevius, and Senior CI Robert Leskowsky.

Front row, from left: CSI H.J. Earle; Frontline Supervisor Jeannine Krein; CSIs Fabiola Velazquez, Tanner Hill, and Larry Scarborough.

Photo by Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, OA.

Las Cruces, N.M.

On May 10, Chief Operating Officer Todd Reed met with Consumer Safety Inspector Lloyd Massey at a raw meat processing establishment. They observed operations, discussed the benefits of working in FSIS, and talked about the availability of government-owned vehicles to cover high-mileage assignments.

Pictured, from left: Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte, Reed and Massey.

Photo by an establishment employee.

El Paso, Texas

On May 10, Chief Operating Officer Todd Reed met with in-plant personnel at a meat processing establishment. The group told their individual career stories, discussed connectivity issues they have experienced and worked through, shared ways they explain all the benefits of working in FSIS to increase recruitment of new employees and retention, and talked about government owned vehicle availability and maintenance.

Pictured, standing, from left: Consumer Safety Inspectors (CSIs) Steven “Taylor” Soderborg, Dusty Seip, Maria Larsen, and Frances Emeh; Frontline Supervisor Dr. Jerry Sloan; CSIs Sergio De Santiago and Leonard Villalobos; Reed.

Kneeling: Deputy Chief of Staff Robert Witte.

Photo by an establishment employee.