In September, the entire Pesticide management division gathered in person for the first all-staff meeting, since 2017.
When it was time to recognize the teams: Kelly McLain,
Director’s Office Policy Advisor and Legislative Liaison read aloud from a
framed poster announcing the division’s “Mission Driven Award” selected by WSDA
Director Derek Sandison.
The Mission Driven Award recognizes employees
and teams who demonstrate Washington State Department of Agriculture’s mission
by providing exemplary service, supporting Washington’s agricultural industry,
protecting consumers, the public and the environment through action, advocacy
and striving for continuous improvement.
From the award:
When
the nation shut down due to the pandemic, essential businesses still needed
pesticide applicators to help continue running and feeding Washingtonians. Those
applicators needed to be certified and licensed to do their jobs.
The
Pesticide Management Division Licensing and Recertification Program (PMD) team
provided necessary licenses and certifications while ensuring the health and
safety of those involved. Everyone had a challenging time navigating how to do
their jobs through the added hurdle of a global pandemic. The team rented large
facilities to ensure physical distancing and minimized confrontation with those
who did not want to follow health and safety requirements. Despite the
pandemic, the team provided the same level of service and administered around
10,000 exams per year at multiple locations in the state, numbers that nearly
reached pre-pandemic levels.
Many
states had to shut down or cancel many of their pesticide licensing venues and
events for the first year or more of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Stay
Home – Stay Healthy” guidelines required WSDA to rent large banquet halls to
accommodate physical distancing and included decreasing exam session size,
instituting face covering requirements, additional cleaning and disinfection of
the facility’s tables and chairs, special exam and materials handling and
storage, and contact monitoring and notification for all staff and testers.
This allowed WSDA to maintain the same level of service to stakeholders while
still protecting test takers and staff from the spread of COVID-19.
Licensing
staff also navigated how to communicate professionally and respectfully with
those who did not want to follow all of the requirements, resulting in
occasional confrontations that increased the stress on WSDA staff who were
required to follow and enforce the requirements. The team and on-site
supervisors worked at with diffusing these confrontations.
This
team led the charge and set the example for WSDA on how to set up and safely
conduct the first indoor in-person events. This is an extraordinary
accomplishment by the PMD team reflects dedication and commitment to service,
an effort we recognize and commend.
In summary: The Pesticide Management Division Licensing and Recertification Program (PMD) team provided necessary licenses and certifications while ensuring the health and safety of those involved.
