june/july/august 2013 - · pdf filejune/july/august 2013 volume 13, issue 1 ......

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A T L A N T A F E B N E W S

June/July/August 2013Volume 13, Issue 1

table ofcontents

www.atlanta.feb.gov

Chairperson...From The

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ATLANTA FEB MULTI-AGENCY COOP EXERCISE 2013

EVERY WEEK, SMALL BUSINESS WEEK

NEWS ABOUT THE US CENSUS BUREAU

GSA AWARDS GRITS II CONTRACT

EPA REGION 4 ADMINISTRATOR SELECTED AS AGENCY CHIEF OF STAFF

my SOCIAL SECURITY SERVICE

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCES

WE C.A.R.E. TRAINING: HUGE SUCCESS!

THE US POSTAL SERVICE - EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY

EPA, FEDERAL AGENCIES EXPAND URBAN WATERWAY REVITALIZATION EFFORT TO PROCTOR CREEK IN ATLANTA

CDC’S RON CAMPBELL SHINES AS ATLANTA’S FEB 2013 OUTSTANDING MANAGER OF THE YEAR

GETTING TO KNOW NHTSA

WHAT’S THERE TO KNOW ABOUT TSA?

THE ATLANTA FEB LEADERSHIP GOVERNMENT PROGRAM TO BEGIN 10TH YEAR

USDA FNS SOUTHEAST REGION HELPS RURAL COMMUNITIES PROSPER THROUGH STRIKEFORCE

FOH FEDSTRIVE

YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS (YEEA)

FEDS FEED FAMILIES

COMBINED FEDERAL CAMPAIGN UPDATES

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ChairpersonAtlanta Federal Executive Board

James “Jim” McSweeney

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ach year for the past 29 years, the President and Congress have designated the first week of May as Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) to honor the men and women who serve America as federal, state, and local employees. Throughout the nation and around the world, public employees use the week to educate citizens about the many ways in which government serves the people.

We would like to salute all of the nominees who were recognized for their contributions to the federal government. We appreciate your hard work and dedication. We want to acknowledge the award finalists and to list the winners of the 2013 Employee of the Year Awards. Please join us in congratulating the 2013 Atlanta Federal Executive Board Employee of the Year Winners:

Outstanding Manager AwardInternal Revenue ServiceMichael Beebe

Outstanding Supervisor AwardCenters for Disease Control and PreventionJoe Sniezek

Outstanding Scientific AwardCenters for Disease Control and PreventionChristopher Lynberg

Outstanding Professional AwardFederal Aviation AdministrationJacqueline Sweatt-Essick

Outstanding Achievement in Diversity AwardEnvironmental Protection AgencyAmber Davis

Outstanding Technician AwardInternal Revenue ServiceLisa Stone

Outstanding Trade or Craft AwardEnvironmental Protection AgencyBuilding and Facilities Technicians Team Greg Adams, John Bell, Miguel Whitlow

Outstanding Secretarial or Administrative Support AwardFederal Aviation AdministrationLeBrenda Shephard

Outstanding Team Award Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Red Cell and Iron Disorder Dr. Althea Grant, Mary Hulihan, Sean Trimble,Melissa Creary, Kristy Kenney, Shae Pope

Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service - The Thomas Liederbach Memorial AwardEnvironmental Protection AgencyWilliam "Bill" Cox

Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service - Group Award Internal Revenue Service, W.I.L.L. TEAMLawrence Mosblech, Karen Bailey, Liz Evans,Kevin Morehead, Jon Bird, Floria Davis, Darlene Rhodes, Tammy Cooke,Kathy Primm, Linda Glass

Wanda Mitchell,

"Resources, to produce results, must be allocated to opportunities rather than to

problems. Needless to say, one cannot shrug off all

problems, but they can and should be minimized"

- Peter F. DruckerManaging for Results

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A T L A N T A F E B N E W Sstaff

Please contact us with any questions/comments you may have.

If you would like to submit an article, please do so by the 15th of the month.

The Right Focus - Atlanta FEB Newsletter is designed by Barbara Holzworth, GSA, FAS

and published by Pat Brown, DLA Documents Services

Jim McSweeneyChairperson

Ronald J. StephensExecutive Director/Editor

Phone: (404) 331-4400 Fax: (404) 331-4270

75 Spring Street, Richard B. Russell Federal Building, Suite 1142, Atlanta, GA 30303

Volume 13, Issue 1July/July/August 2013

Outstanding Customer Service Award - Individual/Group Internal Revenue ServiceCustomer Early Warning Systems Team Pete Stipek, Ivey McChesney, David Alito,Terry Lemons, Liz Evans, Tom Martin,Greg DelColumbo, Cindy Vanderpool,

Bob Bolard, Wayne Ford, Karin Rice

Outstanding Employee with a Disability AwardEnvironmental Protection AgencyElmore Johnson

Outstanding Law Enforcement AwardHHS - Office of Inspector General - Office of Investigations Rick Burguieres, Chris Covington,Reginald France, Christopher Dennis,Derrick Jackson, Ryan Lynch, Brian Martens,Kelly McCoy, Edye Palma, Omar Perez

Outstanding Partnership Award (Interagency)HIFA - Health Information For America Team IRS, USDA, DOL, FEMA, CMS, FDASerita Rogers, Adrienne White, Monique Folson, Silvia Tolvar, Antoinette Banks, Claude Hyacinthe, Gou "Jack" Shen, Judy Weaver

Outstanding Partnership Award (External)Environmental Protection AgencyPA Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit TeamWayne Garfinkel, Anthony Toney, Matt Robbins, Paul Wagner, Henry Slack, Robert Safay

Congratulations to these winners who represent the best in government. We appreciate your commitment and dedication. A tremendous thank you again to the Administration for Children and Families, Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Contract Management Agency for hosting a fantastic event.

