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Good Day Stakeholder,
 Caption: AMS Administrator Elanor Starmer says goodbye to Team AMS after accepting a gift at her farewell on Jan. 17, 2017, at the AMS Headquarters. Elanor assumed the role just over a year ago.
At
noon on Friday, I will officially leave my position as AMS Administrator.
Though it has only been a year since I joined you, it feels like a lifetime’s
worth of accomplishments – and none of them would have been possible without
the hard work of each AMS employee. It has been the greatest honor of my life
to serve in this role and to work alongside you to serve the American people,
rural communities, and our agricultural industries.
I’ve
often said that one of the qualities I most admire about this agency is its
innovative spirit. This year was definitely one for innovation! We used the
USDA Farmer’s Market as a living laboratory for ideas to share with market
managers and others looking for ideas, grants, and opportunities in local and
regional foods. We developed partnerships with our stakeholders that enable us
to give consumers more information through our Process Verified Program and the
USDA Organic seal. We forged new relationships through MOUs with schools such
as Gallaudet University and Southern University to ensure a pipeline of
qualified employees to meet our future needs. We rolled out a Group GAP program
for produce growers and developed – through months of work – a proposal for a
Federal Milk Marketing Order for California. You have shown your commitment
through your creativity, dedication, and energy - and that makes AMS a
wonderful place to work.
We
set our sights high and hit the mark. From our grading, auditing and certification
programs, which handle more than $150 billion worth of agricultural products
each year, to the financial and technical resources we put to work to help
farmers and ranchers access new markets, we continue to be a vital partner for
the businesses and communities we serve.
As we transition to a
new administration, you should rest assured that the agency is in good hands.
In accordance with a directive signed by the Secretary last week, Associate
Administrator Bruce Summers will act as the Administrator until another is
named in my place. Bruce’s experience at USDA and AMS is vital to our continued
success. Bruce plans to visit some of the field sites in Texas in February and
meet with employees there. He also plans to continue this biweekly column to
keep you updated on agency happenings.
I am honored and
humbled to have played a role in the great work of this agency over the course
of the last year. I leave behind some of the smartest, most hard working and
dedicated people I have ever met.
The best is yet to
come! I’ll be cheering you on from the outside.
With deep gratitude,
Elanor Starmer
AMS Administrator
AMS workforce profiles show that not everyone’s race,
gender, veterans, and/or disability status are recorded correctly in
the National Finance Center (NFC). This is mostly the result of employees choosing not to identify their status. However, sometimes incorrect information
is entered into the system accidentally when an employee first comes on-board. We
are asking that all employees check their information in the NFC to make
sure that your data is recorded accurately. This will also help
ensure that AMS’ diversity is reflected as thorough and
precise as possible.
To check and/or change your Ethnicity or Race Information (ERI), Veterans,
and/or Disability status, access the NFC using the following
link:
https://www.nfc.usda.gov/ClientServices/HR_Payroll/index.php
and then follow these steps:
1) Click on the “My EPP” (Employee Personal
Page) icon, located under “Launch an HR/Payroll Application; click on “I agree;” click on “eAuth Login;” and then log in using your user ID and password;
2) Select the “ERI, Gender, and Disability”
tab from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen to review your current
information;
3) To make any changes, click the
“Self-Service” button on the top right-hand side of the screen;
4) Select the “Change” button under “ERI,”
“Gender,” or “Disability” buttons to make your changes and then click “Submit.”
5) To verify your veterans status, click on
the “Vet Status & Preference” tab on the left-hand side of the
screen. If your status is not correct, click on the link to your
servicing Personnel/Human Resources organization to update this information.
Any changes you make after you log out of “My EPP” will be
reflected in the next pay period’s processing cycle.
 Now through Feb. 6, the What A
Great Idea (WAGI) website is open for new suggestions for the 2nd Quarter solicitation
period.
The WAGI
Employee Suggestion Program encourages all AMS employees, individually or as
teams, to submit suggestions on how to improve business processes, save money or
avoid costs, and foster employee engagement.
Step-by-Step Instructions
for submitting your idea:
1. Visit
the What a Great Idea website at https://www.eservices.usda.gov/apps/ams-wagi
2. Click on the Share
tab at the top of or bottom of the home page.
3.
Complete the fields on the Share Your Ideas page, and provide an overview of
your idea, which should include the current challenge; proposed solution;
anticipated business process improvement; cost savings/avoidance; or employee
engagement enhancement. Follow the prompts and submit your idea.
