The EPAC welcomes your suggestions. Meetings are open to all PHS Engineers. Those not able to attend in person may attend via conference call.

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 1:04 p.m. EST at the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) office in Atlanta, Georgia. CAPT Cris Kinney, EPAC Chairperson, began the meeting by thanking CDR Maurice West and others at ATSDR for their morning field trip through the nearly completed CDC Roybal Laboratory in Atlanta. The January 27, 2000 meeting minutes were approved. The next meeting will be held Thursday, April 27, 2000, at 1:00 p.m. EDT at the IHS Twinbrook Metro Plaza building in Rockville, Maryland.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of the Chief Engineer: RADM Bob Williams reported the following:

1. Engineers of the Year: RADM Williams announced the winners for the engineer of the year award for the following Operating Divisions: CAPT Kevin Chadwick (IHS), Dr Robert Derick (NIH), Mr. Ernest Lunsford, Jr. (FDA), CDR Leroy Mickelsen (CDC), Mr. Arthur Miller (CDC), CAPT Rao Surampalli (EPA), and CDR Maurice West (ATSDR). CDR West was selected as the PHS Engineer of the Year. Congratulations to you all!

2. Field Medical Readiness Badge: Congratulations also to LT Carl Cecere, LT Nelson Mix, CDR Kathy Poneleit, and CDR Mark Stafford, all engineers who received the Field Medical Readiness Badge.

3. Engineers Newsletter: The March 2000 Engineers Newsletter is currently posted on the engineers web site (http://www.usphsengineers.org). The newsletter highlights the first Chief Engineer open forum teleconference with junior engineers and architects that occurred in February. Some of the topics discussed include an interest in a basic orientation course for junior officers (covering uniform and other protocol as well as basics of the PHS), an interest in the new strategic visioning for the Corps, and a desire for follow-up on engineer and architect utilization (e.g., help with rural development). The Engineers Newsletter also provides information on the Burgess Outstanding Young PHS Engineer Award nominations, the PHS Engineer/Architect logo design contest, and the Engineer Symposium on June 10^th at the Public Health Professional Conference.

4. SAME Meeting: The Chief Engineer will be attending the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) National Convention in San Diego, May 16-19. The PHS Engineer booth will be exhibited and PHS engineers and architects will be recognized as one of the service organizations of SAME. See the SAME web-site (http://same.org) for more information.

5. DCP Information: What type of information does EPAC need regarding Commissioned Corps officers? The Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP) database is accessible by the Chief Engineer. We can sort by name, rank, category, OPDIV, etc. We can also ask for special types of reports (e.g., demographics). The Career Development Subcommittee may be interested - please suggest types of reports.

6. Commissioned Corps Promotion Process Review: RADM Williams is participating in a Promotion Review Committee with RADM Davidson and others. If you have ideas on how to revamp the promotion process, send them to him.

7. Strategic Visioning: The Strategic Visioning Committee for the Commissioned Corps has finished their work. They briefed ADM Satcher, who gave the report serious consideration. A synopsis of the visioning report is being prepared for distribution to all - a tactical plan is also under way.

8. Awards Update: The Deputy Surgeon General has determined there will be no new award developed to recognize CPOs or PAC Chairs/Members. Citing that methods of recognizing members already exist, no other uniformed service has such awards, the special assignment award is being reconsidered for PAC, etc., service, and this was not the time to go forward, RADM Moritsugu respectfully declined the proposal for the new awards.

9. Health and Fitness: Those in the DC area should plan to participate in the Parklawn Classic (Run and Walk) on April 28^th. The Secretary DHHS will be announcing that civil service employees should now also participate in the Surgeon General's Fitness Program.

10. Interservice Transfer Information: Selecting someone to hire who will undergo Interservice Transfer? Call Rob Twitty in DCP, he is the expert.

Thanks to CDR Maurice West and the many others at ATSDR, who put together the excellent tour of the Roybal Laboratory. This was a most informative tour. The timing was excellent, as the facility construction was not yet complete, allowing us to go into a lot of areas which will be difficult to access once the lab is on-line. This tour allowed engineers with laboratory design experience from other agencies, including NIOSH, EPA and NIH, to compare designs and ask questions. The lunchtime talk was most interesting as well. The whole day was characterized by stimulating interaction between engineers, and was very worthwhile.