Diane Fox,

Chairperson...From The

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND EMPLOYEE SAFETY

n May 20, 2013 at 5:00 EDT many Atlanta federal agencies were notified that tornadoes had damaged many buildings, housing, federal workers, and particularly hard hit was downtown Atlanta. Through the evenings damage reports were sent via the Atlanta Federal Executive Board's Emergency Notification System. These messages prompted many federal agencies to enact their COOP (Continuity of Operations Plan) or portions of the plan on May 21, 2013.

Fortunately for Atlanta, this was only an exercise. However, as the first message and exercise began for the Atlanta metropolitan area, CNN was showing live coverage of the tornadoes hitting Moore, Oklahoma. The coverage was a sobering reminder that the reality of a disaster can occur at any time and federal agencies must be able to continue their essential mission functions with little notice. Thus exercising the COOP plan became more critical.

This was the first time that multiple federal agencies had simultaneously participated in an exercise. Throughout the day on May 21, 2013 various messages, also known as injects, were sent out to the agencies on a timeline of one

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Atlanta Federal Executive BoardMulti-Agency COOP Exercise 2013

day after the disaster, five days after the event, and twenty days after the event. Each inject was targeted to specific issues such as employee accountability, building safety, mission essential functions, and reconstitution. Agencies participated in various degrees; several actually went to their alternate worksite. Many instituted telework virtually. Others had small groups that met to discuss the scenarios. Each inject allowed the agencies to identify strengths and weaknesses. In their After-Action reports, agencies were able to list areas of improvement.

During the day, a conference call was conducted for all agencies to report their operating status. Opening remarks were provided by James McSweeney, National Archives and Records Agency and Chair of the Atlanta Federal Executive Board and M. Phil May, Regional Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region 4. Ronald Stephens, Executive Director of the Atlanta FEB did a roll call of approximately 130 federal agencies. At that time approximately 60 federal agencies in the Atlanta metropolitan area participated in the call. Agencies reported on whether they had or had not cooped, to what extent, and status of employees. The call lasted approximately 45 minutes. Additionally, reports were given by the National Weather Service, Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management, and GSA on the status of buildings, weather, and services.

A brief meeting of the Emergency Steering Committee was held at 12:00 pm EDT. This meeting reviewed ongoing progress and areas of improvement such as consistent messaging in a real emergency, duplicate emails, and the role of FEB.

While the exercise ended at 2:45 pm EDT, the work does not stop. The FEB will be issuing a cumulative after-action report with comments submitted by many different agencies. Agencies will revise their COOP plans, and may execute the plan again. The FEB will identify trends among agencies and make recommendations such asadditional training. In the event adisaster strikes, Atlanta and thefederal family will be able tocontinue their mission and work.

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Every Week, Small Business Week

The Federal Executive Board Offers Three, New Detail Opportunities in 2013

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN CAPITOL READINESSKim AmisMs. Amis joined the staff on February 2013, at the Atlanta Federal Board (FEB) on a detail assignment. Ms. Amis comes to the FEB from the United States Postal Service (USPS) where she serves as the Atlanta District Manager - Learning Development Diversity.

Gayle AlstonMs. Alston joined the staff of the Atlanta Federal Board (FEB) on a detail assignment on March 2013. Ms. Alston comes to the FEB from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4 where she was in the role of Reg

Deborah Bradley Ms. Bradley joined the staff of the Atlanta Federal Board (FEB) on a detail assignment March 2013. Ms. Bradley comes to the FEB from the United States Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration (USDOL-ETA) where she served as a Workforce Development Specialist.

ional Training Manager.

Submitted by: Mark D. Gibson

Each year since 1963, the President has issued a proclamation calling for the celebration of Small Business Week. This year, which marks the 50th anniversary, National Small Business Week will be June 17-21, 2013. To learn more go to www.sba.gov/nsbw.com. Small Business Person of the Year winners from 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam will converge in Washington, D.C. June 21, 2013 to mark the annual celebration.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Georgia District Office is pleased to announce Beth Cayce, founder and CEO of CaraVita Home Care, Roswell Georgia, as the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year 2013. “Being named the Small Business Person of the Year exemplifies Beth's business acumen, hard work, and innovative ideas,” said Terri Denison, District Director. “Each year we sponsor this awards program to honor and recognize the achievement, spirit and

commitment of Georgia's small business community.”

“Over the past year, I have observed an increasing optimism among Georgia's small business. Many that survived “The Great Recession” find themselves stronger and in a better competitive position because of the lessons learned,” said Terri Denison, District Director. “Small Business Week is the perfect opportunity to highlight the spirit of entrepreneurism and achievements in the small business community.”

Every week is Small Business Week at the Georgia District Office. There is a robust schedule of events, training and seminars located at www.sba.gov/ga. Your local SBA is just a click away to helping you navigate the next steps of the entrepreneurship journey.

By order of the Governor, Georgia Small Business Week was May 20-24. Pictured above from left to right: Terri Denison, District Director, Beth Cayce Small Business Person of the year (2013), Gov. Nathan Deal, Lois Judy and Laura Darnall, Exporter of the year (2013) and Small Business Person of the year (2012). (Photo by Mark. D. Gibson)

Sabrina Cunningham, Program Analyst and Joann Swain, Administrative Officer from Region II supported the Federal Executive Board (FEB) of Atlanta, GA with their Federal Open House exhibit at the Jimmy Carter Library/Museum on April 22, 2013. This event was for high school and homeschooled students that gave students an opportunity to interact with different government agency's mission to promote community service. This forum provided an excellent atmosphere to speak to young men about registration, and to ensure they know how to register with Selective Service System.

From left to right: Region II Staff: Sabrina Cunningham, Program Analyst, and JoAnn Swain, Administrative Officer

FEB EXHIBIT 2013

Volume 13, Issue 1 July/July/August 2013

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News About the US Census Bureau

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HUMAN CAPITOL READINESS

George Grandy Jr., Regional Director

Our Mission

he Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. We honor privacy, protect confidentiality, share our expertise globally, and conduct our work openly. We are guided on this mission by our strong and capable workforce, our readiness to innovate, and our abiding commitment to our customers.