Thank you
for your participation!
To learn
more about WAGI, who can participate, how to participate, how ideas are
selected and much more, please click on the "About WAGI" tab at the top of
the WAGI Home Page.
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As
many of you know, Inauguration Day is Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. While the
20th is a legal public holiday for pay and leave purposes, this only applies to Federal employees with duty stations in the Washington, DC, area. The Inauguration Day Area is defined as: the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia. The City of Fairfax is considered to be part of Fairfax County for this purpose. Holiday pay and leave procedures do not apply to an
employee who is on official duty or travel status away from the DC area, even
if his or her permanent duty station is in the DC area.
There are several other stipulations regarding telework, TDY and work schedules that could affect your holiday leave status.
In preparation for that event, the following guidance is being shared with you here:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/2017%20Inauguration%20Day%20Guidance.pdf
https://www.chcoc.gov/content/federal-holidays-and-human-resources-flexibilities-employees-located-washington-dc-area.
Keep in mind that --
The holiday does not apply
to a HQ employee who is on official duty or travel status away from the Inauguration
Area, even if his/her permanent duty station is in the DC area. In terms of Telework, the following
applies:
- If you are scheduled to telework on Friday
Jan. 20, 2017 within the Inauguration Day area identified above then the Inauguration Holiday applies
to you.
- If you are scheduled to telework on Friday Jan. 20, 2017 outside of the Inauguration Area, then the Inauguration Holiday does
not apply to you.
- Employees may not change their regularly scheduled telework day
solely to benefit from the holiday on the 20th.
- Unlike other Federal holidays, employees who are not regularly
scheduled to work on Jan. 20, (due to AWS day, etc.) are not entitled to a
day off in lieu of the holiday.
- Full-time and part-time employees eligible for the holiday are
entitled to the same pay they otherwise would receive on a holiday. Full-time employees on maxiflex are entitled
to 8 hours (TC 66) of pay for the holiday.
- Employees emulating a 5-4/9 or 4-10 work schedule under maxiflex
must either make-up the extra hours during the pay period and/or use leave in
order to account for 80-hours of work during the pay period.
- Those who are regularly scheduled to work in the Inauguration Day
Area on Jan. 20, 2017, are entitled to time off with pay, and only those who
must report to work that day in the Inauguration Day Area are entitled to
holiday premium pay.
- Employees must be working or in a paid time off status (i.e.,
leave, compensatory time off, or credit hours) on their scheduled workdays
either before or after Inauguration Day in order to be entitled to holiday pay.
- Traffic
and road closures are expected on Jan. 18th and 19th
in preparation for Inauguration Day. OPM
is encouraging the use of workplace flexibilities in order to keep the
government operating. This includes
permitting telework, the granting of annual leave, LWOP, earned credit hours
and earned compensatory time off.
- Employees
who commute into the office either by private vehicle or public transportation
on these days are encouraged to allow for extra time going to and from work and
closely monitor local news media for announcements on street closures,
disruptions to public transportation, building closures, or any possible
changes to the Washington, DC area Federal Government operating status.
As with all work schedules, please be sure to work with your
supervisor to ensure that they are aware of your status.
Inauguration
Day Questions and Answers
Q. Jan. 20 is my normal telework
day and I live in Loudon County, Virginia.
Do I get the holiday?
A. No.
Only those employees that telework in the Inauguration Day Area are
subject to holiday time off. All other
employees should work as normal under the terms of their telework agreement.
For
telework purposes, the Inauguration Day
Area applies only to those that telework in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and
Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in
Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia. The City of Fairfax is considered to be part
of Fairfax County for this purpose.
Q. Jan. 20 is the second Friday of a pay
period which is the day that my regularly scheduled AWS day. Can I move my off day to another day within
the pay period so that I can have both my AWS day and the Inauguration Day
Holiday?
A. No. Employees
may not change their AWS day solely to benefit from
the holiday on Jan. 20.
Q. If I am on LWOP for both Jan. 19 and
Jan. 23, do I get holiday pay for Jan. 20?
A. No.
Employees must be in a paid status either the day before or after Jan. 20 to receive holiday pay.
Q. My normal duty station is Washington, DC,
however, I am on TDY to our field office in Lisle, IL. Do I get the paid holiday?
A. No.
The holiday is only for those employees working in the Inauguration Day
Area.
