Kevin Greene finishes long, varied career

Kathy Davis
Communications

Kevin Greene will close out a diverse 50-year career on June 30, when he retires as WSDA’s chief technology officer. Kevin joined the agency in 2016 as our contracts and procurement manager, and spent the past 18 months as CTO.

Starting life on a Kansas farm, Kevin’s job history includes military service, electronics, customer service, marketing, engineering, contracting and technology.

“I say I haven’t been able to decide what I want to do when I grow up,” he cracked. 

He studied electronics and taught and maintained aircraft electronics in the Navy. He went back to college and got a teaching degree. 

But instead of the classroom, he became a field engineer and then a sales manager for a high-tech business in Oregon. 

“Much of my customer base were potato processors, including Frito-Lay, and other chippers, both in the U.S. and abroad,” he said. 

He went on to work in electronics manufacturing as an applications engineer and then as product line manager for switches and safety products. Then the recession hit. 

“I was selling electrical products when an old college roommate convinced me to come work for the state,” Kevin said. “I started my state career with the Department of General Administration in the Office of State Procurement, where I wrote master contracts for professional services.”

He spent nine years as contracts manager for the State Auditor’s Office, helping the Performance Audit Division hire consulting services. 

He said joining WSDA “felt like I’d come home.” He looks back with satisfaction on results he helped achieve. 

“Our contracting processes have matured. And I’ve enjoyed working with the IT group. I believe we have improved our communication and relationships with the divisions and programs,” he said. 

“The most rewarding thing I’ve enjoyed throughout my career is helping others grow and mature in their careers,” he said. 

In summary: From a Kansas farm to electronics, contracting and IT leadership, Kevin Greene’s long career has run the gamut. Kevin looks forward to a well-deserved retirement from WSDA this month. 

COVID-19 era workplace will be different

Kathy Davis
Communications

Beginning June 8, all employees
must wear face coverings for work.

Many of us probably never imagined we’d work from home for months on end, missing in-person meetings and hallway brainstorming with coworkers. 

Teleworkers may be wondering; when will we return to our WSDA worksites? And what will the work experience look like when we do? 

For now, employees who are able to telework should continue to do so. And employees who have been and continue to conduct field work should follow their program’s safety guidance. 

Under the state’s “Safe Start” phased reopening plan, much of the state is easing restrictions. The Governor’s Office, along with state public health and worker safety agencies, have been issuing guidance for what state agencies’ return-to-work plans must cover. 

WSDA is working on an agency plan for reopening based on that. Our agency planning effort includes input from safety, human resources, emergency management, communications, IT, facilities, contracting and other areas.  

Virus still a threat

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is still circulating. We have no vaccine or treatment for this highly contagious illness. Some people who get it have few or mild symptoms, and may not even know they are infected. 

But others, especially those who are high-risk due to age or medical conditions, can become critically ill, need hospitalization or can die. As this is written, over 1,200 Washingtonians have died.

And WSDA has not been spared. Some agency employees have gotten the virus. Fortunately, all have recovered. 

When an employee tests positive for COVID-19, WSDA follows public health procedures that include telling the person to stay home until they have not had symptoms for 72 hours. We notify the facilities where employees have been and the local health department. And we alert other employees who have had contact with the infected person. 

To prevent further spread of the virus and protect the health of employees, visitors and customers, we must put careful thought and planning into how we will physically return to worksites. 

We don’t have all the details nailed down yet. However, you are likely to experience new protocols and facility changes when you do return. 

Basic Prevention

As of June 8, all employees must wear cloth face coverings while at work, unless working alone in an office or vehicle or do not interact with others. Similarly, social distancing, as much as is physically possible, will be the norm in all WSDA facilities and jobsites.

Since COVID-19 started spreading in Washington earlier this year, health officials have emphasized actions needed to control how it spreads. These include:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Keep at least 6 feet between yourself and others (social distancing).
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (or inside of elbow) and toss tissue immediately.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched frequently. 
• Monitor yourself for symptoms (more below).

Hopefully, we have all been practicing these healthy behaviors for months. They are still necessary and we all need to follow this guidance in the workplace. 

Health Screening

Employees who may be infected with COVID-19 should stay home so as not to expose their coworkers to the virus. Identifying anyone who may be infected will help protect everyone. 