I suggest that the EPAC continue to conduct short luncheon talks prior to the main meetings, in order to learn about the experiences of engineers in different specialty areas of the PHS. We already have a wide variety of engineers on the EPAC, but many of us are not fully aware of the breadth of engineering within the PHS. This type of interaction is very helpful in making each one of us recruiters, ambassadors, and career development advisers for the engineering category. The EPAC agreed to conduct a video conference for the May meeting in which CDR Martinez will share his experiences with NIOSH.

3. Commissioned Officers Association (COA) Liaison: CDR Poneleit reported the following:

1. The COA will be conducting their spring membership drive soon. Membership information can be found on the COA web site.
2. The COA is looking for articles for the Frontline Newsletter, especially those under the headings of "Branch News", "Member in the Spotlight", "Retiree Reflections" and "In My View". Articles can be e-mailed to membercoa@aol.com.
3. The last day to take advantage of the Early Bird Conference Registration for the Annual PHS Professional Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, is May 1^st. After May 1^st there will be an additional $50 charge. The conference will be held June 6 – 10.
4. The Women’s Club Scholarship application deadline is May 1^st. For more information contact Terry at COA.
5. The Life Member "L" device is now available for wear with your COA ribbon.
6. And, as a reminder, April 3 - 9 is National Public Health Week.

4. Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP) Liaison:  No report was given this month.

5. Job Vacancies: The PHS Engineers web site has links to vacancies within all the DHHS OPDIVs at http://www.usphsengineers.org/joblists.htm , and also maintains a list of vacancies at http://www.usphsengineers.org/vacancy.htm.

OLD BUSINESS

Construction & Design Information Provided to SAME: CAPT Rodenbeck reported on the construction and design information provided by the Office of the Chief Engineer to the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). Each year the PHS needs to provide the President’s proposed construction and design budget for each of our Operating Divisions (OPDIVs). This information appears in a book that SAME provides to its supporting members (design and construction firms). By providing this information to SAME, the OPDIVs should get more companies bidding on their design and construction projects.

Also, EPAC members are reminded about the SAME national conference. The conference is being held in San Diego, from May 16 - 19. The registration fee is $465. Please see the SAME web page for more information (http://same.org). The new PHS Engineers booth will be making its debut at this conference. Anyone attending this conference is asked to help man the booth. Please let CAPT Rodenbeck know if you would like to help.

Engineering Leadership Development Seminar: Ms. Lisa Hayes reported that the Career Development Subcommittee is still working on plans for the Engineering Leadership Development Seminar. The Subcommittee’s next conference call will be devoted primarily to this Seminar. They plan to decide when and where to have the Seminar, and will begin to work on the details of what to include in the Seminar. Anyone who would like to participate in the planning of the Seminar is welcome to participate in the next conference call. The Subcommittee is still looking for someone who is willing to coordinate the Seminar. Please let Lisa Hayes know if you are interested.

Junior Engineer Initiative Report: LT Sean Boyd summarized the status of the Junior Engineer Initiative.

1. The OSG Junior Officer Ad Hoc Committee has not yet met this year. No meetings have been scheduled to date.
2. A proposal was prepared identifying programs the EPAC Subcommittees are currently working on to address Junior Engineer issues (as noted in the January 2000 EPAC minites), and proposing additional items for the EPAC to consider to better meet the Junior Engineer needs. The proposal will be distributed to the EPAC Subcommittee Chairs for consideration. For additional information on the history of the initiative or for assistance with the developing new programs for Junior Engineers, contact LT Boyd.

NEW BUSINESS

COA Meeting Engineer’s Symposium: Ms. Lisa Hayes reported that the agenda for the Engineer’s Symposium to be held during the COA Meeting is almost complete. Again, the symposium is scheduled for Saturday, June 10^th, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The latest agenda can be found in the Engineers Newsletter on the USPHS Engineers web site. A moderator is still needed for the meeting, as well as a speaker from NIH. A speaker on the subject of bioterrorism is being sought from the DHHS.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Awards: CDR West reported the following:

1. New Members of the Awards Subcommittee: CDR West welcomed the following new members of the Awards Subcommittee: LCDR Meredith Bond (EPA), LCDR Michael Coene (FDA), Mr. Gregory F. Holland (NIEHS), and CDR Dave Koski (IHS). CDR West also expressed his appreciation for the continued support of CAPT Al Berreth (IHS), LT Christina Gomberg (NIOSH), and LT Hilda Scharen (DCP).