Recently, the Census Bureau underwent a major restructuring by closing 6 of its 12 Field Regional Offices. This was necessary to reduce cost and realize operational efficiencies while improving the high quality of census and survey data.

The Atlanta Regional Office remained open, but grew exponentially as new geography was added. Beginning on January 1, 2013, states within the new Atlanta Region area include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The Atlanta Regional Office is responsible for all data collection, data dissemination and geographic operations under a new service area boundary. This new service area boundary is part of the Field Realignment as shown on this Map of New Regional Office Structure [PDF 632k].

The seven states within the Atlanta Region are brimming with diversity and with recent population estimates over 56 million, it constitutes the largest workload of any of the 6 Census regions.

We confront challenges presented by cultural and language differences, along with distinct

rural and urban settings that range from the swamplands of Louisiana and Georgia to the international metropolises that are Atlanta and Miami. We traverse such trials with a mix of an experienced workforce and a diversity that mirrors the areas in which our workers live and carry out data collection business.

These U.S. Census Bureau collected data are used for a variety of important legislative, programmatic and community needs.

How Our Data are Used

To determine the distribution of Congressional seats to states–

mandated by the U.S. Constitutionused to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives

used to define legislature districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government

(Find out about the 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program at www.census.gov/rdo/)

To make decisions about what community services to provide

Changes in your community are crucial to many planning decisions, such as where to:

provide services for the elderly

where to build new roads and schools

or where to locate job training centers

To distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year Census data affects how funding is allocated to communities for:

neighborhood improvements

public health

education

transportation

and much more

To provide Age Search information for:

qualifying for Social Security and other retirement benefits

passport applications

proving relationship in settling estates

researching family history or a historical topic

The Census Bureau has dedicated decades to collecting, processing and sharing quality data collected from its many censuses and surveys. With a growing number of data access tools, including a new foray into innovative data visualization galleries and eye-catching infographics, it has never been easier to navigate to numbers that can help anyone…from a student writing a research paper, to a major enterprise utilizing demographics to determine significant business dealings. An enhanced national data dissemination initiative also puts Census data experts at your disposal; you can contact [email protected] to learn more about FREE data workshops.

Our nation continues to change and evolve. Some areas show great differences in population, while others may have a marked movement in diversity. Communities may trend towards younger families with more children, or others might be maturing with an aging people. It is crucial that quality data continue to form the foundation for informed, important decisions that must be made at the national, state and local levels. The collection of such quality data will continue to be the top priority within the Atlanta Region of the U.S. Census Bureau.

The seven states within the Atlanta Region are brimming with diversity and with recent population estimates over 56 million, it constitutes the largest workload of any of the 6 Census regions.

GSA Awards GRITS II Telecommunications

Contract

he GSA Region 4 Integrated Telecommunications Service (GRITS) II contract was awarded on April 1, 2013. GRITS II enables federal agencies to realize significant savings off tariff rates for local telecommunication services. If your agency is paying tariff rates for telecommunications services, consider GRITS II. The overall savings to the government for the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple award, fixed price, performance-based contract is $352 million. The GRITS II contract has a four-year base period plus six optional years. Federal agencies can use assisted services for

ordering and billing or agencies can opt to use the new Direct Order, Direct Bill feature and get the Delegation of Authority to make awards against the GRITS II contract.

Register to attend the GRITS II Telecommunication Services Educational Seminar in the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, 2nd Floor Conference Center on July 18th from 9 am until noon. To register, go to www.gsa.gov/events and look for the July 18th event or [email protected] for more information.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 Office of External Affairs

ATLANTA – Atlanta's loss is the nation's gain as EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming was recently selected to serve as chief of staff for the agency.

In her new role, Fleming will serve as a senior advisor to the EPA Administrator and agency senior leadership. She will also be responsible for managing the Office of the Administrator. She assumed her new duties in Washington D.C., on June 3, 2013.

President Barack Obama appointed Fleming as the Region 4 Regional Administrator in September 2010. Prior to coming to EPA Region 4, she held office as the DeKalb County District Attorney in January 2005 making her the first African-American and first woman ever to serve in this post. She also served as the first woman, first African-American and youngest to ever be elected as DeKalb's Solicitor General.

“We are fortunate to have Gwen, with her considerable leadership and managerial experience, join us in Washington, D.C,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “During her tenure as Regional Administrator she has tackled many tough environmental issues, including nutrient pollution in Florida's waterways and mountaintop mining, I am confident that she will do exceedingly well in fulfilling her new responsibilities and will continue to contribute significantly to the work we do every day as One EPA,” he added.

As Regional Administrator for an expansive area covering eight Southeastern states and six tribes, Fleming focused on advancing the Administration's priorities of protecting public health and the environment, including: taking action on climate change, improving air quality, assuring safety of chemicals, protecting America's waters, expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice and building strong state and tribal partnerships.

my Service

Social Security

my Social Security is an online account that allows people quick access to their personal Social Security information. During a person’s working years, my Social Security can be used to obtain a Social Security Statement to check his or her earnings record and see estimates of future retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. For people who already receive Social Security benefits, the my Social Security service can be used to get a benefit verification letter, to check benefit payment information, to start or change direct deposit, and to let us know about a change of address or phone number. Try it out now at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

Learn more about how you can help others with my Social Security at our page designed for advocates, social service agencies, and other third parties.

You’ll find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/thirdparty.html.

By Patti Patterson, Social Security Regional Communications Director in Atlanta

EPA Region 4 AdministratorSelected As Agency Chief of Staff

Under her leadership, EPA Region 4 advanced several important issues and continues to lead national implementation of Agency policy and guidance. She incorporated the One EPA philosophy into daily operations in order to better serve the communities protected by the agency. She also led regional incorporation of several innovative programs and initiatives designed to expand the environmental conversation to members of the federal family and non-traditional partners such as the faith-based community.

Fleming is a New Jersey native and earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Douglass College, the all-women's college affiliated with Rutgers University. She earned her law degree from the Emory University School of Law.

She is a former president of Emory Law School's Alumni Association, has served as an Emory University School of Law adjunct professor and received the institution's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007 among other legal honors. She is a member of the National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP, a graduate of the Leadership DeKalb Class of 1999, the Leadership Georgia Class of 2000 and the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2007. Most recently, she served in the prestigious position of Chair of the Combined Federal Campaign, the largest charitable organization in existence.

In March 2001, Fleming was inducted into the Douglass College Alumna Hall of Fame for her contributions to the law and the community. She is the youngest alumna to be so honored in the college's history.

Fleming credits her parents, Ursula Keyes, a retired registered nurse and her late father, Andrew J. Keyes, a former Tuskegee Airman, as the reason for her commitment to community service. She says that her parents “taught her to have compassion and serve people who cannot help themselves.” She is married to Randal Fleming and they have two sons.

“We are fortunate to have Gwen, with her considerable leadership and managerial experience, join us in Washington, D.C,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe.



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n Thursday, May 23, 2013 The Social Security Administration held its 23rd Annual Memorial Day Observance recognizing the brave service men and women who died serving our country. This year's theme was “Honoring and Remembering the Brave Hearts of America”

The Special Guest speaker was Colonel Marshall S. Irvin Jr., Commander 94th Mission Support Group Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. Social Security Regional Commissioner, Michael Grochowski and

Social Security AdministrationMemorial Day Observance

USDA Employee Finishes Strongin Memorial Day 10K Race

GSA Region 4CommemoratesMemorial Day

By Steve Watson, Southeast Regional Volunteer Writer for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service

t was not a race between the hare and the tortoise, but the finish was almost as dramatic. John Beall, a data analyst with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, emerged in the final minutes to place 15th in the Memorial Day 10K Race in Marietta on May 27, 2013.

“I finished strong with my last mile being the fastest,” Beall said. “I was satisfied with my time but expect to improve it at the next race.”

Beall completed the 6.2 mile course in forty-four minutes and fifty-three seconds which equates to 7 minutes and thirteen seconds per mile. He was one of 234 runners who participated in the 10K race. It benefited the Armed Forces Foundation which is an

n May 22, 2013, GSA Southeast Sunbelt Region held a Memorial Day Ceremony to honor those who have bravely served our country. David G. Hofstetter (U.S. Army, Director of the Client Solutions Division) served as master of ceremonies. "Freedom is Not Free" was the theme of the program with special guest speaker, Captain Robert "Punchy" Powell, a 92-year-old Fighter Pilot who flew in WWII and Korea.

Capt. Powell shared some of his incredible experiences as a Fighter Pilot. He became an Aviation Cadet following Pearl Harbor. After basic military and flight training, Capt. Powell joined the 352nd Fighter Group at Bodney. He flew some 83 combat missions in Thunderbolts and Mustangs, where he ran up an unofficial score of six enemy aircraft destroyed, two probables, and seven damaged, including destruction of the first German Luftwaffe HE-177 long range bomber. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC), the Air Medal with three OLC, and the Presidential Unit Citation as a member of the 352nd Fighter Group.

The ceremony recognized the 249 employees in Region 4 that have served in the military followed by a moment of silence for fallen soldiers. GSA employees Carrie Smith (U.S. Army) and Gene E. Morrison, Jr. (U.S. Coast Guard) commemorated the service and sacrifice of our Veterans with a Missing Man Table, Fallen Soldier Tribute, and a poem honoring those we have lost.

GSA is proud to commemorate those who have served our country. We will always remember that freedom is not free.

Memorial Day2013

Lt. Colonel R. Scott Davis, EPA, lead the wreath laying ceremony. The 94th Airlift Wing Base Honor Guard, Bag Piper, Thomas Keen and Pipes and Drum, John Mohr Mackintosh also participated in the ceremony.

Social Security appreciates those who gave graciously of their time to join us as we honored these men and women who gallantly served our country. The event was held at the Sam Nunn Federal Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

TO HONOR AND REMEMBER

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Pictured above, from left to right: Erv Koehler, R4 GSA FASCommissioner, John Smith, R4 GSA PBS Commissioner, Captain Robert “Punchy” Powell,Sara Manzano-Diaz, R4 GSA Acting Regional Administrator, Dave Hofstetter, R4 GSA PBS, Director of Client Solutions

Pictured above from left to right: Michael Grochowski, Social SecurityRegional Commissioner, Colonel Marshall S. Irvin Jr., Commander94th Mission Support Group Dobbins Air Reserve Base and Lt. Colonel R. Scott Davis, Environmental Protection Agency

organization dedicated to providing comfort and support to members of the U.S. military and their families during times of need.

The race started at the LA Fitness on Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, and the route was basically on Piedmont Road the entire time.

“Based on the fact that this course had some challenging hills and the distance was far, his finish time was excellent,” said Otis Spears, a Deputy Director in Financial Management for USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, and an accomplished runner. “It was also an amazing finish because the course was out and back rather than point to point and that in itself can cause some psychological challenges because running is a mental game.”

This 10K was Beall's 8th 6.2 mile race, but it was the first for him this year. He prepared for the race by running after work at least 4 days a week and at least 5 miles at a time.

“The most difficult part of any race for me is always the first mile as it takes awhile to warm up even with all the stretching I do,” Beall said. “But the half-way point of any race I run is always my favorite as I know I will be able to turn up the speed and then successfully finish the race.”

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We C.A.R.E Training:Huge SUCCESS!

OCR Atlanta Spotlights theAdministrative Team

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OCR Atlanta is pleased to spotlight the administrative team. The team serves as the first point of contact for the public with OCR, whether through regular mail, telephone, email or fax, and it is where a com-plaint received by OCR starts. The mission and purpose of the team is to process new com-plaints and provide excellent customer service. The team works tirelessly to advance its mission, and will often return phone calls even after regular business hours. In addition to retrieving the online complaints and processing new ones, the team provides office manage-ment support including admin-istrative support to staff. It processes employee time and attendance, logs incoming and outgoing mail, and processes travel and supply requests. The team is tightly knit and keeps the office running and organized. The team is the glue that holds the office together.

Each member has a lot of life experience as well as OCR expe-rience. In their spare time, team members are involved in many community and volunteer activities. In fact, one team member, Glenavary Rasheed, was recently recognized by Secretary of

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 23, 2013

President Obama Announces His Intent to Nominate Katherine Archuleta as Director of the Office of Personnel ManagementWASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Katherine Archuleta as Director of the Office of Personnel Management. If confirmed, she will be the first Latina to head the agency.

President Obama said, “Katherine brings to the Office of Personnel Management broad experience and a deep commitment to recruiting and retaining a world-class workforce for the American people. I am grateful Katherine has agreed to serve, and I look forward to working with her in the coming years.”

Katherine Archuleta, Nominee for Director, Office of Personnel Management

Katherine Archuleta most recently served as National Political Director for Obama for America, a position she held from 2011 to 2012. Prior to this, Ms. Archuleta served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2009 to 2011. From October 2005 to May 2009, she served as a Senior Advisor on Policy and Initiatives for the City and County of Denver, Colorado. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation from 2002 to 2005. Ms. Archuleta was the Director of Professional Services for Davis, Graham and Stubbs, LLP from 2000 to 2002 and Co-Founder and Principal of the Center for Regional and Neighborhood Action from 1997 to 2000. She served as Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy in 1997. From 1993 to 1997, Ms. Archuleta served at the U.S. Department of Transportation, first as Deputy Chief of Staff and then as Chief of Staff. She served as an adjunct professor at the University of Denver from 1992 to 1993. Prior to that, she worked in a number of roles in the Office of the Mayor of Denver from 1983 to 1991, including Deputy Chief of Staff. Ms. Archuleta received a B.A. from Metropolitan State College and a M.Ed. from the University of Northern Colorado.

ederal employees throughout the metro-Atlanta area took to heart the Interagency Learning and Development Council's (ILDC) suggestion to "Invest in YOURSELF" by attending the inaugural We C.A.R.E. (Career Action Readiness Experience) Workshop on June 26 in the MLK Federal Building. The interactive training for GS-5 to GS-10 employees included a self-assessment and sessions on business etiquette and communicating with success. Due to the overwhelming interest in the free training, the Council may host future seminars.

This was the first public training offered, sponsored and instructed by members of the Interagency Learning and Development Council for all federal metro-area agencies. The ILDC meets monthly to discuss



workforce development, common challenges, and partnering opportunities with other federal agencies residing in the Atlanta metro area. As training professionals, we have co-sponsored cost related training and shared empty seats with employees at sister agencies which resulted in a richer and more diversified learning experience for the participants.

With the cuts in federal funding, especially in training, the ILDC has offered many free training opportunities to its members. The ILDC meets the first Thursday of each month. This Council falls under the Atlanta Federal Executive Board. If you would like additional information, please contact: Alan Berry [email protected] orPaulette Henry [email protected].

Education Arne Duncan for her tireless volunteer services to veter-ans and their families in metro Atlanta.

The majority of the team members, who include two pathway interns, have been employed with OCR for over 25 years, which totals over 125 years of experience.

From left Myrtis Clay, Deborah P. Johnson, Lizzie Wal-ters, Daniel Sorbera, Glenavary Rasheed, Doris Shields and Lizann Destin, OCR Atlanta


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The United States Postal Service - Everywhere, EverydayBy Salvatore Vacca, District Manager and Lead Executive, Atlanta District – U.S. Postal Service

he U.S. Postal Service is proud to be recognized as one of the most trusted federal agencies in America. This is a trust born out of more than 200 years of delivering service to every American in small towns and large cities from coast to coast.

Providing universal service to every address in America for one uniform, affordable price is our mission. It's a mission we gladly embrace six days a week throughout the year.

To say the Postal Service is large would be an understatement. We have more than 30,000 facilities across the country (more than Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Starbucks combined), a delivery fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles (second only to the U.S. military) and more than 600,000 employees.

We process and deliver nearly 40% of the world's total mail volume (more than the next top five countries combined) at a cost that remains among the lowest in the industrialized world and service more than150,000 residential and business addresses each day. And we do all this without the use of taxpayer dollars. With annual revenues of more than $65 billion, if we were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank near the top of the Fortune 500.

Today's Postal Service faces more challenges than at any time in its history. Changes in the public's mailing habits, along with advancements in technology which make communicating by means other than hard copy convenient and inexpensive, have required the Postal Service to continue to reinvent itself in order to remain relevant in the eyes of our customers.

The Postal Service is developing a new business model, one that reflects the needs of today's customers, investing in new products and services and streamlining operations to become a leaner, smarter and faster organization.

But despite these many challenges, reports of the demise of the Postal Service have been greatly exaggerated. Even though mail volumes have declined steadily over the past decade, the U.S. Postal Service remains the core of an $800 billion mailing industry that employs more than 8 million people.


America's businesses rely on the Postal Service to provide a highly effective marketing channel and a means of delivering physical goods, content and communications by way of mail and packages. The Postal Service remains a fundamentally strong organization that understands its role within the American economy.

But the Postal Service is more than technology, brick and mortar, and vehicles. The backbone of the Postal Service is its people.

The Postal Service is the Retail Associate who helps a customer properly prepare and address a package to ensure that it arrives at its destination intact and on time.

It's the letter carrier whose presence in the community has become so commonplace that customers treat them like family. It's literally hundreds of these letter carriers across the country who each year perform heroic—sometimes lifesaving – acts that remind our customers that they don't just serve the community, they are a part of the community.

It's the postal employee or the familiar red-white-and-blue delivery vehicle coming down the street in an area after it has been devastated by tornadoes or other acts of nature that give residents that reassuring feeling of a return to normalcy in their neighborhoods.

Our employees also go above and beyond their required duties to support the communities in which they live and work.

Each May, letter carriers collect food for donation to local food banks and food pantries. This year's 'Stamp Out Hunger' food drive, the largest one-day food drive in the country, collected more than 74 million pounds of food, bringing the total collected to well over a billion pounds since the food drive's inception 21 years ago.

Thanks to the generosity of our customers, local letter carriers collected more than 400,000 pounds of food throughout the Atlanta District.

Each year postal employees are among the largest contributors to the Combined Federal Campaign, supporting charitable agencies through monetary donations and

through volunteer efforts to help those less fortunate than themselves.

We assist with efforts to find missing children and we support bone marrow matching programs, participate in walks/runs to raise funds to fight major diseases and support education efforts through local Adopt-A-School programs.

Postal employees are proud to take part in these and other programs on the local and national levels. But, we take just as much pride in the services we provide to our neighbors on a daily basis.

And, we do this without losing sight of our core mission. As it has throughout its history, the Postal Service continues to bind this nation together and play an indispensable role in America's economy and society. It's a role we have played for more than 200 years, and one we expect to play for many years to come.

We are the United States Postal Service. Everywhere, every day.

We have more than 30,000 facilities across the country (more than Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Starbucks combined), a delivery fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles (second only to the U.S. military) and more than 600,000 employees.

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by Davina Marraccini, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4 [email protected]

ATLANTA – On May 17, 2013 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Transportation and Urban Development, the Army Corp of Engineers and the Centers for Disease Control, along with other federal partners, announced that the Urban Waters Federal Partnership is expanding to Proctor Creek in Atlanta, Ga. Proctor Creek is one of only 11 communities nationwide to be newly selected for the partnership.

EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Nancy Stoner was joined by EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Stan Meiburg and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in announcing the Proctor Creek partnership during a press conference at Maddox Park. The announcement marked the first stop of a Proctor Creek tour planned as part of the National Brownfields Conference held on May 15-17 in Atlanta. Officials from the many partnering federal, state and local agencies, along with business, nonprofit and community leaders were also present.

Americans use urban waterways as sources of drinking water and for a variety of activities including boating, fishing and swimming. Revitalizing these urban waterways will reconnect citizens to open spaces, and have a positive economic impact on local businesses, tourism and property values, as well as spur private investment and job creation in communities.

“This is an unprecedented partnership,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA's Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “Thirteen federal agencies supporting local efforts—in both the public and private sectors—to transform degraded, forgotten waterways into neighborhood centerpieces that revitalize the surrounding communities.”

“Safe, clean rivers, lakes and streams are an important part of what makes urban communities work,” said Ed Jennings, Jr., Regional Administrator, HUD Region 4. “HUD strongly supports the Urban Waters Partnership and welcomes Proctor Creek's selection. HUD will continue to work with our


EPA, Federal Agencies Expand Urban Waterway RevitalizationEffort to Proctor Creek in Atlanta

federal partners and the participating local communities to align appropriate HUD resources with water cleanup efforts.”

“The revitalization of Proctor Creek will transform neighborhoods throughout northwest Atlanta,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “With the help of federal and community partners, this effort will spur economic development, connect communities with new recreation opportunities and green space, and integrate critical investments in storm and wastewater management. This public-private partnership demonstrates Atlanta's commitment to becoming a top-tier sustainable city.”

“Communities in and around the Proctor Creek Watershed have long suffered from pollution caused by Atlanta's aging sewer infrastructure, disinvestment in the urban core, illegal dumping and other environmental and public health hazards,” said Na'Taki Osborne Jelks, Chair of the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. “The strength of the Partnership will be realized through collaboration with residents who have assets, local knowledge and a history of action focused on restoring the watershed.”

The Proctor Creek watershed, part of the larger Chattahoochee River watershed, is 16 square miles with a population of 127,418 people living in over 25 different neighborhoods. Decades of neglect have resulted in numerous environmental challenges—from tire dumping and brownfields to impaired water quality and pervasive flooding. Many of these environmental problems pose additional health risks to people residing in the surrounding communities.

Through the Proctor Creek partnership, agencies are working to recreate a sustainable creekside community in the city—transforming overlooked assets and driving urban revival. Four federal agencies are serving as “champions” for the local effort: EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

With the addition of 11 new locations across the country, the work of the partnership, now

in 18 communities, will expand to the country's largest cities and underserved communities. These projects will further the goals of the partnership and address a wide range of issues such as improving water quality, restoring ecosystems and enhancing public access to urban waters. A progress report recently released details the successes and plans for future actions at each program location, as well as actions taken by each of the federal partners.

Launched in 2011, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership closely aligns with and advances the work of other White House efforts such as the Partnership for Sustainable Communities by revitalizing communities, creating jobs and improving the quality of life in cities and towns. The partnership also supports President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative aimed at making the federal government a better partner with communities that are working to provide safe, healthy and accessible outdoor spaces.

The participating agencies are:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / U.S. Department of Energy / U.S. Department of Education / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency / U.S. Economic Development Administration / U.S. Forest Service / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development / U.S. Department of Interior / U.S. Department of Transportation / Corporation for National and Community Service / Federal Emergency Management Agency / National Center for Environmental Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The 10 additional new project locations are:

Big River and Meramec River watersheds near St. Louis, Mo / Delaware River Basin that covers Philadelphia, Camden, N.J., Chester, Pa., and Wilmington, Del. / Grand River in Grand Rapids, Mich. / Green-Duwamish River in Seattle / Mystic River watershed in Greater Boston / Martin Pena Canal in San Juan, P.R. / Middle Blue River in Kansas City, Mo. / Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque, N.M. / Passaic River in Newark, N.J. / Western Lake Erie Basin near Toledo, Ohio

More information about the Urban Waters Federal Partnership: http://www.urbanwaters.gov

More information about Proctor Creek: http://www.atlantawatershed.org/bureaus/storm/proctor-creek-watershed/index.htm


While everyone recognizes the importance of science at CDC, strong management is equally critical to protecting the agency's integrity and advancing its public health mission.

