Lesson learned from this winter’s weather

Patrick Capper
WSDA Deputy Director

February driving conditions on State Route 241. Photo courtesy of Washington
State Department of Transportation.

To say we had one of the snowiest and coldest of winters would not be news to most of you. Whether you are east or west of the Cascades, we’ve had more than our share this year. 

For example, in the Tri-Cities area, between 25-40 inches of snow fell in February, breaking a record dating back to 1916. Spokane’s 16 inches measured on March 6 was a record for the most snow still on the ground that late in the year. In just one day (February 8) Seattle got as much snowfall as is typical for an entire year. 

I am grateful to everyone at WSDA for your patience, caution and common sense during this year’s disruptive winter storms. Thankfully, we survived it without any major injuries or incidents. 

We all had personal challenges coping with the inclement weather. The experience also provided an opportunity to review our inclement weather processes and policies to assess how consistent and clear they are.

The Leadership Team identified several areas for improvement. As a result, the agency’s inclement weather policy is being updated to address the concerns we heard. After the policy is updated, we plan to provide more specifics and instructions for carrying out the policy. 

Recent welcome signs of spring will hopefully usher in safer, more predictable conditions. By acting on the lessons learned, we should be better prepared for the next time Mother Nature throws us a curveball. 

Thank you all for your work and commitment to WSDA’s mission. 

In summary: This was a rough winter, weather-wise. Extreme conditions caused dangerous travel and closed WSDA offices. Assessing the lessons learned will result in more clarity and improved procedures for next time. 

Meet Jessica Allenton, balancing leadership role with a growing family

Kathy Davis
Communications

In the second installment of our Meet the Leaders series, we get to know Jessica Allenton, appointed assistant director of the Commodity Inspection Division in September 2018. Jessica has been with WSDA since 2012 and has held a variety of positions. Before becoming assistant director, she was the division’s business administration and projects manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in politics, philosophy, and economics from the University of Washington.

What led you to take on your current leadership role?

I feel very dedicated to the people and the work of the Commodity Inspection Division. I’ve worked in the division in various roles, so I already had an understanding of challenges the division faces, as well as how much it’s grown over the last several years. By taking on this role, I’m able to continue finding ways to solve problems or help programs overcome challenges, establish relationships with team members, and hopefully to positively influence the culture of the division.

How did you hone in on your leadership capabilities?

I think leadership skills are something leaders should always be striving to improve. I found it extremely valuable to participate in the agency’s Leadership Development Program as a policy assistant. I also obtained a Leadership Development Certificate from South Puget Sound Community College. While those are formal things, I would say the most beneficial experiences have been the opportunities I’ve had with team members through leading division projects, or leading team meetings. Each program has different needs from me as assistant director. Right now, I’m focusing on what the programs need from me to be successful and making sure I have the capability and skills to fulfill those needs.

Jessica with her family.

What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?

I haven’t really had weird jobs. But my first professional work experience was as a page for the House of Representatives for a week when I was 16 years old. It was a great experience, and I don’t think it is advertised enough for high school age kids. That experience is the reason I pursued civic education and political science in college.

What is the greatest challenge you have had to overcome in your career?  

While I am still relatively early in my career, the greatest struggle I have is maintaining a balance between work and home. As a mom of young kids (and another on the way), the “mom guilt” is something I struggle with every day. Being a military spouse, sometimes I am the sole parent, and it is a balancing act between making sure each (work) program is supported, as well as my family.

What is your favorite thing to do?

I don’t get a ton of free time. Other than binge-watching Netflix after my kiddos go to bed, my favorite thing would have to be a tie between cooking and trying new recipes, and playing Super Smash Bros (video game) with my 6-year-old.

In summary: Meet the Leaders – Jessica Allenton, assistant director of the Commodity Inspection Division, is an agency-grown leader who strives to support her team while balancing her work and home roles.

WSDA participates in radiological release exercise

Randy Treadwell
Rapid Response and Emergency Management Program

The Columbia Generating Station on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Photo courtesy of Washington Military Department, Emergency
Management Division.

Agency staff from several areas – Animal Services, Produce Safety, Food Safety and Communications – took part in a multi-state emergency preparedness exercise on Feb. 19.

County, state, federal and private responders practiced how to protect state residents in the event of a radiological release from the Columbia Generating Station on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

In these exercises, WSDA handles response efforts related to agriculture. We are responsible for releasing public agricultural advisories that provide food safety and animal health guidance to residents who may be affected by a radiological emergency. These also aim to protect Washington’s food supply chain from radiological exposure.

Coordinating these tasks may require WSDA staff to be deployed to various locations including the state Emergency Operations Center, centers in Benton and Franklin counties, and the Joint Information Center in Richland.

To prepare for this latest exercise, WSDA’s Rapid Response and Emergency Management Program held pre-exercise briefings and worked closely with the state Emergency Management Division. A post-exercise review was also conducted to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Larger exercises that are graded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency occur every two years. Every eight years, WSDA is additionally responsible for setting up food safety control zones and issuing embargoes for food and feed products that may be contaminated by the radiological release. This work requires close coordination with the state departments of Health and Transportation, Washington State Patrol and other key partners.

In summary: WSDA is a key partner participating in emergency exercises that practice preparing for possible radiological releases from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Learn more about what that role entails. 

Credit card payment option working for pesticide licensing

Kathy Davis
Communications

If we can pay our bills and buy almost any product under the sun online with a credit card, why shouldn’t WSDA customers have the same convenience? That’s a service the agency has wanted to provide for some time. And now it’s actually happening. 

During the most recent pesticide license renewal period, the Pesticide Management Division Licensing Section reported collecting more than $275,000 in renewal fees through online credit card payments. 

The road was long, and not without some growing pains, noted Tina Zimmerman, Licensing Section supervisor. But Licensing’s partnership with WSDA’s Financial Services and Information Technology offices has now resulted in the agency’s first successful use of customer online credit card transactions. 

Those who are licensed through WSDA to use, sell or consult on pesticides must renew those licenses annually and pay a fee. In November, the Licensing Section sent out renewal packets to about 25,000 current license holders in Washington. 

Pay by check

In previous years, these licensees paid renewal fees by mailing paper checks to the department. They could also – and still can - choose the option of paying with an electronic check (or e-check) that drew from their bank checking account. 

According to Natasha Roberts, Financial Services budget manager, the paper checks are processed through a third-party vendor “lock box” system to ensure timely deposit, because the agency only has one cashier. 

While e-checks offered some digital convenience, more and more people are simply using credit cards now and many no longer have standard checkbooks. 

Licensing first offered the credit card option in the previous 2018 renewal season. 

“Working out the bugs was painful the first year,” said Tina. 
Put simply, payments received through the system were not reconciling properly with our Financial Services and the state Office of the Treasurer. It had to be shut down to work on a fix. 

Quicker and easier

This year has been a different story. The process has been smooth and efficient. The pesticide division has received fewer phone calls and essentially no complaints about using the payment system. In fact, customers have been happy.

“The ability to renew PCO licenses and pay with a credit card…was seamless and convenient,” said Tony Wurst with Dominion Pest Control Services. “We are very satisfied with the end product and so thankful to WSDA for doing such a great job.” 

Tina noted that credit card usage helped her staff stay on top of processing renewals and freed them up for other tasks such as inputting re-certification training credits. 

And other divisional programs have benefited as well.

“Licensing’s success has a huge impact on Compliance Program’s field staff,” said Tim Schultz, Compliance Program operations manager in Spokane. “A faster licensing process means we get fewer complaints which in turn means more time we can spend on other work.” 

Moving ahead

Already having the e-check platform made the Licensing Section a good place to start on the path toward moving toward credit card functionality. Having an agencywide system has been the goal since previous managers started working on this back in 2015.

“Programs are eager for e-commerce options,” Natasha said. 

However, she noted “It’s not as simple as plugging a device into our phones” to accept credit card payments as many merchants now do. “Government has strict rules to keep records and track money.” 

