3. EPAC Membership: RADM Williams announced that the EPAC Rules Subcommittee did receive two EPAC membership nominations from the NIH. In October the Rules Subcommittee had received membership nominations for the available positions from all OPDIVs except the NIH.
4. Engineer Leadership Development Seminar: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has joined with EPAC as a co-sponsor of the Seminar, scheduled for March 26-29, 2001, in San Antonio, Texas. There are many excellent speakers from industry, government and academia being lined-up for this Seminar. The Career Development Subcommittee has done a terrific job organizing this event.
5. Healthy Building Initiative: The Healthy Building Initiative has been approved and endorsed by the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). Things are well underway toward success on that project.
6. AAEE Awards: RADM Williams has contacted each of the IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction Program Directors to request that they consider a project this year for the American Academy of Environmental Engineers’ Excellence in Environmental Engineering competition. The awards will be presented in Orlando, Florida, at the ASCE World, Water and Environmental Resources Congress on May 22, 2001. For more information contact CAPT Rodenbeck
7. Engineer E-mail: The Office of the Chief Engineer (OCE) is working on a master e-mail list of all PHS Engineers and Architects. LT Tatum has sent out some test e-mails requesting corrections and updated addresses. The OCE hopes to get this up and running early in 2001.
8. Scanner: The OCE has a new scanner for scanning photographs for the Engineer Picture Book for the Information Subcommittee, as well as other uses. Anyone who has good photographs of Engineers in action, please submit them to the OCE. Original photographs will be returned.
9. Recruitment: The OCE would like input from all Engineers as to which universities are good sites for recruiting. The OCE plans to select four or five universities that will be visited directly by the OCE this year. Please provide your recommendations to either CAPT Rodenbeck or LT Tatum of the OCE. In addition, the OCE has recruitment materials available to anyone planning a recruitment outing.
10. SAME Meeting: Last month RADM Williams attended a SAME scholarship fund-raiser in New York on behalf of all PHS Engineers and Architects. He was well received and the PHS flag was flown at the meeting along with the flags of the other services.
EPAC Chair: CAPT Kinney reported the
following:
CAPT Kinney expressed his thanks to all the members of the EPAC who have
worked so hard throughout the year.
While much was accomplished this year, a great deal of the work has
carried over from previous years.
Therefore, the experience and determination of each member to pursue
each initiative until complete, is commended.
He especially thanked the EPAC members who were employed in the Civil
Service personnel system. They have
shown a willingness to work hard in an environment dominated by Commissioned
Corps issues. Each of the Subcommittee
Chairs has been very active in the last year.
Their leadership has helped all PHS engineers. CAPT Kinney expressed that it has been a privilege for him to
serve as EPAC Chair and be a part of such a dedicated group of Engineers. His experience has provided a new
appreciation and pride in the people who engineer the Nation's public health.
Division of Commissioned
Personnel (DCP) Liaison: CDR Ganaway reported the following.
The reorganization of DCP is now in its second
phase. CDR Ganaway updated the EPAC
with some current statistics for Engineers in the Corps. There are a total of 422 Engineer Officers
currently in the Commissioned Corps.
DCP has 26 Engineer applicants on file, seven of which are cleared and
ready to be hired. DCP is also working
on a composite list of vacancies that will be available on the DCP web
site. DCP will rely on the OPDIVs to provide
updated vacancy information. CDR
Ganaway is now designated as the Retention Officer for the PHS, which means
that anyone who submits separation or termination papers will probably be
speaking to CDR Ganaway for a debriefing.
The debriefing will include questions to determine why the Officer is
separating, and whether there are alternative options available to that
Officer.
Commissioned Officers
Association (COA) Liaison: CAPT Cuzme reported the following:
The COA is looking for feedback from EPAC members on ways to improve the Annual Professional Conference to attract more Engineers and Architects. Next years’ meeting is scheduled for the week of May 28, 2001, in Washington, D.C. Please contact CAPT Cuzme if you have any suggestions.
Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Liaison: There was no report this month.
Junior Engineer Report: LT Boyd reported the
following:
The Junior Officer Ad Hoc Advisory Group (JOAHAG)
election results are: LCDR Michelle Jordan, Chair; LT Jacqueline Rodrigue
Vice-Chair; LT Akilah Green Executive Secretary. An open meeting for all Junior Officers (O-4 and below) will be
held from 1000 - 1200 at the OSG Conference room in the Parklawn Building,
Rockville, Maryland. The purpose of the
meeting will be to gather ideas from junior officers on their concerns and
needs for the Corps so that the JOAHAG can begin developing programs for junior
officers. All interested officers are
encouraged to attend the open meeting.
The announcement was broadcast to all engineers via the EPAC
listserv. It is expected that RADM
Moritsugu, Deputy Surgeon General, and CAPT Barror, OSG Chief of Staff, will
make an appearance at the meeting.
The rules committee proposal for increasing junior
engineer involvement on the EPAC was discussed and recommendations accepted,
including using alternative membership and subcommittee involvement to
facilitate junior engineer participation.
The definition of junior engineer will also be made less restrictive in
the bylaws to better reflect the number of junior engineers involved on the
EPAC and facilitate attracting new junior engineer involvement.
Overall, the EPAC has maintained several outstanding
programs tailored to meeting junior engineer needs over the past year, which
will continue into the next millenium.
Job Vacancies: Known vacancies are now
posted or linked on the PHS Engineers web site (www.usphsengineers.org/vacancy.htm).
OLD BUSINESS
SAME Awards: CDR West reported the following:
The Awards Subcommittee received seven nominations for the three names necessary for the SAME Engineer Achievement Awards. The proposed awards include two individual awards and one group award that are to be presented annually by the SAME to PHS Engineers. The Subcommittee selected the top three names to be recommended to the OCE. The three names are Surgeon General Hugh S. Cumming, RADM Mark D. Hollis, and RADM Richard S. Green. All three have had a significant historical impact on the Engineer category of the PHS. CDR West requested EPAC concurrence with this selection. After some short discussion about the criteria for these awards, the EPAC unanimously concurred with the Subcommittee’s recommendations. The three names will now be sent to the OCE, and if approved, will then be forwarded to the OSG for final approval.
NEW BUSINESS
Outline for Recognition of Service of PAC Members and
Chief Professional Officers: CAPT Kinney presented this document to the EPAC
members for review and comment. This
seven-page draft document provides guidelines for nominating PAC members and
CPOs for awards. One notable comment
made by all members is that this guideline is specifically oriented towards
Commissioned Corps employees only, and there needs to be an equivalent awards
system for Civil Service PAC and CPO employees. CAPT Kinney requested that the Awards Subcommittee follow-up with
this issue during the next year.
Outline for Submission of PAC Nominees to OSG: CAPT Kinney also presented this 15-page draft
document to the EPAC for comment. The
document provides guidelines for the submission of PAC nominees to the
OSG. It was noted that some of the
procedures in the guideline are not currently followed by the EPAC, such as the
solicitation announcement in the Commissioned Corps Bulletin for PAC
self-nominations. It was suggested that
the guideline include avenues for Civil Service employees in the announcement
process. CAPT Kinney requested that the
Rules Subcommittee look further into this process next year.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
1.
Awards: CDR West reported the
following.
Accomplishments
for 2000:
·
The Subcommittee added five new members. Four Commissioned Officers and one Civil
Service Engineer, representing EPA, FDA, NIOSH, NIEHS and IHS. I would like to thank the following
individuals for their contributions to the Subcommittee, Al Berreth, Meredith
Bond, Michael Coene, Scott Earnest, Christina Gomberg, Gregory Holland, Dave
Koski, and Hilda Scharen.
·
The subcommittee evaluated 22 papers entered in the
USPHS Engineering Literary Award competition.
Winning papers were selected in all five categories, with two winning
papers chosen for the Applications category.
Thanks to all the persons who served as reviewers, you did a great job.
·
The subcommittee evaluated nominations for the Ian K.
Burgess Outstanding Young PHS Engineer of the Year. This year, the subcommittee selected two Engineers, one Civil
Service employee and one Commissioned Officer.
The Subcommittee recommended to the EPAC that in subsequent years the
top Civil Service and the top Commissioned Corps nomination be recognized. This process would serve to 1) promote the
involvement of Civil Service Engineers and Architects and 2) enhance the
recognition of Junior Engineers’ and
Architects’ accomplishments.
· The Subcommittee evaluated nominations from ATSDR, CDC-NIOSH, FDA, NIH, and IHS to select the PHS Engineer of the Year. Thanks to former Subcommittee Chairperson, CAPT Jim DiNovo, for overseeing the evaluation and ranking of this year’s nominees. Individual OPDIV nominations were forwarded to NSPE for consideration of the NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year. Four PHS Engineers were selected as Top Ten finalists.
· The Subcommittee developed a proposal to create three new awards. The proposal for the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) PHS Engineering Achievement Awards was unanimously approved on a voice vote by the SAME Board of Directors on October 16, 2000. The proposal will be implemented pending concurrence of the Office of the Surgeon General on the proposed award names. A call for nominations is anticipated in January 2001. These awards will further enhance the EPAC’s ability to recognize Junior and Civil Service Engineers and Architects. Additionally, they will provide for peer recognition of PHS Engineers accomplishments by Engineers in military service and civilian practice.
·
The Subcommittee developed a draft proposal for an
Engineer Leadership award.
On
Going Activities:
·
Nominations for OPDIV, PHS, and NSPE Federal Engineer
of the Year will be sent out to the Subcommittee next week. We expect to have a recommendation to the
Chief Engineer in the latter part of January.
·
Approximately 20 papers have been received for the
Engineering Literary Award. These
papers will be sent out to 1st tier reviewers in the last week of
December. Final reviews and
recommendations of winners will be sent to the Chief Engineer by March 15. Meeting this deadline will allow winning
papers the opportunity to be part of the COA National Conference.
· The Engineer Leadership award proposal is near completion and will be sent to EPAC members before the end of the year. The Chief Engineer has named the award in honor of former Chief Engineer, RADM John Villforth. The John C. Villforth Leadership Award will be presented to those who exemplify and excel in leadership, either as individuals or as a team, in carrying out the USPHS Mission. The target date for finalization of the award is January 2001, and a call for nominations in February 2001. An article to announce the award in the COA newsletter, Frontline, is currently being drafted.
2. Building Design &
Construction:
CDR Martinez reported the following.
The Subcommittee worked all year to get the Healthy Building Initiative approved by the OSG. That approval finally came in October 2000. The success for this initiative is the result of many hours of hard work by many people. CDR Martinez expressed thanks to RADM Williams for his support and for his follow-up letter to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute of Environmental Sciences building support for a national conference on this subject. The Subcommittee plans to meet with the OSG in February 2001 to discuss this issue, and plans on having a conference in May.
3. Career Development: Ms. Hayes reported the following.
Accomplishments:
·
Continued the welcome program for Engineers new to the
PHS.
·
Through the 3rd quarter of FY 2000, we sent 17 welcome
letters, 10 welcome packages, and made 6 welcome phone calls. The welcome program has been well received
and we have gotten some positive feedback from the new Engineers. Special thanks to LT Sean Boyd for all his
efforts on this program.
·
The Subcommittee planned the agenda and recruited
speakers for another successful Category Day at the COA conference.
·
Our most significant accomplishment for the year has
been the planning of next year's Engineering Leadership Development
Seminar. All of the speaker slots are
now filled and we really are going to have some great presentations. Invitation letters from RADM Williams were
sent to the speakers on December 15, 2000.
The registration fee will be only $175.
Look for the registration form via email and U.S. mail in January. It will also be posted on the PHS Engineers
website as soon as it is available.
We are now planning the agenda for the Category Day for
next year's COA meeting. The Category
Day is Wednesday, May 30, 2001. If you
have ideas for speakers or suggestions for the agenda, please let Lisa Hayes
know.
4.
Emergency Preparedness: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following.
The Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee last met on
October 19. Since then, the
Subcommittee has been holding discussions with the Environmental Health
Officers PAC Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. The goal of these discussions is to jointly develop the
environmental health roles and qualifications for the Commissioned Corps
Readiness Force (CCRF). We should
complete these discussions this month and be able to submit the product for
approval by the full EPAC in January 2001.
During calendar year 2000, the Emergency Preparedness
Subcommittee has made great strides in educating people on the capabilities of
engineers during natural and national disasters. The development and distribution of The Handbook for Deploying
the Appropriate Public Health Service Engineer has been well received by the
Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) and is being used by OEP and the Office
of the Surgeon General as the example of what other PHS Categories should
develop.
The Subcommittee is very close to completing the
development of the CCRF training material for Engineers. We anticipate that this task will be
completed by the middle of 2001.
The Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee will next meet
January 11, 2001, from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM.
People wishing to become members of this Subcommittee should contact
CAPT Sven Rodenbeck (404/639-0648 or svr1@cdc.gov).
5. Information: CAPT Sullenger reported the
following.