Q. I either work or telework from AMS’
Fredericksburg, Virginia Office on Jan. 20.
Am I eligible for the holiday?
A. No.
The Fredericksburg Office is not within the Inauguration Day Area, so
all employees that either work or telework at that location on Jan. 20 must
report to work as scheduled.
If
you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact your servicing
Leave and Compensation Team Specialist, Human Resource Office.
 An IDP Enables You To Take Action And Develop
Your Career!
Come join us for an Individual Development Plan
and Career Development Brown Bag training event. This presentation will provide you with
valuable information to construct your
IDP. The session will explain the requirements of an IDP, and resources
available to assist you in this process. Some of the resources that we will
cover are the Center for Training and
Organizational Development Career and the SharePoint site, designed as a career
and IDP planning tools. Join us for the in-person session at HQ or remotely by live webinar for those who cannot attend in person.
AgLearn
registration is required. By registering, you will reserve your seat,
access more information about the session and receive training credit for your
personal or online participation.
An IDP
Enables You To Take Action And Develop Your Career! (Classroom) - 49792
An
IDP enables you to take action and develop your career (Webinar) - 49793
Day: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017
Time: 11 am - 12:30 pm.
EST
Location: South Cafe Conf. (Room 3)
Call-in: 888-844-9904
Access
Code:
7051939
In
an effort to strengthen the digital security and privacy of USDA employees, the
Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is making an improvement to the
password reset process for Active Directory and eAuthentication.
To
simplify recovery of a password, all employees currently have the ability to
reset their passwords via self-service using pre-defined security
questions. However, the existing questions include Personally
Identifiable Information (PII). OCIO has developed new security questions
that no longer use PII, but will still be unique to individual employees.
These new user populated questions eliminate reliance on PII to recover a
password while also making the recovery information more difficult to guess or
research by unauthorized users. For eAuthentication, a forgotten password
can also be recovered in a matter of minutes by using your LincPass, or the
online self-service option.
Beginning Monday, Jan. 23,
2017, USDA employees will be asked to review and update the
new security questions and answers, after a successful eAuthentication logon.
On Feb. 1, 2017, USDA external customers will be required to update
theirs as well.
Taking
these important steps will continue to improve the security of our USDA systems
while enhancing the password reset process. If you have questions about
these changes, please contact your local IT support personnel. Thank you for
your assistance.
This Directive establishes the AMS training and development policy for supervisors,
managers, and executives and replaces the AMS Directive 4120.2, dated 06/19/09. To view this policy please click on this link:
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Training%20and%20Development%20Policy.pdf
Find training offerings on the CTOD SharePoint
site by using the drop-down menu on Competencies
Addressed to sort for specific training. Link Included: Trainings with Competencies
Webinar
Feb 7 & 21, Mar 7 &
21 Situational
Self Leadership Webinar Series Webinar Series 2 – 4 pm Registration closes 1-30-2017
Mar 1, 8 & 15 Project
Management Essentials Webinar Series Webinar Series 2 – 4 pm Registration closes 2-22-2017
Mar 14 A
Primer in Change: Kotter’s Model 2 – 4 pm Registration
closes 2-21-2017
Mar 14 Fact
vs Fiction 2 – 3:30 pm Registration closes 3-7-2017
Mar 16 Rethinking
Stress 10:30 am – 12 pm Registration closes 3-7-2017
Mar 21 InsideOut
GROW Coaching 12:30 – 4:30 pm Registration closes 3-7-2017
Mar 21 Staffing
Essentials for Supervisors 2 – 3:30 pm Registration
closes 3-14-2017
Mar 23 An
Introductory Webinar on Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace 2 –
4 pm Registration closes 3-2-2017
Classroom
Mar
21-23 Strategic
Leadership 8:30 am – 5 pm ET,
Riverdale, MD Registration closes 3-10-2017
Mar
28-29 Crucial
Conversations – Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High 8 am – 5 pm
ET, Minneapolis, MN Registration closes
3-10-2017
Mandatory Veterans Employment Training for
Supervisors and HR Specialists Due By Jan. 30
The Department recently issued a notification for mandatory veterans
employment training for all hiring
managers and Human Resources Specialists. Executive
Order 13518, Veterans Employment
Initiative mandates that appropriate and
adequate training and
retraining in the implementation
and operation of veterans'
employment occur every year.
