Minutes of the Meeting of the

Engineer Professional Advisory Committee

Thursday, November 15, 2001

The Engineer Professional Advisory Committee (EPAC) welcomes your input and participation. Meetings are open to all PHS Engineers and Architects. Those who are not able to attend in person may attend via conference call.

CALL TO ORDER

CAPT Kevin Chadwick, EPAC Chairperson, called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. EST at the FDA Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center (WEAC), Winchester, Massachusetts. The September 27, 2001, meeting minutes were approved. The next meeting will be held Thursday, December 13, 2001, at 1:00 p.m. EST at the IHS Twinbrook Metro Plaza Executive Conference Room, Rockville, Maryland.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of the Chief Engineer: RADM Robert Williams reported the following announcements.

A. FDA-WEAC EPAC Host Appreciation

RADM Williams expressed his appreciation to the folks at WEAC (in

particular CDR Mutahar Shamsi, LT Dawn Braswell, and LT Lisa Cash) for

organizing the tour of WEAC and the recruiting trips to Boston University (BU)

and Northeastern University (NEU). The FDA-WEAC was presented with an award for hosting the EPAC November 2001 Meeting.

B. Recruiting Visit to Boston Area Universities

The recruiting trips were excellent with a good discussion of the PHS with Deans Soyster (NEU) and Ken Lutchen (BU). Both individuals were interested in joining with the OCE and EPAC in outreach activities promoting the PHS.

B. 11 September Response & Update (See Emergency Preparedness report)

1. Engineers (both CS and COs) have been involved in the response to terrorist attacks - World Trade Center, anthrax, and other emergency preparedness activities. The engineers have been well received and their actions noted by many, including DSG Kenneth Moritsugu and CAPT John Babb of the CCRF.

2. The Chief Engineer and members of OCE visited the World Trade Center site as part of a recognition of the efforts of the NYCDOH in response to environmental contamination. Dr. Jessica Leighton of the NYCDOH was recognized as an

Honorary PHS Engineer. The devastation around the former twin towers cannot be easily described - it is both a war zone and a memorial. One thing is clear, the PHS is clearly recognized as a major player. The Chief Engineer was recognized as being a member of the PHS by his uniform. Several police members, fire department officials, members of the public, etc., took the time to say, "Thanks for the PHS being here." In addition, the PHS flag was one of five flags that flew over Ground Zero for the entire time that PHS folks were deployed. PHS made a difference and continues to do so in NYC.

3. Presidential Visit to CDC – President Bush recently visited the CDC Headquarters to recognize the ongoing work in the anthrax response.

4. Commissioned Corps Readiness Force (CCRF) and Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) – All USPHS engineers are encouraged to join either the CCRF or a local DMAT (Civil Service).

C. Award & Nomination Deadlines (See Awards report)

1. NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year - November 16.

2. Engineer Literary Awards – November 30.

3. John C. Villforth Award (Individual/Team Performance) – November 30.

4. Ike Burgess Award (Young Engineer) – November 30.

5. SAME Awards (Hollis & Green Medals, Cummings Plaque) – January 2002.

D. Jr. Engineer Conference Call

The latest call was November 8, 2001. All junior engineers are encouraged to participate with any subject in these informative sessions. Upcoming calls will be highlighted in LCDR Nathan Tatum’s OCE announcements via e-mail.

E. Women’s Engineer Leadership Development Seminar (See Career Development)

The development seminar workshop is scheduled for either May 20 or 21, 2002. The event will focus on issues of importance to women in engineering and corporate structure. The seminar is in conjunction with a SAME Meeting in Kansas City, May 21-24, 2002.

F. Engineer Category Day at the COA Meeting (See COA Liaison Announcement)

The theme will be related to disaster response. The location and date are Atlanta, GA and April 24, 2002, respectively.

EPAC Chair: CAPT Kevin Chadwick’s report consisted of answers to questions fielded from the local FDA-WEAC guests.

Q. How many USPHS Engineers responded to the September 11 incidents and what were their duties?

A. Ten (10) USPHS Engineers responded in an official capacity. Some duties included air sampling, residential sampling and manning the OEP desks.

Q. What are the requirements for EPAC Membership?

A. All engineer/architects employed by the USPHS are eligible to be active in EPAC. The twenty-member committee is proportional to the number of engineers in the respective division. The attached article from the Bylaws further explains the membership process.

The most effective participation is by joining one of the subcommittees: Awards, Building Design and Construction, Career Development, Emergency Preparedness, Information, Mentoring, Recruiting and Retention, and Rules. One only has to contact the subcommittee chair to join.

Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP) Liaison: There was no report.

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

A. COA Executive Director Selected

It's my pleasure to inform you that the Executive Director Search Committee has made a selection. The Committee has selected CAPT Ret. Gerard Farrell, USN to become COA's new Executive Director. He has accepted our offer, and will report to COA on November 1.

CAPT Farrell is a 1970 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He retired from the Navy in the summer of 2000 following a distinguished Naval career that included command of 2 ships, service in the Pentagon, and an assignment as Commanding Officer of the Naval Station, Annapolis, MD (where he also served as Director of the Naval Academy Sailing Foundation). Northrup Grumman Corp has employed him since his retirement.

The committee interviewed 6 candidates, out of 88 applications, on October 6-7 before making a final selection.

B. CCRF Database

Contact information should be updated bi-monthly or when any information has changed.

C. DC Area COA Branch

1. The “Dining Out” function will occur Friday, November 16 with CDR Poneleit performing the toast and acting as the Officer of Inquisition for the engineer category.

2. A branch handbook developed by the COA is available for use.

D. Annual COA Meeting

The conference is scheduled for April 21-24, 2002 in Atlanta, GA. RADM Williams will be the General Chair.

Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Liaison: There was no report.

See the Special Presentation at minutes’ end for CAPT Ret. John Hannigan’s comments.

Junior Engineer Report: There was no report.

Job Vacancies: Known vacancies are now posted or linked on the PHS Engineers website (www.usphsengineers.org). The weekly OCE statements from LCDR Tatum via e-mail are another resource.

Application Notes:

COSTEP applications can be downloaded from the dcp.psc.gov website.
Active-duty commissioned corps applications can be made on-line. They are given a higher priority in DCP then the hardcopy submissions.

OLD BUSINESS - Nominations for 2002 Chair-Elect and New Members, CDR Coene

A. EPAC Chair-Elect

There are no nominees for 2002 Chair-Elect at this time. Nominees should contact CDR Michael Coene before the next meeting so an election can be called at that meeting. If no nominees are forthcoming, the Rules Subcommittee and CAPT Chadwick will be contacting eligible EPAC members directly. In addition, RADM Williams is available to discuss the position with your supervisor if there are any administrative questions.

B. New EPAC Members

The following list will be forwarded to the Chief Engineer to concur, then sent to the OSG for approval.

1. CAPT Sven Rodenbeck, ATSDR; At-large Member; Second term

2. CAPT Rao Surampalli, EPA; At-large Member; Replacing CAPT Kenneth Martinez

3. LCDR Jamie Natour; HRSA Member; Replacing CDR Louis Lightner

4. LCDR David W. Ausdemore; CDC Member; Backfilling the last two (2) years of Mr. Matthew Vietmeier's term.

5. CDR Todd Scofield; IHS Member; Replacing CAPT Chadwick

The following members will be leaving EPAC: CAPT Martinez, CAPT Chadwick, Mr. Vietmeier, and CDR Lightner.

NEW BUSINESS – None.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Awards: CDR Maurice West reported the following.

A. Awards Season – Information is available at usphsengineers.org

1. NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year - November 16. If a nomination is imminent but not ready by the deadline, please contact CDR West so it can be extended.

2. Engineer Literary Awards – November 30. Papers must have been published or presented within the last two years. If a paper was submitted but not selected last year, it can be submitted again.

3. All awards information is available at www.usphsengineers.org. If more information is needed, CDR West or any of the OCE staff can assist in answering your questions

B. EPAC Recognitions

1. The formal proposal is not ready. Assistance is requested in developing a commensurate type of award for civil service. Recognition could include EPAC duties, E-Week assistance and any meritorious action that could be recognized by the OCE.

2. The Certificate of Recognition for obtaining professional licensure including a pocket reference.

3. A metal embossing stamp and desktop publishing software that would reside with the Awards Subcommittee Chair is being requested as part of this endeavor.

The Awards Subcommittee has no FDA representative with CDR Coene’s departure. An FDA engineer/architect is encouraged to volunteer to serve on this subcommittee.

2. Building Design & Construction: There was no report.

CAPT Rodenbeck reported that CAPT Bill Brodt has retired and moved to NASA stationed in Washington, D.C.

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

A. Engineer’s Handbook

The suggested revisions for the handbook are nearly complete and we hope to provide a copy of the handbook to the EPAC for review and comment by February 2002.

B. COA Meeting – Category Day, April 24, 2002

Category Day will be April 24, the last day of the conference. The theme of category day will be similar to the conference theme, which is Leading the Public Health Response to Disease and Disaster: Global Vision, National Action. Our category day agenda theme will center on engineers roles in responding to disasters and perhaps in designing facilities to be disaster resistant. The subcommittee is considering a different format than our traditional paper presentations morning and afternoon. We are considering a facility visit with on-site instruction and/or interactive poster sessions. If you or a colleague would be interested in making a presentation, either paper or poster during Category Day, please contact Lisa Hayes at Lhayes@cdc.gov or 404-498-0435 or any other member of the Career Development Subcommittee.

The next subcommittee meeting is December 13 at 3:00 p.m. EST.

Leadership Development Seminar Ad hoc Subcommittee, LT Jennifer Martin

The major issues including timeframe (early 2003), location, session topic, and whether or not to have an “open category” seminar are still early in discussion. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, December 20, 2001 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

4. Emergency Preparedness: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following.

The Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee has not met since September. The items below are in relation to the 11 September Response:

Support provided for the ESFA Desk in New York City, occupational and residential unit sampling and cleanup procedures for anthrax contamination.

Update your CCRF database contact information and approach your local DMAT to assist with current and future activities.

The next Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee conference call will be December 6, 3:00-4:30 p.m. EDT. Please contact CAPT Rodenbeck to obtain the conference call bridge and code numbers.

5. Information: CDR Coene for CAPT Gene Sullenger reported the following.

A. USPHS Engineer’s Website (www.usphsengineers.org)

1. New postings include the OCE video clip regarding CCRF, awards announcements and calendar, and the recruitment PowerPoint presentation has been converted to a video clip.

2. Submit items for posting to CAPT Sullenger or CDR Coene.

6. Mentoring: There was no report.

7. Recruiting and Retention: LCDR Helgeson reported the following.

A. R/R Meeting Notes, October 2 and November 6

New member: LCDR Meredith Bond, EPA.
The Career Opportunities Booklet will be transferred to the OCE through Ms. Hayes. The submittal includes a hardcopy and CD file in MS Publisher format.
A new Engineer Agency Contact List has been approved and posted on the website. Engineer applicants, or current PHS engineers looking to opportunities in other agencies or programs are encouraged to contact the POC's listed.
A Long-Term Training Workgroup has been formed with the Career Development Subcommittee. LCDR Denman Ondelacy, IHS will serve as chair. The chair is soliciting volunteers to join LT Mat Martinson and LT Steve Martin.
A recruitment area to the www.usphsengineers.org website has been added. An updated "Inventory of Recruitment Materials" and a "Calendar of Recruitment Events" has been posted. LCDR Chucri Kardous is working with CDR Coene to improve the content. Anyone planning any recruitment events is encouraged to contact LCDR Helgeson so the trip can be posted. Moreover, all PHS engineers (CO and CS) are challenged to attend one recruitment event of their choice sometime this Fall or Spring!
The next R/R meeting will be Tuesday, December 4, from 12:00-1:00 p.m. PDT.

B. ARP Specific Information

LCDR Helgeson will be the primary Point of Contact (POC) for all IHS Engineers who volunteer for the program. LCDR Tatum will be the POC for all other engineers. Any and all CO engineers interested in recruitment for the engineer category are strongly urged to contact your POC.
An engineer category specific policy for managing the program is being developed by LCDR Tatum and LCDR Helgeson. Highlights to include: Chief Engineer award of the AR badge to applicants accepted into the program, roles and responsibilities of the engineer category POC's, mechanics of housing and distributing the recruitment materials, etc.
DCP recruitment materials (brochures and CD ROM's) have been received by LCDR Tatum and LCDR Helgeson. These will be distributed out to Associate Recruiters and augmented with engineer specific materials. The CD ROM from DCP is very professional and interactive. The R/R subcommittee is focusing on modifying the "Choose a Challenging Career in the USPHS" document into a brochure that can be inserted into the back of the DCP brochure to summarize the main engineer-specific recruitment points.
The next ARP Representative Conference Call is Wednesday, January 9, 2002.

8. Rules: CDR Coene reported the following.

A. EPAC Nominations - 2002 Chair-Elect and New Members (See Old Business)

Nominations for the 2002 Chair-Elect are needed. Nominations should be forwarded to CDR Coene at msc@cdrh.fda.gov or CAPT Chadwick.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION – CAPT Ret. John Hannigan, Coast Guard

CAPT Hannigan is the SAME Regional Vice-President and a member of the Boston Post.

The Boston Post was recognized as the #3 post in the country last year. In addition, the Coast Guard Academy and the Norwich Academy, both in the region, were selected as two of the four Distinguished Student Posts.

All of the Services’ Chief Engineers actively participate in the SAME Organization. SAME is a good blend of the private and military/uniformed industry with all major consulting firms represented at the senior level. The result of this blend is a wonderful networking opportunity for all participants.

Community service is the main goal of most posts. As an example, the Boston Post both mentoring and scholarships with a scholarship total of $45,000 last year.

Individual and Corporate (Agency) Memberships (up to 6) are available with a national fee of $49/regular, $28 for under 35 years old and $12 for student. Application can be made on-line at www.same.org.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 2:26 p.m. EDT.

EPAC MEETING PARTICIPATION: (Members in bold, with alternates attending matched by number to the members absent)

Participants:

CAPT Kevin Chadwick (IHS), CDR Michael Coene (FDA), LCDR Patrick Craney (IHS, ex-officio), CAPT Jose Cuzme (IHS), Ms. Lisa Hayes (ATSDR), LCDR Scott Helgeson (IHS), Mr. Kyung Kim (NIH), Mr. Brian Kong (NIH), LT Jennifer Martin (CDC), CDR Kathy Poneleit (FDA), CAPT Sven Rodenbeck (ATSDR), LCDR Nathan Tatum (ATSDR, ex-officio), CDR Maurice West (ATSDR), RADM Robert Williams (ATSDR, ex-officio).

Members Absent:

Mr. Michael Adjodha (FDA), 1. LCDR Meredith Bond (EPA), LT Sean Boyd (FDA, ex-officio), CDR Jo Ann Griffith (EPA, ex-officio), LCDR Ronald Keats (DCP, ex-officio), CAPT Crispin Kinney (IHS, ex-officio), 2. CDR Louis Lightner (HRSA), CAPT Kenneth Martinez (CDC), CAPT Ronald L. Mickelsen (CDC), LCDR Denman Ondelacy (IHS), LCDR Hilda Scharen (OEP, ex-officio), CAPT Gene Sullenger (FDA), Mr. Matthew Vietmeier (CDC), Mr. F. Mitchell Williams (NIH).

GUESTS:

1. CDR Allen Jarrell, EPA