For example, the treasurer’s office must approve all contracts for accepting digital payments, and OFM requires agencies to document the economic feasibility of any system. 

Won’t come easy

While having an agencywide system is still the goal, it won’t be easy. WSDA collects several dozen fees for various services, licenses, and permits, across many different programs that rely on separate databases and account codes. 

“The IT Applications Development Section will meet with each division to identify which applications need to process payments,” acting IT chief Kevin Greene said. “We want to get a clear picture of the level of effort and costs needed to make this happen electronically.” 

Kevin added that IT’s findings will be presented to the agency Leadership Team to determine how to move projects forward. 

Other decisions remain to be sorted out, such as how to merge credit card and e-check systems and if the agency is charging enough for transaction fees to cover costs. 

WSDA is currently charging 3 percent for our online credit card transactions. For a standard pesticide license renewal, that amounts to about 99 cents, not much more than the cost of a postage stamp. 

This pesticide licensing renewal season represents an important step toward WSDA joining the digital business era. The coordinated effort continues to make progress toward offering more of our fee-paying customers more convenient payment methods. 

In summary: With a successful season of pesticide licensing renewals that offered customers online fee payment with a credit card, WSDA has taken a step forward into the digital business age.

Get involved in a Business Resource Group

Article courtesy of Department of Enterprise Services

Did you know that Washington State government has five Business Resource Groups (BRGs) that are open for employee participation?

The groups bring together employees with a common interest – and their allies – to tackle workplace diversity issues.

• Disability Inclusion Network works to promote universal access for all employees in the workplace.
• Latino Leadership Network aims to prepare Latino leaders and support a qualified workforce to serve the state.
• Rainbow Alliance & Inclusion Network helps create safe and inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ+ employees.
• Veterans Employee Resource Group supports veterans and service members in state employment, and helps recruit veterans to state service.
• Washington Immigrant Network’s mission is to expand opportunities for immigrants who are current or future state employees.

WSDA values diversity, equity and inclusion, and encourages employees to get involved in BRGs.

Here’s what you need to know.

Q: What kind of a time commitment is a BRG? 
A: You can expect to commit two to three hours a month on BRG monthly meetings and events.

Q: Are BRGs work-related, or something I have to do on my own time? 
A: Participation in BRGs is work-related. Employees should consider it part of their regular work. They shouldn’t expect to use vacation time, sick leave, personal holidays or other leave to attend BRG meetings or events.

Q: Do I have to identify as a member of a group, to join it? For example, are only veterans allowed in the Veterans Employee Resource Group? 
A: People are welcome to join groups that they identify with as members, or want to support as allies.

Q: Do I need to get my manager’s approval? 
A: Yes. You and your supervisor/manager will need to work together to ensure you have coverage if needed and that all work expectations are being met.

Q: How do I get more information? 
A: BRG programs are open to all state employees, and managed by the Office of Financial Management.

Contact Cassie Bordelon at cassie.bordelon@ofm.wa.gov for general questions. The specific contact for each group is listed below.

Disability Inclusion Network (DIN) – Tammy.Pitre@ofm.wa.gov
Latino Leadership Network (LLN) –  Altavia.Jones@ofm.wa.gov
Rainbow Alliance & Inclusion Network (RAIN) – Cassie.Bordelon@ofm.wa.gov
Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) – Altavia.Jones@ofm.wa.gov
Washington Immigrant Network (WIN) – Tammy.Pitre@ofm.wa.gov

In summary: State employees can develop their careers, network and contribute to best practices by involvement in state-sanctioned resource groups. Read about the specific communities served by these groups and how you could participate. 

Eight win prizes in fourth quarter QUICK Award drawing

Kathy Davis
Communications

Manuel Ornelas with his QUICK Award

Eight WSDA employees became eligible to select a prize because their name was randomly selected from the latest QUICK Awards drawing. Agencywide, employees handed out 107 awards to coworkers, with 71 in Western Washington and 36 in Eastern Washington.

QUICK Awards are presented by employees who see their peers demonstrating good work and service to others – either inside or outside the agency. Here are the prize recipients from the 2018 fourth quarter drawing.