To meet
this requirement, hiring managers and HR specialists will be assigned the
course "Veterans Employment Training for Supervisors and Human Resources
Specialists" respectively in their AgLearn training plan. AMS was able to obtain an extension from the Department, and those
required to complete the training will have until Jan. 30, 2017, to complete
the training in AgLearn.
How do
I access and complete the required training?
1. Go
to your To-Do List in Aglearn (www.aglearn.usda.gov) and launch the Veterans
Employment Training course that is applicable to you (Supervisors/HR
Specialists). You are not required to take both courses. This training should
be completed as soon as possible, but no later than Monday, Jan. 30,
2017.
2. After completing the course,
return to your To-Do List and complete the AgLearn Level One
Evaluation online survey for the Veterans Employment Training course.
3. After completing the AgLearn Level
One Evaluation online survey go to your
Completed Work in AgLearn to verify that the learning item now appears as
Web Based Completed.
If you
have any questions or need assistance in enrolling, please contact Ms. Dawn
Scaff (Dawn.Scaff@dm.usda. gov) at
(202) 260-8780 or Ms. Rachelle Jones (Rachelle.Jones@wdc.usda.gov) at
(202) 720-1700.
For more
information please contact, Yowei Peralta, Veterans Special Emphasis
Manager,(540) 376-6058 or email Yowei.Peralta@ams.usda.gov.
ASOC ALERT: Locked PDF Phishing Attack
On Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, AMS received an alert of an active
phishing campaign with a malicious PDF attachment scam used to steal email
credentials. The email received has
the subject line “Assessment document” and the body contains a single PDF
attachment that claims to be locked with a message: “PDF Secure File UNLOCK to
Access File Content.” Users that attempt to unlock the document will receive a
dialog box asking for an email and password. All email
and password combinations that are input into the fake unlocking mechanism will
open the document and the information is transmitted to the spammer. Workstations with Adobe PDF reader receive a security warning dialogue
box before opening the document that reads: “The document is trying to connect
to… If you trust the site, choose Allow. If you do not trust the site, choose
Block.”
Users
are reminded to remain vigilant and to be cautious of emails with
inconsistencies, such as domains that do not match the contents, as identifiers
of a possible of phishing attack. Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal
information by posing as a trustworthy organization. If you receive an email
that appears suspicious, please DO NOT click the links or attachment.
Immediately forward the suspicious email as an attachment to spam.abuse@usda.gov, copy ams.cybersecurity@ams.usda.gov and note that you are
sending a suspicious email in the Subject.
If
you have any questions or need assistance, please call the AMS Service Desk at
(202) 720-1111 Option 1.
Leave Donor Program
There are
several AMS employees who have been out of the office for an extended period of
time due to a serious medical condition, and 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 the Leave Donor Program webpage.
There you will find links to the current leave recipient list, and the
Leave Transfer Program Donor Application (AD-1043). Form AD-1043 can be
found on the web at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/library/forms/pdf/ad1043.pdf
Rachel
McGovern, Livestock, Poultry, and Seed Program,
Western Region, Woodburn, OR, has been approved as a recipient under the Leave
Transfer Program. Rachel is out of the office for an extended
period of time due to a serious medical condition. She has exhausted all
of her available leave. Donations of annual leave or restored annual
leave would be appreciated
Anyone wishing to donate leave may
submit a Form AD-1043 by fax, (612) 336-3544, mail, or e-mail to: Deborah.K.Thilgen@aphis.usda.gov
Please
complete the application and submit via mail to:
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.
 Effective Jan. 23, Mike Durando will begin serving as the
acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) for AMS for the next 120 days. Mike currently works in Specialty Crops
Program as Director of the Marketing Order and Agreement Division, and is
also a graduate of the government’s SES Candidate Development Program.
Mike has more than more than 38 years of experience as a respected agricultural leader
in both the Federal government and private sectors. Prior to his 12 years with USDA, Mike served as president of both
the New York Apple and the New York Cherry Growers Associations and as a Presidential appointee to the U.S. Commission on Agricultural
Workers.
Although his background is not information
technology, Mike brings excellent management, financial and customer service
skills to the job, which will be extremely valuable to IT Services, while at
the same time providing Mike with an outstanding opportunity to use and develop
his senior executive qualifications.
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 On Dec. 13-14, 2016, LPS’ Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News Division, in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of State, hosted a meeting and agriculture tours with a delegation of Afghan nationals.
