Tina Zimmerman earns prestigious management leadership award

Kathy Davis
Communications

Christina (Tina) Zimmerman led her team to streamline processes that cut pesticide licensing renewal time from more than 60 days to an average of only two days. 

That’s just one of the accomplishments that earned Tina a 2020 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management. 

She is the manager of the Pesticide Licensing Program and was one of 21 state agency managers honored with the award last month for “hard work, dedication and measurable success on 2019 projects.” 

Since moving from her home state of Hawaii to join WSDA in April 2017, Tina has spearheaded a number of innovations. Her program licenses more than 30,000 pesticide applicators in Washington State, and provides testing and certification to support them. 

“Over the past three years, working for and alongside so many dedicated and knowledgeable WSDA employees, partners, and industry stakeholders has been a pleasure and sometimes a challenge,” Tina said. 

“This program would not have accomplished as much as it had in the last year without their guidance and input. I’m excited to see what the next few years will bring for this program.” 

Top achievements

She was instrumental in providing a credit card payment option for online license renewals. Licensees and their employers had been asking for this convenience for years. 

Tina and her team worked through the complexities and glitches to bring the 18-month project to fruition. (Read more about it in this Insider blog post.) Now, 75 percent of business licensees and 40 percent of all other licensees renew online with the credit card function. 

Tina also wrote WSDA’s new Pesticide Certification and Training Plan. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required this plan under rules adopted in 2017. States had not had to update these plans in more than 40 years. 

Tina facilitated planning calls and stakeholder workshops, worked with EPA and neighboring states, wrote the entire 250-page plan, and submitted it on time in March.

“This was a huge undertaking and Tina embraced the challenge, producing a document we believe exceeds EPA’s requirements,” said Robin Schoen-Nessa, assistant director of the Pesticide Management Division. 

Currently, Tina is leading the rebuild of her program’s 20-year-old licensing database. The goal of this multi-year project is to provide a more user-friendly portal for licensees and more efficient tool for agency staff. 

“This honor is so well-deserved,” noted Robin. “Tina’s competence and friendly demeanor make her a pleasure to work with. She is respected and well-liked.”

Tina cites a Henry David Thoreau quote to sum up her leadership approach - “The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer.”

Other WSDA nominees

Every year, the Governor’s Office solicits nominations for these prestigious leadership awards. Earlier this year, WSDA nominated four agency managers for the award. Besides Tina, the following managers were nominated by their assistant directors.

• Brenda Book, Organic Program Manager, Food Safety and Consumer Services Division
• Paula Moore, Seed Program Manager, Commodity Inspection Division
• Natasha Roberts, Budget Manager, Financial Services 

In summary: Christina (Tina) Zimmerman was one of 21 state agency managers to receive the Governor’s Leadership in Management Award this year. Read about the accomplishments that earned her this prestigious recognition. 

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. 

Organic inspector uses garden to support community need

Kathy Davis
Communications

Ali Dermond, right, conducts an organic inspection for Zillah tree-fruit
producer Paul Stonemetz. 

One activity that is thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic is home gardening. Warm weather, more time at home, and the desire for fresh food is inspiring both veteran and novice gardeners to dig in the dirt. 

Ali Dermond, a WSDA Organic Program inspector lead in Ellensburg, is an avid gardener who is devoting her skills to helping feed her community. 

Ali has been planting more this year to donate to the FISH Community Food Bank in Ellensburg. She also helped start a Facebook group called FISH Victory Gardens to encourage and support other area gardeners to grow and donate to feed people in need. 

“A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to plant peas. I usually don’t plant a lot of peas, but I was thinking about the space I have and wondering if I could make room to grow more for the food bank,” Ali explained.

After contacting the food bank to confirm they were still accepting homegrown produce, she proceeded to rearrange and plan to make the most of her garden space this year. 

Hunger relief need spiking

The global pandemic is straining the hunger relief system, as more people find themselves out of work and struggling to make ends meet. On April 30, WSDA Director Derek Sandison said in a news conference that food bank demand in Washington has doubled, with more than 2 million residents seeking help. 

While organizations are seeking financial assistance to support a food supply line, home gardeners across the state are also stepping up to help. 

“A number of people on the Facebook group are sharing plant starts and whatnot to fill up each other’s gardens,” Ali said. “It’s pretty neat to see gardeners finding more planting space and sharing extras to help each other out.”

Ali takes a selfie with her garden.

Personal and professional overlap

Ali has worked in the Organic Program for seven years. In 2013, she also moved to a larger property and transitioned from patio containers to a large garden space. 

She said her work and personal life often overlap because both are about growing food that’s good for the environment and for consumers. 

“Hearing from other programs at WSDA helps me see the need our communities will have to make sure everyone has food on the table,” she noted. 

For more information about how COVID-19 is affecting hunger relief organizations, visit WSDA’s Food Assistance or the state coronavirus response webpage. 

In summary: One activity that is thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic is home gardening. Ali Dermond, a WSDA Organic Program inspector lead in Ellensburg, is an avid gardener who is devoting her skills to helping feed her community during this time of great need.

Short budget session yields some impacts to WSDA

Kathy Davis
Communications

The Washington State Legislature finished their 60-day session on March 12 with less fanfare than usual. This year the Legislature’s work was overshadowed by the COVID-19 outbreak as it emerged during March.