Lindsey Erickson – Specialty Crop Block Grant, Olympia 
Lindsey was recognized for taking the initiative to create reports for the program’s review meetings and for everything she does. 

Samantha Gifford – Seed Program, Yakima
Samantha was awarded for her awesome multi-tasking on a day when the office was low-staffed; she stepped up despite the pressure, kept her cool and powered through. 

Samantha Gifford

John Leerhoff – Food Safety, Marysville
John did an awesome job catching all the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) contracts prior to the end of the 2017-2018 year. 

Manuel Ornelas – Pesticide Technical Services and Education, Yakima
Manuel earned kudos for constantly and consistently taking care of training equipment to ensure that equipment is in optimal condition and well maintained. 

John Leerhoff

Erika Montes-Rueda – Food Safety, Olympia
Erika was appreciated for taking full responsibility for sanitary certificates and faithfully getting them taken care of every single day. 

Sandy Schneider – Fruit and Vegetable Inspection, Yakima
Sandy was recognized for making a new pressure tester calibration binder with pre-printed names on the log sheets for each inspector. 

Sonia Soelter – Emergency Management, Olympia
Sonia provided valuable organizational support during the 2018 “Great ShakeOut,” and as a Safety Committee representative, for working tirelessly for worker safety. 

Angela Starr – Food Safety and Consumer Services, Olympia

Sandy Schneider

Angela was recognized for promptly responding to the temperature problem in the program. 

These winners may contact Robin Schaffer in Olympia or Brandy Thompson in Wenatchee to select a prize. 

Congratulations to all WSDA employees who were recognized by their coworkers with a QUICK Award during 2018!

March 31 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. Forms are also available from your division coordinator or agency receptionists.

In summary: WSDA staff presented 107 QUICK Awards during the fourth quarter of 2018. Eight of their names were randomly drawn to receive prizes. See who they are and why they were recognized by their colleagues.

Agency leaders process feedback from staff listening sessions

Patrick Capper
WSDA Deputy Director

Patrick Capper

Last year, WSDA leaders committed to listening to staff to get a better sense of how the agency was performing and where improvements could be made. 

It was overwhelmingly evident that employees had grown tired of repeated surveys with little time in between for meaningful improvements to occur. Director Sandison and I wanted to change that dynamic by initiating face-to-face staff listening sessions. These sessions provided critical insight. Now we begin the important work of identifying solutions.  

The January Leadership Team (LT) meeting was dedicated to reviewing feedback from the listening sessions and beginning to identify themes and priorities. Each LT member was given the opportunity to share the comments they heard from a program level and from an agencywide perspective. The lively discussion offered new perspectives into how we are performing as an agency. 

I’ve highlighted below some of the agencywide suggestions for areas of improvement that LT members shared, based on your feedback.

• Information technology resources and development – Additional funding and support for IT
• Customer service and relationship building with agency operations (Fiscal, Human Resources, Administrative Services)
• Relationship building with other programs – Education about other divisions and programs 
• Communication and clarity around agency priorities, new initiatives, successes, etc.  
• Employee recognition – Explore options and opportunities
• Better connection with Olympia, Yakima and satellite offices 
• Additional opportunities for training 
• Additional opportunities to provide feedback  

Working on these issues will be a priority for our leaders in 2019. In the coming weeks, I will meet individually with LT members for a deeper dive into the specific program issues that were brought forward. From there, we will begin to identify solutions and improvement measures that will be communicated back to the agency through employee communications channels such as this blog and Connect, as well as email updates. 

This discussion was another major step in learning how we can perform better as an agency, and it was critical for leaders to hear directly from you. Without your feedback, we’d be unable to move forward with implementing the improvement measures needed to make WSDA a better place to work. 

We understand that this effort will require hard work from leadership and staff. We thank you for your effort and commitment and for your time and honesty in these listening sessions. We look forward to this important work.

In summary: WSDA staff across the agency have provided input through listening sessions, and the Leadership Team recently shared and discussed the results. Deputy Director Patrick Capper shares themes for improvement that emerged and the next steps in the process.