2. Ian K. Burgess Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year (YEOY) Award: The announcement, instructions and nomination form for the YEOY is now posted in the Engineers Newsletter on the PHS Engineers web page. Nominations must be submitted to CDR Maurice West by March 31, 2000. The eligibility requirements for this award are that nominees must be at the 0-3 or lower rank for Commissioned Corps, or at the GS-11 grade or below for Civil Service, and nominees must not have more than eight years of professional experience. The EPAC discussed two issues relative to questions the Awards Subcommittee had received regarding nominations for the Burgess Award. Issue 1: The nominee met the eligibility requirements but was not in an engineering billet or GS series. The EPAC agreed if the nominee had an engineering degree and was performing engineering duties, they should be eligible for consideration. Issue 2: The nominee had eight years experience with the government but received their engineering degree in 1989. The EPAC did not have any additional details. Based on the graduation date, the nominee could potentially have 11 years professional experience depending on what they did after graduation. The EPAC agreed if the nominee did engineering work after graduation and prior to service with the government, they would have in excess of 8 years professional experience and would not be eligible for consideration.

3. SAME Awards: The EPAC is represented on the SAME Awards Committee by CDR Maurice West and LT Hilda Scharen. The Awards Subcommittee has started work on developing a proposal for Engineering Achievement Awards commensurate with the other engineering service members.

4. USPHS Engineering Literary Awards: The second and final round of external review by engineers in industry, academia, consulting, and non-PHS governmental departments will be in mid-April. Selection of award recipients will be completed and forwarded to the OCE and EPAC Chairperson by the end of April. Awards will be presented during a ceremony held as part of the USPHS Professional Association Meeting in Scottsdale Arizona.

The "Healthy Buildings" initiative, i.e., the National Association of Physicians for the Environment (NAPE) Conference Report, was completed by Dr. Michael Hodgson of FDA. Subsequent to CAPT Brodt’s final review, the report will be submitted to NAPE for publication in a special addendum in National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' Environmental Health Perspectives, and to RADM Robert Williams to be used as a supporting attachment to our proposal. An informal advanced copy is also in the Office of the Surgeon General. This document also served as the basis for the CY 2000 strategic plan of the National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Building and Construction. According to reports from Admiral Moritsugu’s office, if the document, as a whole, can be completed quickly, there is an opportunity to get it onto the Surgeon General’s docket for development into a report (as opposed to the establishment of a Task Force alone).

According to CAPT Brodt’s office, loose alliances have been developed with various other agencies on this issue including the Veterans Administration, the National Institute of Building Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Society of Healthcare Engineering, the National Institutes of Health (with the lead through the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). The Subcommittee is in need of agency contacts (either through new subcommittee membership or liaisons) to help promote the initiative.

3. Career Development: Ms. Lisa Hayes reported the following:

The latest batch of welcome letters from the Chief Engineer have been sent out. The welcome packages from the EPAC Chairperson will soon follow. Look for an email from LT Sean Boyd soon asking you to make welcome calls to the new engineers. Please make your calls as soon as you can and report back to Sean so we can see how well the calls and welcome packages are received.

The subcommittee is making good progress on the Junior Engineers part of the USPHS web site. Draft pages are being reviewed now and hopefully will be ready to include in the web site in the next couple of months.

The subcommittee’s next conference call is April 13, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

4. Emergency Preparedness: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following.

The Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee held a conference call on March 3. During that call, the subcommittee members continued to develop an information packet for the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP). This packet is building upon the information previously provided to OEP which listed the different types of engineers that are available for emergency deployments. The Subcommittee is now developing a brief description of the capabilities and knowledge area of the different engineers. In addition, the Subcommittee plans to provide OEP with a guide on how to select engineers for deployment. This project should be available for EPAC review this summer.

The next Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee conference call will be on April 6 from 3:00 - 4:30 P.M. EDT.

5. Information: CAPT Sullenger reported the following:

The information subcommittee has met twice since the last EPAC meeting in January. We have discussed the following and have on-going initiatives in each.