The visitors came from various professional backgrounds ranging from employees of the World Bank to the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture. The goals of the meeting were to build the capacity of personnel in key sectors of the Afghan government, economy, and civil society, enhancing their ability to work cooperatively and effectively with the U.S. government, and to promote regional integration by facilitating a dialogue on cooperation, regional stability, and economic and diplomatic linkages.
Several of the guests shared that certain Afghanistan commodity markets have been faced with oversupply and a steep drop in prices due in part to a lack of market information. AMS LPS Market News staff worked with them to identify possible solutions to the Afghanistan market transparency problem.
Caption: Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News staff, North Carolina Depart of Agriculture staff, and the delegation of Afghan nationals pause their meeting for a photo.
 During the week of Jan. 9,
2017, agricultural marketing specialists from the field came to DC for a
special employee engagement and brainstorming session. The Country of Origin
Labeling (COOL) Division teamed up with the Food Safety and Commodity
Specification Division to learn Spotfire tricks.
They also collaborated with the
Specialty Crops Training Branch to develop COOL state cooperator training
modules. The field and HQ COOL Division staff also enjoyed some time together
through group lunches and team-building activities.
Photo: COOL staff pose for a
picture during their busy week.
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In 2011,
AMS established a partnership with Columbia Heights Educational Campus (CHEC) in
Washington, DC, under which AMS provides mentoring and employment experience
for our future workforce. On Jan. 23 – 27, 2017, from 9 am – 5 pm, the students of CHEC will make their Senior Portfolio presentations. These presentations are
a graduation requirement where students exhibit their knowledge and progress on
learning standards. Volunteers are needed for one hour slots to serve as
reviewers for math and science portfolios. Please contact Jacqueline
Fitzgerald, AMS Civil Rights Program, at Jacqueline.fitzgerald@ams.usda.gov
or by phone at 202-720-0583 to schedule time slots or for additional
information.
 In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s
birthday and
the “National Day of Service”,, AMS’ Black Employment Program Manager and the Civil Rights Program
are looking for 15 employees to volunteer at the So
Others Might Eat (SOME) soup kitchen on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017, from 9 am - 1 pm. We will prepare meals and serve them to hungry guests.
Additionally, employees may volunteer four (4) hours of their time
to a non-profit organization of their choice during the “National Day of
Service”. Your volunteer efforts can be performed by group/office, division, or
individually. Employee leave forms are located on the Diversity, Recruitment,
and Work/Life Division, Office of Human Resources Management website: www.dm.usda.gov/employ/diversity/index.htm
If you interested in participating in the National Day of
Service event, please click on the AgLearn link: 2017 AMS Martin
Luther King, Jr. 'National Service Day' at So Others Might Eat (SOME)
Organization to
register no later than Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. For any questions, please contact
Yvette Percell, AMS’ Black Employment Program Manager @ AMSBlackProgram@ams.usda.gov.
For those AMS employees, who are not located in the Washington,
DC, area and would like to participate in the “National Day of Service”, please
click on the following link to find other volunteer opportunities at http://mlkday.gov.
Complete the employee leave forms located at: www.dm.usda.gov/employ/diversity/index.htm and forward a completed signed copy to AMSBlackProgram@ams.usda.gov.
Join AMS employees on Jan. 26, 2017 as we “Make It A Day On, Not A
Day Off.”
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The Office of Human Resources Management’s Virtual
University, and Diversity, Recruitment & Work/Life Division as well as the Farm
Service Agency Mentoring Program cordially invites you to attend:
2017 Mentoring Month and Black History Month Flash
Mentoring Event
Date: Thursday, Feb. 2,
2017
Time: 1 to 3 pm
Location: Whitten Patio
USDA Jamie L. Whitten Building
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington DC 20250-3700
Target Audience: Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Area USDA Employees
The
theme for this session is “The Value of Collaboration & Partnering.” Flash
Mentoring is a time efficient way to receive input from some of USDA’s most
dynamic leaders on important topics that are imperative to career
success. Participants should come prepared to listen attentively, ask
probing questions, take notes, and exchange business cards or contact
information.
Topics
to be covered include:
Decisiveness;
Developing
Others; and
Flexibility
Please register in
Ag Learn by the close of business on Jan. 24, 2017, using the directions
below.
Use
the following directions and links to register for your preferred event:
1.
Click the link.
2.
Click the “confirm” button on the page
after entering your eAuth credentials.
3.