The Subcommittee had several accomplishments this
year. First and foremost, we revised
the Engineer web site. LCDR Mike Coene
lead this initiative, and is presently responsible for keeping the site
current. The Subcommittee worked on the
Engineer Picture Book, and has begun scanning images with the help of the
OCE. The Subcommittee has also begun work
on the Engineer Database, and will be continuing with that effort into 2001.
6. Mentoring: Mr. Mitch Williams reported the following.
The Mentoring Subcommittee made the transition from an
Ad Hoc Subcommittee to a permanent EPAC Subcommittee starting in January
2000. This year the Subcommittee
completed the Mentoring Handbook, created the Mentoring Program web site, and
began the process of recruiting program participants. The recruitment program is continuing, with slow but steady
progress, in matching mentors and proteges.
The Subcommittee has also worked long and hard to prepare a program for
the Engineering Leadership Development Seminar next March. We are very close to a final outline for
that event.
7. Recruiting and Retention: CDR Crump, Chairperson of
the Recruiting and Retention Subcommittee, reported the following.
The Subcommittee has been busy throughout the year
preparing the revised Career Opportunities Booklet. The text has been written and many photographs have been
collected. We are still in the process
of collecting statistical information on the PHS Engineer category. The Subcommittee has an editor from CDC
working on putting the final product together.
This year the Subcommittee has also been concentrating on improving the
working relations with DCP on recruitment.
CDR Ganaway has been very helpful in this regard. The Subcommittee is working to identify an
Engineer from each OPDIV that can assist DCP in recruiting Engineers who have
specific questions about the job.
CAPT
Kinney requested that the Subcommittee look into possible recruitment
opportunities at the annual American Indian Science and Engineering Society
(AISES) meeting. CAPT Kinney attended a
recent AISES meeting in Portland, Oregon, and was impressed by the number and
caliber of young Indian Engineers in attendance. He suggested the Subcommittee visit their web site (aises.org)
for a schedule of future meetings.
8. Rules: CAPT Chadwick, Chairperson
of the Rules Subcommittee, reported the following.
This
year the Rules Subcommittee stayed busy doing essentially what they do every
year. This includes soliciting and
recommending nominees for EPAC membership, soliciting nominees for the EPAC
Chair-elect, and reviewing and modifying the EPAC Bylaws and Charter as
necessary. At the request of the
Chairperson, the Subcommittee also reviewed the Bylaws to determine ways to
increase Junior Engineer membership in the EPAC. The Subcommittee recommended that the EPAC Chair use available
administrative methods to increase Junior Engineer participation by recruiting
ex-officio members, increasing Junior Engineers in Subcommittees, and
recommending Junior Engineers as alternates to EPAC members.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was
adjourned at approximately 3:10 p.m. EST.
EPAC MEETING PARTICIPATION:
Participants: (Members in bold, with alternates attending matched by number to
the members absent):
CAPT Thomas Bedick (NIH), LT Sean Boyd (FDA, ex-officio), CAPT Kevin Chadwick (IHS), CAPT Terry Christensen (NIH), LCDR Michael
Coene (FDA), CDR Eric Crump (EPA), CAPT Jose Cuzme (IHS), LCDR Danielle
DeVoney (ATSDR), CDR Marylouise Ganaway (DCP), Ms. Lisa Hayes (ATSDR), Mr.
Tony Iannacchione (CDC), CAPT Cris Kinney (IHS), CDR Kenneth Martinez (CDC), CDR
David McDonnell (IHS, ex-officio), CAPT
Sven Rodenbeck (ATSDR), CAPT Gene Sullenger (FDA), LT Nathan Tatum (ATSDR), CDR Maurice West (ATSDR), Mr. Mitchell
Williams (NIH), RADM Robert Williams (ATSDR, ex-officio).
Members Absent:
CAPT Joseph Cocalis (CDC),
CDR Jo Ann Griffith (EPA), LCDR Louis Lightner (HRSA), CDR Leroy Mickelsen (CDC), CDR Kathy Poneleit (FDA), LT Hilda Scharen (OEP, ex-officio).
Authorization
I
have recorded the above EPAC meeting minutes:
CDR
David I. McDonnell, P.E. Date
Executive
Secretary, EPAC
I
have read the above minutes which accurately describe this meeting, and on
behalf of the EPAC approve their distribution:
CAPT
E. Crispin Kinney, P.E. Date
Chairperson,
EPAC
I
authorize distribution of these minutes:
RADM
Robert C. Williams, P.E. Date
Chief
Engineer, USPHS