Seven win prizes in latest QUICK Award drawing

 Kathy Davis, Communications

Kaile Adney

Seven WSDA employees became eligible to select a prize because their names were randomly selected from the full list of those receiving a QUICK Award during the second quarter of 2022. 

Agencywide that quarter, employees handed out 96 awards to their coworkers, with 46 awarded in Western Washington and 50 in Eastern Washington.

WSDA employees present QUICK Awards to their peers who are demonstrating good work and service to others – either inside or outside the agency. Below are the prize recipients from the most recent drawing.

Kaile Adney – Pesticide Licensing and Recertification, Olympia

Jerrid Higgins

Kaile remained cool as a cucumber when helping to proctor a pesticide license testing session that the venue had double booked. When she showed up to the location and realized the room had another event going on, she stayed calm and focused, and was instrumental in finding a solution. Kaile quickly found out that there was another room available. She started the check-in/COVID screening process with testers while the venue set up the new room, which allowed us to start the session on time. Thanks Kaile for the role you played in managing a stressful situation and providing great service to our testers! -  Lindsey House 

Linda Brown –Fruit and Vegetable Inspection, East Wenatchee
Exceptional leadership during the first quarter of the 2022 calendar year. Linda led all inspectors within the Wenatchee office with 1679 Quality Control samples

Teresa Justice

for the period of Jan. 1 through March 31. - David Rosamond

Jerrid Higgins – Produce Safety Program, Wenatchee
Jerrid recently moved into a leadership role as inspection supervisor in the Produce Safety Program. I appreciate how he has stepped up to the challenge as we’ve work to rebuild our inspection team these last few months, and how he’s based inspection team assignments, mentoring, and feedback on both requirements from our funder and our individual team members’ strengths and developmental needs. – Connie Fisk

Teresa Justice – Financial Services/Payroll, Olympia
Teresa is so friendly and helpful. She is always willing to go the extra mile to help me with all things payroll. No matter how much explanation I may require, she is so patient with me. - Kim Urquhart

Lara Massey

Lara Massey – Plant Protection, Plant Services, Olympia
In recognition of excellent contracts management and improving the A/R system. - Cindy Cooper

Scott Nielson - Pesticide Compliance Program, Spokane
Scott helped on-board a new employee in the Food Safety and Consumer Services Division. FS&CS needed this help because of a sudden illness on the team. Thank You Scott!! Excellent teamwork!! – Steve Fuller

Robert Sausedo – Pesticide Compliance Program, Yakima
Robert participate in an in-person open house for the Japanese Beetle eradication project held in Grandview. I received unsolicited compliments regarding Robert’s participation during
the meeting. They mentioned that Robert was very helpful and took a leading role in addressing several citizens’ concerns about the eradication product, which helped make the open house a success for the Pest Program. – R. Scott Nielson   

Scott Nielson

Congratulations to all WSDA employees, listed below, who were recognized with a QUICK Award from a colleague between March 31 and June 30, 2022. 

Eastern Washington 

Segun Akinbade, Abraham Armstrong, Julieta Barboza, Jeffrey Brummel, Brenda Buckmiller, Megan Bush, Yakziry Carbajal, Paul Cote, David Ehro, Julio Galvan, Azucena Guzman, Dane Henze, Jasmine Hernandez, Ryan Hevly, Taurine Hurtado, Mark Jolley, Sherry Lagerstam, Don Lemons, Manny Leon, Mark MacLean,Maria Marin, Benita Matheson, William McAllister, Paula Moore, Edgar Morgensen, Noel Munoz, Emily Oberhoffer, Joyce Orozco, Aaron Paul, Sean Porter, Enrique Rodriguez, Dave Rosamond, Andrea Rudolph, Miguel Sanchez, Kevin Sauve, Olivier Silva, Joshua Smith, Levi Strauss, Teri Tamboer, Kyle Thomas, Rebecca Weber 

Robert Sausedo

Western Washington

Susie Allen, Caroline Alper, Cyndi Baumgardner, Anna Berrey, Sidney Black, Ashley Blowers, Harold Boggs, Scott Brooks, Heather Burkett, Tristan Carrette-Meyers, Jenn Cheek, Cindy Cooper, Amanda Davis, Brenda Davis, Robert Flores, Tobin Gilbert, Nick Johnson, Jennifer Lacey, Keren LaCourse, Michelle Layton, Dana McKeon, Katie Noland, Kay Oakley, Haley Palec, Jacob Peterson, Vinaca Phipotts, John Price, Lisa Rouse, Will Satak, Robin Schaffer, Carol Schmidt, James Scovel, Rene Simon, Becca Sotelo, Cheryl Spink, Ed Thompson, Stormy Townsend, Beckie Weatherford, Sue Welch 

September 30 next drawing deadline

When you catch one of your coworkers doing something special for staff or customers, why not let them know with a QUICK Award? You can find the award form on the intranet. The QUICK awards intranet page has been updated to send a copy of the award to the recipient if their email address is provided.