During a short session year, lawmakers generally limit the number of policy bills they consider, and they approve a supplemental budget that adjusts the state’s two-year operating budget to address new developments and needs. 

WSDA received $3.2 million in additional funding for agency activities, bringing our total agency 2019-2021 biennial operating budget to $220.6 million. Here is a list of funds added by the supplemental budget bill, in descending order of dollar amounts.

Gypsy moth eradication - $518,000 federal and $176,000 state funds to treat areas of the state at where this destructive, invasive pest have been found. 

Burrowing shrimp grants - $650,000 for research to assist with the development of an integrated pest management plan to address burrowing shrimp in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, and facilitate continued shellfish cultivation. 

Food pantry storage - $500,000 to increase cold storage capacity for food pantries, food banks and regional emergency food system partners to manage increasing volumes of fresh and frozen foods, including from Washington producers.  

Wolf/livestock management grants - $320,000 for Northeast Washington Wolf Collaborative for increased range-riding activities in the Kettle Mountains in Ferry County north of U.S Highway 20. 

Soil health - $200,000 to continue the Washington Soil Health Initiative -- in partnership with Washington State University, and the State Conservation Commission, assess soil health baselines, and develop, evaluate and incentivize practices that improve soil health conditions across Washington’s diverse agricultural systems. 

Sustainable farms and fields - $126,000 to work with the State Conservation Commission in awarding grants that support carbon farming as a method to move excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and store them in soil and vegetation. 

Asian giant hornet eradication - $101,000 (state, plus federal funds that become available) to address the newly discovered insect pest that attacks and destroys honeybee hives. The world’s largest species of hornet were found near Blaine and Bellingham last year, the first-ever sightings in the United States. 

Farm to Food Pantry - $100,000 to expand this pilot assistance program that builds relationships between farmers and local hunger relief organizations to bring more locally grown food into food banks and food pantries for hungry people in need. 

Aerial herbicide - $87,000 to work with the departments of Health, Ecology, Labor & Industries, and Natural Resources, as well as other stakeholders, to evaluate pesticide investigation rules and processes. 

Ag negotiations - $81,000 (plus cost-recovery options) to facilitate negotiations between agricultural product handlers and accredited associations of pear producers regarding the sale, compensation, or production of pears, in addition to current work related to sweet corn and potatoes. 

Food forum - $58,000 to help WSDA continue participating fully in the food policy forum.

Because of the fiscal threat posed by the COVID-19 response, before signing the supplemental budget bill into law, Gov. Inslee vetoed sections that trimmed $235 million in state spending. 

Among the vetoes affecting WSDA were a review of alternatives for the pesticide chlorpyrifos, negotiating an agreement with USDA to conduct meat and poultry inspections, and a project related to compost use. 

In summary: The Washington State Legislature finished their 60-day session on March 12 with less fanfare than usual. During this short session, lawmakers approved a supplemental budget that provided WSDA with $3.2 million in additional funding for agency activities.

Providing access to those with limited English proficiency

Hector Castro and Hannah Flournoy
Communications and Administrative Regulations 

Government agencies, including WSDA, are obligated to ensure that people who have limited proficiency with the English language (Limited English Proficient or LEP) have meaningful access to information, programs, and services the agency provides. 

Providing LEP access is not only good customer service, it is also required by federal civil-rights laws. As a recipient of federal funds, WSDA must take reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to LEP people. 

What does LEP mean? It means a person has a limited ability to speak, read, write or understand English. They may be able to speak English and understand it in some informal settings, but are limited in areas such as reading and writing, or understanding legal or technical language. It can also mean that a person self-identifies as LEP and asks for interpretation or translation assistance. 

Plan and policy

An agency workgroup with representatives from the Communications Office, Human Resources and Administrative Regulations has been collaborating on efforts to improve WSDA’s communication with Limited English Proficient (LEP) people. The group is working to develop an LEP plan and policy. 

Some of the key elements of the LEP plan include:

• Agency goals for improved LEP communication, both written and verbal.
• Guidance for programs to identify vital documents.
• Expectations for programs to translate vital documents. 
• Commitment to providing interpretation service when needed.
• Use of bilingual staff.

The LEP policy has not yet been adopted. The current draft would direct staff to follow the LEP plan as generally described above. It would authorize program managers to set the amount of language services provided, and it commits that WSDA will not charge customers or the public for language services. The draft policy would also create an LEP committee to monitor, assess and adjust the agency’s language activities. 

Programs will have the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft policy and plan before adoption. The schedule to complete the plan and policy was originally set for this summer, but the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted some of this work.

Over-the-phone language service

WSDA took a big step in recent weeks by choosing a new vendor to provide over-the-phone language interpretation services. Driven by a law change, the state established master contracts with new vendors and WSDA has identified Lionbridge as our primary service provider for phone-based language interpretation. 

As we transition to working with Lionbridge, training materials on how to use these services will be made available, including online training and webinars. Also, for your convenience, the vendor will provide wallet cards with the call-in number for service, and a space to add your program’s fund code. 

Lionbridge offers 24/7 service by qualified, certified interpreters. No more hunting around for a bilingual colleague if you find yourself speaking with an LEP customer. 

While Spanish will likely be the primary language we need, they offer access to hundreds of languages that can be interpreted. Expect to see more detailed information regarding this service in the coming weeks. 

In summary: Providing access to agency information and services in languages other than English is good customer services. It is also required by federal law. WSDA is taking steps to improve our communications with all customers and the public.