Check your inbox for a confirmation
email. (It could take up to 24 hours for AgLearn to send a notification.)
4.
Click the calendar icon to add the event
to your calendar.
2017
Mentoring Month and Black History Month Flash Mentoring Event
Feb. 2, 2017: https://aglearn.usda.gov/learning/user/deeplink_redirect.jsp?linkId=REGISTRATION&scheduleID=49658
Seating
is limited and will be provided on a first come, first serve basis via
RSVP. A wait list will be generated, maintained, and utilized for priority
seating at future events. Registrants will receive a confirmation email
with additional information and guidance for the event.
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!
Press Release:
01/17 USDA Seeks Comments on Proposal to Establish a New Organic Research, Promotion, and Information Order
01/17 USDA Cites George Melton, d/b/a GM Brokerage in Tennessee for Failure to Pay for Produce and the Company Satisfies Terms of Consent Decision and Order
01/13 Secretary Vilsack Announces Cotton Board Appointments
01/12 USDA Issues Proposed Rule to Amend Country of Origin Labeling Provisions; Invites Public Comments
01/12 USDA Proposes Adjusted Membership on Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board
Notices to Trade:
01/10 USDA Issues Import Guidance for Organic Products Shipped from Mexico
01/06 AMS Updates Yields for Livestock Mandatory Reporting
Blog:
 The USDA Foods Available List is a lot like any other menu, with dozens of healthy options for state agencies to order and distribute through USDA’s nutrition assistance programs. And every year, foods are added or removed from the list based on customer demand and market conditions. Some offerings are modified to improve nutrition content or make the product and its packaging easier to work with in the kitchen or more acceptable to kids.
The USDA Foods program is a collaboration between the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the agency that procures the food, and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), the agency that distributes the food. This school year, the USDA Foods team’s goal for training and conferences is to provide more opportunities to taste new and reformulated products. That way, state agencies can confidently order them and school districts can incorporate them into their menus.
The USDA Test Kitchen, in the iconic South Building in Washington, D.C., is the hub for USDA Foods product evaluation by AMS and FNS staff. Current and prospective vendors provide samples to evaluate based on taste, texture, appearance and other factors. We then decide which products are good candidates for the Foods Available List and which may need a little more tweaking to meet recipients’ needs.
Read More on the USDA Blog.
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Be Positive: Work and
Life: Live Webinar: This webinar will be about the power of positive thinking
and the impact it has on behavior experiences and relationships. Space is
limited, so be sure to Register Today! Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, from 1 to 2 pm ET.
EAP January Campaign: This
month’s Employee Assistance Program and Work Life Solutions covers four ways to
promote work life balance. The topics are on the following:
-Setting Your Priorities
-Managing Your Time
-Establishing Boundaries
-Being In The Moment
Please view link at: https://ems-team.usda.gov/sites/AMS/AMS-WorkLife/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/SitePages/Home.aspx
The EAP is
a voluntary and confidential employee benefit available to you and your family
at no cost. Contact an EAP expert today, 24 HOURS A
DAY, 1-800-222-0364, TTY:
1-888-262-7848.
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!
Do you have employee related questions about AMS? Send them to employeeqs@ams.usda.gov and check back here bi-weekly for your answers.
Do you have changes you need to make to your program's page? Please click here and follow the instructions.
The Employee Resource Page is now live on the AMS website! The new page contains an abundance of resources for new and current employees including the AMS Employee Handbook.
Find out what's cooking in the cafeterias. Please see click here to view the menus.
Go to Ask AgLearn Now for the easiest and fastest way to find answers. This site allows you to browse an extensive knowledgebase, view the most commonly asked questions, submit your inquiries, and more.
For additional general questions regarding training and the use of AgLearn, please contact your designated training officer or point of contact listed below.
Kidane Mawsha or Charvaise Butler
Phone: 202-720-1111
The AMS Voice comes out once a week, typically on
Wednesdays. If you have news or an announcement you would like to share,
then please submit it for inclusion in the Voice. 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 - Dana Stewart
Dairy - Becky Unkenholz
Cotton and
Tobacco - Monica Alexander
National
Organic Program - Jennifer Tucker
Science and
Technology - Dawn Fay
Transportation
and Marketing - Becky Unkenholz
Information
Technology - Summer Butler
Legislative
and Regulatory Review – Bill Allen
Compliance
and Analysis - Natasha Griffin-Hayes
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 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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