Forms are also available from your division coordinator or agency receptionists.

In summary: Seven WSDA employees became eligible to select a prize because their names were randomly selected from the full list of those receiving a QUICK Award during the most recent quarterly drawing. See who they are and why they were recognized by their colleagues. Insider now also lists all employees who received QUICK Awards during the previous quarter. 

Feed Program intern values experience and keeps going

Anna Howard, Animal Feed Program

Anna in her home office.

Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to the Insider’s feature about Anna Howard when she joined WSDA as an intern this summer. Here she looks back and reflects on her experience. 

Over the past several months as an intern for the WSDA Animal Feed Program, I’ve had opportunities to grow academically and professionally. 

I recently graduated with an interest in public health work. So it’s been exciting for me to work in the animal feed regulation field, which incorporates public health and safety in a unique way. 

As a member of the animal feed team, I’ve taken part in online training and meetings with industry partners from all over the country. This has allowed me to learn about  feed industry topics like inspections and sampling procedures, manufacturing and processing standards, and recalls. 

In addition, this internship has helped me develop and practice new professional skills such as organization, project management, communications, auditing, and outreach. 

One of the major goals of my position was to help the program implement and maintain the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFPRS) by reviewing and updating existing program documentation and identifying areas of improvement. Reviewing procedures and forms gave me greater insight into the program’s purpose, responsibilities, and scope, and I was able to use critical thinking and analysis. 

Practicing creativity 

Throughout my internship, I performed desk audits of inspection and sampling reports and helped identify solutions for corrective actions and staff training. Producing trainings and quizzes based on various standards allowed me to present material in a creative way. 

I also refined my creativity and writing skills by working on the program’s monthly newsletters. 

My favorite task was beginning a new outreach project with my supervisor and the WSDA Communications Office, and brainstorming ways to creatively get information to industry partners. I learned about the importance of outreach and making information accessible and engaging for an audience. 

Thankfully, I will be able to continue this project and several others because my position has been converted to part time and extended until July 2021. 

I have learned a tremendous amount in my time with the Animal Feed Program. I can only imagine how much more I will be able to learn and do over the course of the next year. 

In summary: Over the past several months as an intern for the WSDA Animal Feed Program, Anna Howard has been learning and growing academically and professionally. Here she looks back and reflects on her experience. She’s been such an asset to the program that her position has been extended into next year.  

Hiring summer intern is win-win for WSDA program

Kathy Davis
Communications

Anna Howard

WSDA’s Animal Feed Program is in the home stretch of a five-year effort to meet federal regulatory standards. To help carry them over the finish line, program staff hired a college intern for the summer. The arrangement is a win-win, for the program and the intern.

After recruitment and a virtual interview process, the program hired Anna Howard. 

Anna is a recent graduate of the University of Washington-Tacoma, where she majored in healthcare leadership. As a student, she conducted research into healthcare delivery for minorities and was granted a research scholarship. 

She plans to pursue a master’s degree in public health, studying food security and safety. 

“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Anna said. “I’m hopeful this position will allow me to gain a better understanding of the role that state and federal government have in regulating animal feed and ensuring public health and safety.”

Anna is helping the Animal Feed Program prepare for an in-depth audit by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August. The audit caps off the last year of the five-year cooperative agreement to meet rigorous federal standards. 

The Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards establishes consistent quality among the nation’s feed regulators. The set of 11 standards covers activities such as inspections, sampling, recalls, emergency response, laboratory services, training and outreach. 

“We thought this would be a great opportunity for an up-and-coming professional,” said Ashlee-Rose Ferguson, program coordinator and Anna’s supervisor. “Anna is gaining valuable experience in project management, food safety, public administration, agriculture and communications.”

Working on the regulatory standards project is giving Anna an immersive education in the government’s role. 

“I appreciate being able to work closely with experienced program staff, learning about their roles and what it’s like to work for an agency like WSDA,” she noted. 

If other WSDA programs are interested in building an internship program, contact Ashlee-Rose Ferguson. 

In summary: WSDA’s Animal Feed Program hired a college intern this summer to help complete a five-year project of meeting rigorous federal standards, culminating in an in-depth audit in August. Meet Anna Howard and learn how she is gaining valuable experience, while helping the program.