Transcript Now It`s Your Turn - Central Atlantic States Association of Food and

Now It’s Your Turn
(and Personal
Responsibility)
PLUS Four Years
Gary German
(Retired!)
Ocean City MD
[email protected]
Central Atlantic States Association of
Food and Drug Officials
May 2014
September 2013
Would you like to give a
talk at CASA in 2014?
Share some wisdom...
Sure, I’d be honored.
But what should I talk
about?
CASA
Ted Veresink
Gary German
Gary’s Gray Hair...
• 1969 - 1980
Sanitarian, County Supervisor
York, PA
• 1980 - 1985
Director, Division of Food Protection
Harrisburg, PA
• 1985 - 2010
Director, State Training
and
Director, Division of Human
Resource Development and ORA U
Rockville, MD
______________________________________________
• 2010 to Present—Retired, Ocean City MD
What I’m going tell you…
• REVIEW what I said the last time
• Still valid???
• PLUS four years
• What I’ve learned in retirement!
OR
•
what I wish I would have known when I was
working
Now It’s Your Turn
(and Personal
Responsibility)
Gary German
Director
Division of Human Resource Development
and ORA U
Food and Drug Administration
Office of Regulatory Affairs
[email protected]
[email protected]
Virginia Department of
Agriculture & Consumer Services
April 2008
Virginia Beach, Virginia
So much is on my mind…
(Note: I’m gonna ramble!)
Roots
Passion
Ol’ friends
Mission
CASA/AFDO
Food and Drug
Worry
Succession
Training
Public Health
Future
and retirement some day…
States/
Locals/
Feds
Now it’s your turn.
Now it’s your turn.
Now it’s your turn…
Note:
Knapsack of
Gary’s worries!
“Now it’s your turn” and
the possibility of retirement…
Not quite yet, but some day….
So, today is a good time to share some worries.
A little review…
What is your agency’s
vision/mission?
Office of Regulatory Affairs
Vision
• All food is safe; all medical products are safe and
effective; and the public health is advanced and
protected.
ORA Mission
ORA protects consumers and enhances public health
by maximizing compliance of FDA regulated products
and minimizing risk associated with those products.
VDACS
The Food Safety & Security Program (FSSP) works to ensure
that food products and dietary supplements in the
Commonwealth are safe, wholesome and properly labeled. The
Food Safety Specialists provide consumer protection by
inspecting food retail stores (supermarkets, convenience
stores, bakeries, seafood markets, etc.), food warehouses, and
food processors. They also respond to emergencies (natural
and man-made), investigate standard and tampering
complaints, participate in recalls, and provide educational
presentations to the food industry.
Remember…
They are counting on you and me and him
and her…
It’s got to be safe.
THEY wouldn’t
allow it otherwise.
Joe’s Diner
York, PA
1972
Why do you get paid?
• How good are you at what you do?
• Do you take it seriously and do you always do
your best?
So what?
It is the PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY of
each individual for the
success of the whole
organization.
Doctor P.B. Dunbar
Denver District
May 1924
What is your personal responsibility?
(Investigators/Analysts)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Care/Worry
Always remember the mission
Take your work seriously!
Be technically sound, accurate
Base decisions on facts/observations
Spend the time necessary
Make a decision
Do it right (the first time)
Don’t expect others to catch
your mistakes
• Your signature should mean
something *
What is your personal responsibility?
(Supervisor)
•
•
•
•
•
Care/worry
Select the best staff
Take time/resources to train and mentor
Insist on the best work
Weed out the non-performers *
Now… in closing
• Someday I (and others in my generation)
will retire
• Maybe soon, maybe later
• Just as Dr. Dunbar did in 1924.
• Some Friday afternoon, with great confidence in you,
I will walk out the FDA door and say to myself…
…now it’s your turn!
AND NOW…
FOUR YEARS LATER…
SOME WISDOM…
From an ol’ retired guy…
You’ve
Changed!
Now it’s your turn.
Now it’s your turn.
Now it’s your turn…
Note:
Knapsack of
Gary’s worries!
Worry…
• To TORMENT oneself with or suffer from
disturbing thoughts
Serenity prayer…
• God grant me serenity to accept the things I
cannot change;
• Courage to the change the things I can;
• and wisdom the know the difference
Where’s
the Happy
Man?
• And Abe Lincoln said…
• “Everyday, each of us makes a decision…
• …to be happy or NOT!”
• Worry
and
• Happiness
TODAY
IS
a
GIFT!!!
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Look at your watch
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Focus on the “now”
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Cherish the people
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Slow down
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Do it with PASSION!!!
TODAY is a GIFT!!!
• Look up
Post meeting assignments…
• Look in the mirror…
• Talk to your staff…
• Look at your watch..
• Think of the gift…
Go forth and
do good!!!