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Good Day [[First_Name]],
This past week, I had the opportunity to travel to Kansas
City to meet with staff at the Beacon Facility and the National Grain Center (NGC).
First, I want to thank all who were involved in making our meetings and tours a
success and to all the employees who made us feel welcome. I also want to thank
my fellow travelers: Steve Peterson, Acting Administrator of the Farm Service
Agency (FSA); Sandra Wood, FSA Acting Deputy Administrator Commodity
Operations; Erin Morris, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Associate
Administrator and Chief Operating Officer; David Tuckwiller, AMS Director
Commodity Operations; Dana Coale, Acting Deputy Administrator-Federal Grain
Inspection Service (FGIS); and Tony Goodeman, Acting Director FGIS-Field
Management Division.
The purpose of our trip was to
meet with staff, discuss the merger, and answer questions and concerns. We met
with over 120 staff who will be merging into the AMS Fair Trade Practices
Program (FTPP) and the Commodity Procurement Program. The discussions were lively
and provided an open exchange of information about a wide range of topics, such
as the FSA and AMS organizational cultures, policies affecting work/life
balance, and staff assignments moving forward. After meeting with the FSA
management team, we toured the offices where some of FTPP and
International Procurement employees are located.
We also spent a day at the
National Grain Center (NGC) where we held an all employee meeting and toured
the facility. The tour gave us first-hand exposure to the wide range of
services provided by the NGC staff. We were impressed with the valuable services this group provides to this agricultural sector. We also met with
representatives of the American Association of Grain Weighing and Inspection
Agencies (AAGIWA). Which is the national association representing official
grain inspection and weighing agencies. These agencies provide official
inspection services to measure the quality and quantity of grain being bought
and sold in the United States.
Again, thank you to all the
folks who made our trip a success and for the great interactions. I look
forward to more meetings and discussions with other staffs about the
merger.
During our visit to Kansas City, some of the staff inquired about work schedules and other related issues. I have included a link for HR related matters that I know will help answer those questions. Please visit the website below.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/forms_publications/hr_desk_guide/hrdg
If you have any other specific questions about the merger, I encourage you to use the link that was
developed so our employees can submit questions at any time. You can send your
questions to employeeqs@ams.usda.gov.
Bruce Summers
Acting AMS Administrator
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