1. The Web: The group is working on re-designing the web pages and moving the web page to an NT platform and off the current UNIX platform. We hope to incorporate the PHS Engineer database and the picture book into this new system.

2. PHS Engineer Database: The database is active and as changes arise they are being tracked. We are currently in the process of converting the data to MS Access with the hopes of moving it to the web. We are also looking into the possibility of making the process of creating mailing and e-mail labels from the data much easier.

3. Newsletter: We continue the process of publishing the Engineers Newsletter and are always looking for articles from the other sub-committees. We are considering having standard segments such as "riddle of the month", DCP news items, engineer’s outside activities and any others that may entice readership. We also discussed the idea of searching for a Newsletter editor, with the hopes of finding an engineer who enjoys doing this type of activity.

4. PHS Engineer Picturebook: This is also an on-going process. We are evaluating the historian’s needs and also considering a picture indexing scheme and making the pictures available on the web.

The Mentoring Subcommittee last met on March 14, 2000. The progress on the PHS Engineer Mentoring Program since the last EPAC meeting and its current status are as follows:

1. Mentoring Program Handbook: The Mentoring Program Handbook has been completed. The Handbook is being reproduced and assembled in binders, and copies will be provided to each EPAC and Mentoring Subcommittee member. The handbook will serve as a reference for EPAC members serving in their roles as Program Advisors for their respective OPDIVs.

2. PHS Engineer Mentoring Program Home Page: The Mentoring Program web site (http://www.usphsengineers.org/mentoring/menthome.htm) has been released, and all EPAC members are encouraged to visit it and provide comments to Mitch Williams. The forms included on the web site are still being improved, but it was decided to make the site available now so that the vast majority of the information is available to potential participants sooner rather than later. Comments received thus far include concerns that the site appears too dark, and a request that the photos show a scene representing a mentoring relationship (i.e., a more senior mentor with a junior protege). The former comment received responses on each end of the spectrum, while the latter was addressed with an additional graphic trying to capture this theme.

3. Chief Engineer All-hands E-mail: An all-hands e-mail message (a version of the Message from the Chief Engineer modified with appropriate contact information) under RADM Bob Williams' signature publicizing the Mentoring Program and encouraging participation is expected to be distributed throughout the PHS Engineering Category in the next two weeks.

4. Engineering Leadership Development Seminar: The subcommittee is beginning to identify potential sessions on mentoring in general, as well as the Program in particular, to be conducted at the proposed Engineering Leadership Development Seminar planned for later this year or early next year. Current ideas include a training session on mentoring by a professional trainer, as well as an informational session explaining the Program’s advantages and how to become involved.

5. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Mentoring Subcommittee will be on Tuesday, April 11, 2000 at 11:00am EDT.

8. Rules: CAPT Chadwick reported that the Rules Subcommittee will begin working on updating the EPAC Charter and Bylaws soon. CAPT Kinney requested that the Subcommittee review the Bylaws to look for ways to increase the Junior Engineer/Architect membership in the EPAC.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 3:07 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 (Ex Officio), CAPT Kevin Chadwick (IHS), CAPT Terry Christensen (NIH), LCDR Michael Coene (FDA), CDR Jo Ann Griffith (EPA), Ms. Lisa Hayes (At Large), Mr. Tony Iannacchione (CDC), CAPT Cris Kinney (IHS), LCDR Louis Lightner (HRSA), Ms. Jennifer Martin (CDC, Alternate #1), CDR Kenneth Martinez (At Large), CDR David McDonnell (Ex Officio), CDR Ron Mickelsen (CDC), CDR Kathy Poneleit (FDA), CAPT Sven Rodenbeck (At Large), LCDR Adam Scully (IHS, Alternate #2), CAPT Gene Sullenger (FDA), CDR Maurice West (ATSDR), Mr. Mitchell Williams (NIH), RADM Robert Williams (Ex Officio).

Members Absent:

CAPT Joseph Cocalis (CDC, #1), CDR Eric Crump (EPA), CAPT Jose Cuzme (IHS, #2), LTJG Alan Fogarty (IHS)
 

Authorization

I have recorded the above EPAC meeting minutes:
 

I have read the above minutes which accurately describe this meeting, and on behalf of the EPAC approve their distribution:
 

I authorize distribution of these minutes: