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Dear Stakeholder,
  
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At 10:00 am on Jan. 21, 2016, USDA will present Drum Major for Service Awards in the Jefferson Auditorium in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.
The Drum Major for Service Awards acknowledge USDA employees, employee groups and employee organizations that serve, frequently without recognition, as helping hands, performing extraordinary acts of volunteerism with reliability and commitment.
If you would like to observe the National Day of Service on the afternoon of Jan. 21, there is space for 32 more volunteers to pack and sort donated food at the Capital Area Food Ban warehouse from 1 - 4 pm.
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AMS’ African American
Special Emphasis Program Manager and the Civil Rights Program are looking for
a total of 65 employees to volunteer.
The food bank's warehouse is
located at 4900 Puerto Rico Avenue Northeast, near the Brookland metro
station. Parking is available at the warehouse for those who use a
vanpool or carpool.
You can
register for this opportunity on AGLearn. If you would like more details,
please contact Yvette Percell, AMS’ African American Special Emphasis Program
Manager at AMSBlackProgram@ams.usda.gov.
USDA
supports the National Day of Service and the call for volunteers. AMS
employees who volunteer their time at the Capital Area Food Bank’s DC Warehouse
or at a non-profit organization of their choice during the "National Day
of Service" will receive 4 hours of administrative leave.
You can find leave forms on
the Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division, Office of Human Resources
Management website: www.dm.usda.gov/employ/diversity/index.htm.
Field employees can find volunteer opportunities outside the DC area at http://mlkday.gov.
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No FEAR Training - Must be Completed by Jan. 15, 2016
The new Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and
Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) Refresher Training is loaded in all USDA
employees’ to do list in AgLearn. This is a mandatory training for
everyone, and the completion date is January 15, 2016. It is a
short training and takes only 10 minutes to complete. If you do not
have access to the internet you may be provided a hard copy. If you
have questions, please contact Teri Cor, (202)720-0583 or TeriM.Cor@ams.usda.gov.
USDA Security Awareness Training - Must be Completed by Jan. 31, 2016
The USDA Security Awareness Training, which has been added to the AgLearn training plan of
each AMS employee, must be completed by Jan. 31, 2016. Contractors and
seasonal employees also should take the training.
Employees
have the option of taking a multiple-choice pre-test, which if passed
on the first attempt, counts as course completion. The link to the
"pre-test" option is offered when you launch the first course module.
To complete
this course online, you must have access to an Internet-connected workstation
and have a LincPass card or a USDA e-Authentication account. Anyone who has
previously used AgLearn already has this card or account. If you have an
e-Authentication account, but cannot remember your password, the AgLearn log-in
screen provides an option for resetting it.
Annual Diversity Training - Must be Completed by Feb. 29, 2016
All
AMS employees are required to complete “Diversity on the Job: Diversity and
You,” by Feb. 29, 2016. This year’s annual mandatory diversity training now
appears on all AMS employees’ To-Do lists in AgLearn. The estimated
completion time is 1 hour. Employees without access to a computer
should contact Charmin Rickards or their Resource Manager to obtain a hard copy
of the training. For questions and assistance please contact Charmin
Rickards at Charmin.Rickards@ams.usda.gov
or (202) 350-5743.
The National Finance Center (NFC) is in the process of
printing and mailing 2015 W-2s. The mailing process will continue through
Friday, January 29, 2016 and may be available on the
Employee Personal Page (EPP) as early as Friday, January 15, 2016, but no later
than Monday, January 18, 2016. For additional information go to: http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNFC/bulletins/12f83a3.
Here are upcoming training opportunities available to you! The Training Calendar of available opportunities is posted on the Center for Training and Organization Development SharePoint site. Unless otherwise noted, all classes are listed in Eastern Time.
Classes fill quickly so register early!
Jan 14 Requests, Offers and Promises: Using Language to Get
Better Results 2:00 – 3:30pm
Jan
26 Inspiring Trust 2:00 – 4:00pm
Feb
3 Situational Self Leadership (webinar series)
2:00 – 4:00pm
Feb
4 Kinds of Conversations: The Right Conversations for the
Right Results 2:00 – 3:30pm
Feb
9 Clarify Your Team’s Purpose and Strategy 2:00
– 4:00pm
Feb
9 Staffing Essentials for Supervisors 2:00 –
3:30pm
Feb
11 InsideOut GROW Coaching 12:00 – 4:00pm
Feb
23 Writing With Your Reader in Mind 11:00am – 1:00pm
Feb
23 Building Process Excellence 2:00 – 4:00pm
Feb
23 Writing With Your Reader in Mind 2:00 – 4:00pm
Mar
2 Effective Meetings Using Live Meeting 2:00 –
3:30pm
Mar
8 Unleashing Talent 2:00 – 4:00pm
Mar
10 Making Powerful Declarations 2:00 – 3:30pm
Mar
15 Emotional Intelligence: The Road to Self-Discovery
1:00 – 3:00pm
Mar
16 The 360° Leader 9:00 – 10:00am (series –
multiple meeting dates)
Mar
16 Project Management Essentials 2:00 – 4:00pm
(series – multiple meeting dates)
Mar
16 Creating Meaningful Individual Development Plans
2:00 – 3:30pm
Mar
22 Leading Across Generations 2:00 – 4:00pm
Classroom
Jan
25 InsideOut GROW Coaching 12:30 – 4:30pm ET,
Raleigh, NC
Feb
23 Performance Management 8:30am – 5:00pm ET,
Raleigh, NC
Mar
8-10 Leading Creatively 8:30am – 5:00pm ET,
Riverdale, MD***
Mar
8-9 Leading at the Speed of Trust 8:30am – 4:30pm
ET, Riverdale, MD
Mar
14 Principles and Qualities of Genuine Leadership
8:30am – 12:30pm ET, Riverdale, MD
Mar
21 InsideOut GROW Coaching 12:30 – 4:30pm ET,
Washington, DC
Mar
29-31 Strategic Leadership 8:30am – 5:00pm ET,
Riverdale, MD***
Jan.
25 InsideOut GROW Coaching 12:30 – 4:30pm ET,
Raleigh, NC
Feb.
23 Performance Management 8:30am – 5:00pm ET,
Raleigh, NC
***For
GS-14s OR above, exact grade requirement pending, a waitlist will be
created
Please view link at: http://agnis/sites/worklife/Lists/Announcements/AllItems.aspx
There are several AMS employees who have been out of the office
for an extended period of time due to a serious medical condition who have
exhausted all their available leave. If you would like to donate annual
leave, or restored annual leave, to employees approved to receive leave
donations, go to our Leave Donor Program webpage. There you
will find links to the current leave recipient list, and the Leave Transfer
Program Donor Application (AD-1043).
Please
complete the application and submit it (via fax or mail) to:
Fax:
(612) 336-3544
Mail
USDA APHIS MRPBS HRD
Attn: LCT
Butler Square 5th Floor
100 North 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Reminders:
Only whole hours can be donated. Donations with fractional
hours cannot be accepted. Donors must include the name of the recipient
in block 12 on the Donor Application (AD-1043). Donations without a
name can't be accepted.
Below is the link to the USAJOBS webpage that lists the current AMS job openings. Each week with a simple click you can see what opportunities are open to you.
Explore the possibilities: All AMS Jobs!
 Photo left to right: Rob Byrne of Schreiber Foods, Inc.; John Allan of IDFA; Chris Thompson of AMS Dairy; Raj Rajasekar of Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand; and Steve Hathaway of Ministry of Primary Industries of New Zealand, Chair of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products.
On Dec. 8-10, 2015, Chris Thompson, an AMS Dairy Program staff member, headed the U.S. delegation of a subgroup of the Codex Committee on Milk and Milk Products. The Physical Working Group (PWG) on Processed Cheese met in Montevideo, Uruguay, to discuss a proposed standard on processed cheese. Seventeen member countries attended the meeting. The U.S. delegation also included a representative from the U.S. Codex Office as well as two technical advisors from the U.S. dairy industry. Three priorities for the U.S. delegation were: 1.) Identification of a premium quality processed cheese category, similar to what is marketed in the U.S.; 2.) Not allowing “cheese like” products (that contain very little cheese) to be included in the standard; and 3.) Minimizing the use of additives and stabilizers in processed cheese when they are not functionally justified. The PWG has electronically submitted the proposed standard for comments by Codex member countries and it's likely that deliberations will continue during 2016.
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Annette White retired as of Jan. 2 after 39 years of federal service.
During her tenure with AMS, Annette worked in Personnel, Science & Technology, and Compliance & Analysis, Budget Division.
A retirement party will be held for Annette on Jan. 14 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm in TM Conference Room 4530 South.
Stop by to wish Annette well and enjoy some cake.
For more information, email NakishaL.Harris@ams.usda.gov
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Each week we will highlight how we have been working to "Tell the AMS Story." Here are the recent blogs and press releases. Check them out so you can help tell our story!
Blogs:
01/07 Lessons from USDA’s Farmers Market Help Local Food Businesses
Press Releases:
01/12 USDA Seeks Comments on Proposed Pecan Grade Standards
01/11 USDA Releases 2014 Annual Summary for Pesticide Data Program: Report confirms that pesticide residues do not pose a safety concern for U.S. food
Find all the press releases this week in the AMS Newsroom. Find out more about what the agency is doing through the AGNIS Weekly Activity Report site (VPN required).
 Photo: Staff from Livestock, Poultry and Seed and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service take a quick picture while visiting with Market News reporters.
On Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, staff from AMS and the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) visited the AMS Market News office in Little
Rock, Arkansas. AMS staff from the
following Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program divisions were present: Quality Assessment Division; Seed Regulatory
and Testing Division; and Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market
News (LPGMN). Visitors received an
overview and introduction to the mission and daily functions of the Little Rock
LPGMN office and gained a more defined appreciation for market news’ role in
facilitating the marketing of U.S. agricultural commodities.
A brown bag luncheon series hosted by the New and Emerging Professionals group will feature AMS Deputy Administrators. Among
the topics to be discussed are the ways the programs functions fit into the
over-arching AMS mission, 2015 accomplishments and employee engagement.
The first Brown Bag Luncheon will be Wednesday, Jan. 27, 11:00
am – 12:00 noon, in the USDA
South Building, AMS Conference Room 3074.
Field and teleworking employees are welcome to join via teleconference
at:
Teleconference #: 1-888-844-9904
Access code: 5206242
The New and Emerging Professionals goal is to help develop methods
and processes to better incorporate newer employees from both headquarters and
field offices into the AMS community. Please contact Katy Looft (Katherine.Looft@ams.usda.gov)
for more details on the group’s upcoming activities.
This January through March, the Early
Resolution and Conciliation Division (ERCD) will be offering one hour, small
group training sessions to USDA
employees in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area . The class provides a brief overview of Alternative
Dispute Resolution (ADR) and will touch on the key aspects of ADR dynamics,
commonly used ADR techniques, and participants’ roles. It will also explain how ADR may assist you
in the workplace. Attendees will have
the opportunity to ask questions about ADR and how it relates to their
individual workplaces.
Employees can
register to attend the training on any of the following dates and times:
Jan. 12, 10
am Jan. 28, 10 am
Feb. 11, 10
am Feb. 23, 10 am
Mar. 10, 10
am Mar. 22, 10 am
Each session will be held in the
ERCD’s conference room, 4029-South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC. The room can accommodate
up to 15 attendees.
Please click on
the link below to register for the training:
https://aglearn.usda.gov/learning/user/deeplink.do?linkId=ITEM_DETAILS&componentTypeID=Classroom&revisionDate=1368208680000&componentID=CR-ERCD-ADRINTRODUCTION#itemDetailsHeader
Upon clicking the link, you
will be prompted to log in to AgLearn. After
logging in, you will then be taken directly to the registration page so that
you can pick the date you want to attend.
Be sure to select Confirm to save your registration. You can then log out of AgLearn. Within a half hour, you will receive an email
from the AgLearn System confirming your registration in the training.
Questions or technical
difficulty with the registration process should be forwarded to your agency’s AgLearn point of
contact. For additional
information or to request assistance for special needs, please contact ERCD at
(202) 720-7664 or email: ercd@ascr.usda.gov.
Federal Occupational Health information resources are
featured on the Work Life Program site under “Employee Assistance
Program.” The resources include special EAP materials released
each month, including the Consortium Newsletter, Flyer
and Campaign Newsletter. All of these materials can be
viewed at: http://agnis/sites/worklife/default.aspx
The January 2016 Campaign theme is
Time to Reset: Thriving with Healthier Choices
“Be Well”
Kits, offered at no cost to you through the WorkLife4You Program, are
now available. The kits contain free educational materials and products
designed to help you proactively manage your health. Among the items in
the kit are: Mayo Clinic’s Embody Health: Guide to Self-Care;
LifeCare Guides on topics such as healthy eating, fitness fundamentals
and more; Healthy Eating Reference Tool; a pedometer and more. For more
information, visit http://agnis/sites/worklife/default.aspx
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers
free financial and legal services, including consultation with financial
experts and licensed attorneys, to provide assistance with your legal and
financial questions.
The EAP Financial Services consultants will
provide free help to you, your household members and dependents. They will also
identify your needs for free financial counseling, family budgeting, debt
consolidation, buying a home, college budgeting, saving and investment
strategies, saving for retirement and much more.
The EAP Legal Service includes help with: living
wills, healthcare power of attorney, financial planning, estate planning,
housing and real estate, car accidents, criminal matters, small claims court
cases, traffic violations, identify theft and much more.
For more
information, call 1-800-222-0364 or (1-888-262-7848 TTY).
The AMS Voice comes out once a week, typically on
Wednesdays. If you have news or an announcement you would like included in
The Voice, please submit an entry. Field staff are particularly
encouraged to submit entries. All entries must be submitted through a
designated program representative for review and clearance. Below is
the list of program representatives:
Livestock, Poultry and Seed - Alexandria Smith
Specialty Crops - Pamela Stanziani
Dairy - Becky Unkenholz
Cotton and Tobacco - Monica Alexander
Transportation and Marketing - Becky Unkenholz
National Organic Program - Jennifer Tucker
Science and Technology - Dawn Fay
Information Technology - Summer Butler
Legislative and Regulatory Review - Bill Allen
Compliance and Analysis - Natasha Stewart
Administrator's Office (Civil Rights, APHIS/HR, etc) - Dana Stewart
Hints and requirements for submitting your story are provided in
the Voice Guidelines.
The
deadline for program representatives to submit stories is typically MONDAY
AT NOON! If Monday or Tuesday is a holiday, then submissions are due on the
previous Friday at noon. So be sure to submit your entries early.
If you
have any questions, comments or suggestions, please email AMSVoice@ams.usda.gov
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