WSDA employees will be expected to answer screening questions before leaving home for work – every day -- to check whether they have any symptoms related to COVID-19. This is so important that employees will need to verify that they have performed this self-screen. 

As an added layer of protection, the agency may screen employees, customers and visitors at facility entry points to make sure no one who has any symptoms enters the workplace. 

Facility Adjustments

Mandatory social distancing will require changes in our workspaces and in how we move around and gather.

Some changes you may see:

• Entry and exit points restricted and monitored. 
• Limited capacity in common areas, such as break rooms, conference rooms, restrooms, and elevators. 
• Signs with reminders about face covering, social distancing, and basic health practices.

Facilities and safety staff will jointly prepare buildings to reinforce social distancing measures.  

Yes, the world of work will look different when we do return. Remember that these changes and expectations are meant to keep you, your coworkers and our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19. 

In summary: As WSDA works on a plan for bringing more workers back into office, you can expect to see significant changes when you do return. Details are still being worked out. However, be prepared for the new world of work to be transformed.

A pest goes viral, putting WSDA in the spotlight

Kathy Davis
Communications

As if a global pandemic weren’t enough! This is the story about how the emergence of a new insect pest in Washington State became a viral, worldwide phenomenon. It sounds like a low-budget horror movie. But for the WSDA Pest Program, it’s all in a day’s work. 

Last December, the program received and verified sightings of two Asian giant hornets near Blaine. It was the first time this largest-in-the-world hornet species had been found in the United States. It had been discovered in neighboring British Columbia in the fall. 

While they don’t generally attack people, Asian giant hornets do destroy honeybee hives. They will attack and decapitate bees, destroying a hive in a matter of hours. If it became established in Washington, it could decimate the pollinators that agriculture relies on. 

So, the WSDA Pest Program began alerting the public, especially beekeepers, to be on the lookout for this ultra-large hornet, and they made plans to set traps in the Blaine area to monitor the pest. 

The New York Times

While WSDA entomologists were doing what entomologists do, the program’s public engagement specialist, Karla Salp, was responding to media inquiries, one of which came from a New York Times reporter. 

New York Times reporter, Mike Baker,
holds an Asian giant hornet specimen.

The reporter, Mike Baker, joined WSDA staff as they set traps in the field on May 27. He interviewed others as well, including a Japanese researcher who referred to the Asian giant hornet as the “murder hornet” – a sensational moniker, which was used in the headline. 

Publication of the NYT story on May 2 set off a feeding frenzy by news media across the country and even from international reporters. Entomologists Chris Looney and Sven Spichiger were each interviewed dozens of times. Other Pest Program staff fielded hundreds of emails, phone calls, and online reports. 

Chris, who was prominently featured in the NYT article, came back to an inbox overflowing with hundreds of emails from strangers about the story. While many offered professional advice and help, several others wanted to know the brand of the jacket he wore in the photo. 

We’re going viral

Social media blew up as well. The number of people viewing WSDA Facebook pages hit an all-time high. Hornet memes became a thing on the internet. People around the country were asking, “What’s the deal with this murder hornet?” 

This WSDA issue even earned two mentions on the iconic TV comedy show Saturday Night Live – sure sign of a trending cultural phenomenon. 

“The publicity has been fantastic for raising awareness about Asian giant hornets,” Karla noted. “But the ‘murder hornet’ name has generated a disproportionate amount of fear compared to the threat they pose.” 

WSDA entomologist Chris Looney
displays the Asian giant hornet. 

Along with raising alarm, the spotlight brought hundreds of reports of Asian giant hornet sightings – most of which turned out to be of other insects such as bumblebees, yellow jackets and elm sawflies. 

Despite hundreds of reports in early May, it wasn’t until last week that a new Asian giant hornet was confirmed in Washington. The new sighting was near Custer – just a few miles south of the 2019 sightings and about a mile from a suspicious bee kill in the Custer area last year. 

The new catch brings the total number of Asian giant hornets confirmed in Washington to three. “We’re hopeful this means that they continue to be in very low numbers in the Pacific Northwest,” Karla said. 

To learn more or to report an Asian giant hornet sighting, visit agr.wa.gov/hornets. 

In summary: After the New York Times reported on the WSDA Pest Program’s confirmation of Asian giant hornets in northwest Washington, the news media, internet and popular culture exploded with fascination over the “murder hornet.” Here is the back story.