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CDC’s Ron Campbell Shines asAtlanta’s FEB 2013 OutstandingManager of the YearBy Stacey Hoffman

Ron Campbell's passion for public service began in the Solomon Islands as a young Peace Corps Volunteer. As a construction project manager, it was his job to help build capacity and ensure that each

project he oversaw was sustainablelong term. Years later, Mr. Campbell brings the same entrepreneurial spirit and desire to build something sustainable into his work as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Executive Secretariat (DES).

DES, a division of CDC's Office of the Chief of Staff within the Office of the Director (OD), houses critical agency functions: controlled correspondence (documents to or from the CDC Director), Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) engagements and recommendations, clearance of non-scientific documents, and records management for the CDC Director. This work is critical in protecting the agency's integrity and advancing CDC's primary mission—to protect the nation's health and improve public health around the world.

During his five-year tenure as Division Director, one of Mr. Campbell's greatest achievements has been his initiation of new efficiencies, which have made a tremendous impact. Under his leadership, DES has absorbed a 200-percent workload increase with only one additional full-time equivalent (FTE). Also, by leveraging technology and introducing an electronic official records system, the division achieved a 15-percent efficiency gain, as well as a future savings of $140,000 with a significant reduction of paper usage (by 625,000 sheets). This same system is now being adopted by other OD offices, which could generate a savings of approximately $1.6 million. Mr. Campbell also oversaw the revision of DES's electronic reporting system. This immediately resulted in an annual efficiency savings of 162 FTE hours (equivalent to one FTE month or about $8,900) and made DES CDC's “Sustainability Star” for August 2010.

GETTING TO KNOW NHTSA

WHO ARE WE? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation, was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970, as the successor to the National Highway Safety Bureau, to carry out safety programs under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 and the Highway Safety Act of 1966. The Vehicle Safety Act has subsequently been recodified under Title 49 of the U. S. Code in Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety. NHTSA also carries out consumer programs established by the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972, which has been recodified in various Chapters under Title 49.

NHTSA is headquartered in Washington, DC and has 10 Regional offices around the country that work on the agency's mission to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related healthcare and other economic costs. Each Regional office provides numerous services to its States, as well as other public and private sector customers. These services include, but are not limited to, technical assistance, administering the agency's grant fund programs, assisting in coalition building, and delivering training.

NHTSA's mission is accomplished by setting and enforcing safety performance standards for motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment, and through grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs.

NHTSA also investigates safety defects in motor vehicles, sets and enforces fuel economy standards, helps states and local communities reduce the threat of drunk drivers, promotes the use of safety belts, child safety seats and air bags, investigates odometer fraud, establishes and enforces vehicle anti-theft regulations and provides consumer information on motor vehicle safety topics.

NHTSA also conducts research on driver behavior and traffic safety, to develop the most efficient and effective means of bringing about safety improvements. That research has shown that the most effective tool to reduce deaths and injuries on our roadways is through the use of high visibility enforcement campaigns coupled with strong media efforts. Click It or Ticket is one of NHTSA's most successful programs that utilizes this tool of focusing on drivers that are unbelted and using a paid media strategy that lets motorists know they will be ticketed if they are unbelted. The campaign just recently ended, running from May 20 – June 2.

NHTSA's annual enforcement crackdown and the launch of a nationwide, multi-year advertising campaign aimed at getting drunk drivers off the road: "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” also utilizes the tools of high visibility enforcement and paid media. This year, the crackdown will take place from August 16 – September 2.

Due to the success of Click It or Ticket and Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, fatalities on our nation's roadways are the lowest they have ever been (32,367 in 2011) since 1949. Seat belt use is also at its highest level nationwide, with 86% buckling up in 2012, up from 59% in 1991.


While the improvement of efficiencies is critical to an agency like CDC, Mr. Campbell and his staff have been able to increase efficiencies while simultaneously improving quality. Increased accountability has dramatically improved CDC's response time for controlled correspondence from 14.9 days in FY 2011 down to 11.33 days in FY 2012, a 24-percent improvement.

Under Mr. Campbell's leadership, DES has also adapted successfully to new agency priorities. For example, last year DES oversaw the first overseas audits of CDC posts involved in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Mr. Campbell personally brought together OIG for CDC's parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and OIG for the Department of State (DoS), so the HHS OIG team could benefit from DoS' vast experience conducting overseas audits. As a result, the HHS OIG successfully audited three posts (Vietnam, Namibia, and South Africa).

In addition, Mr. Campbell has successfully managed, for the fourth year in a row, an increased volume of OIG/GAO engagements—a record of 91 through September 15, 2012, including a record of high-profile engagements (e.g., Vaccines for Children, PEPFAR, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Affordable Care Act, and World Trade Center). These important audits are critical to CDC's continued involvement in PEPFAR and a strong indication to our partners and Congress that CDC is a serious and reliable steward of government funds.

Despite juggling a multitude of complex projects, Mr. Campbell makes mentoring his staff a top priority. In addition to maintaining an open-door policy, he conducts individual meetings with each of his employees at least six times a year. During these meetings, he discusses each employee's accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses, and training and career growth opportunities.

While everyone recognizes the importance of science at CDC, strong management is equally critical to protecting the agency's integrity and advancing its public health mission. CDC is lucky to have a manager with Mr. Campbell's creative, entrepreneurial spirit and his tremendous work ethic. He is truly deserving of the title of FEB's 2013 Outstanding Manager of the Year.


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ust over 10 ½ years ago the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) began its operations in Atlanta. Since that time there have been many, many changes in what TSA does, where and how they do it, and who it impacts.

TSA as an organization started on the run and has not slowed down nor looked back. It is in a constant state of innovation, moving forward from “one size fits all screening” to today's intelligence drive risk based security concept.

So what is there to know about TSA? Its mission is “To protect the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.” In order to do this the TSA has responsibilities for a wide range of areas including:

Focusing on people (travelers, workers, crews, vendors)

Performing 100% baggage inspection (checked and carry-on)

Cargo Inspections (on passenger planes and cargo planes)

Enhancing aircraft security

Ensuring airport perimeter security

Working on transit, rail, and surface transportation security related matters in areas such as ports, rail and bus stations and pipelines.

Most of us have probably only thought about the TSA mission as it relates to going through the security checkpoint at the world's busiest airport here in Atlanta.

In September 2002 TSA Atlanta started with 250 passenger screening officers and is now a force of passenger and baggage officers, regulatory inspectors, trainers, behavior detection officers and a support staff. It is on the leading edge of new security screening procedures and technology, Atlanta often serves as a pilot site for future procedures and equipment.

Under the leadership of the Federal Security Director (FSD) TSA Atlanta has and continues to make great strides in operations enhancement. It will be challenging to surpass the distinction of being selected as the Airport of the Year in 2012 in the large airport category. This significant national recognition was well earned by the professional and conscientious members of TSA Atlanta.


What’s There To Know About TSA?The watchwords by which TSA Atlanta operates are Communication, Accountability, Professionalism and Success. So what are some of the unique things that you might not think of when you hear “TSA?”

In addition to being the 2012 Airport of the year, TSA Atlanta is an active participant in working with local organizations in Conyers and Sandy Springs to honor our World War II and Korean War veterans by providing expedited screening for these great men and women who travel to Washington, DC on Honor Flights. The veterans are met at the curb by a contingent from TSA and escorted to the security checkpoint where the TSA honor guard stands ready to welcome them as they continue their journey which begins in the early morning hours. The veterans are then screened and escorted to their flight where the honor guard along with other hosts sends them on their way.

Almost daily, TSA officers proudly participate in the Wounded Warrior Program. Under this program TSA officers assist members of the military who have been injured while serving our country and are beginning or ending air travel at ATL or perhaps just connecting from one gate to another. TSA officers meet the warriors and assist as necessary to facilitate a swift and smooth transition through this dynamic airport. This type of assistance is not typically associated with TSA or its mission.

TSA Atlanta is a willing and very supportive agency through many different assistance programs. Through the Combined Federal Campaign, TSA Atlanta has exceeded its goal every year. This is in addition to the various programs through which TSA employees show they care. While in full compliance with all of the Federal guidelines on giving, TSA officers have provided literally truckloads of gifts and food to those in need in our community. A “TSA Impact Care Team” was created internally to help its officers when a crisis arises. The assistance provided has been immeasurable in helping officers and their families through times.

TSA Atlanta has one of the most successful educational programs in partnership with Georgia Perimeter College. Through this program officers are able to earn college level credit in the field of Homeland Security. This not only assists the officers in their quest for a higher education, it also assists them in the performance of their duties.

TSA Atlanta has excelled is its communication across the workforce. In addition to the routine flow of information you will find in any workplace, TSA Atlanta has two separate and distinct methods of communication. The first is the “Blue Note.” This is a method by which the FSD sends notes of importance directly to the workforce on, you guessed it, blue paper. While a simple concept, it has been widely accepted by the workforce as a direct means of communication from the Director to each and every individual in TSA Atlanta. This simple communication has been adopted at other TSA operations across the country. Secondly, in order to also ensure all staff have the opportunity to be kept abreast of the many things going on within a workforce that works 24/7/365, TSA Atlanta has initiated a “Movie Loop.” This movie loop provides a series of PowerPoint slides covering anything and everything taking place that could be of interest to the over 1,000 members of the workforce. The presentation contains no classified or sensitive information and plays continually in all break rooms and can also be viewed in FSD staff offices. The messages are updated once a week and have provided an excellent means of getting a consistent message to everyone, regardless of the shift, location or position in which they work.

Most importantly, TSA Atlanta and its members have formed extensive partnerships ,networking with nearly every Federal, state and local government agency that shares a commonality of mission. These partnerships reach deep into the community and have made TSA Atlanta a real partner in maintaining our homeland's security. Although TSA is perhaps one of the newest Federal agencies, it is also one with the most extensive impact on our daily lives.

The next time you get ready to travel over a holiday period, know that the members of TSA are operating in an environment to ensure that the resources are in place in all areas of its operation to facilitate your movement with as little inconvenience as possible.

For more information about TSA, contact Charles Beaver, Stakeholder Manager at

http://www.tsa.gov

[email protected]

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Most importantly, TSA Atlanta and its members have formed extensive partnerships ,networking with nearly every Federal, state and local government agency that shares a commonality of mission.


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INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The Atlanta Federal Executive Board’s LeadershipGovernment Program to Begin 10th Year n October, The Atlanta Leadership Government Program will celebrate its10th year, with the Class of 2014. The program was founded in 2004 byGwenne Campbell, former Executive Director of the Atlanta Federal Executive Board, now retired, who as a graduate of the renowned Leadership Atlanta Program, created her vision of a government wide Leadership program to train federal employees in leadership competencies.

The Leadership Government Program has developed into the vibrant, rigorous and well respected training program that has enjoyed the privilege of working with more than 56 federal agencies and has had more than 297 participants complete the year long training. As a result, the Atlanta Leadership Government Program is now well positioned to help guide, train, and yield high leadership potential graduates back into their agencies, ready to face the future challenges of leadership.

The Program continuously focuses on developing leadership skills, training participants to become more knowledgeable about issues that will impact government over the coming years. These issues include emergency preparedness, recruitment and retention of the best and brightest, conflict resolution, communication, community engagement, economic issues, green initiatives and environmental challenges, budget and fiscal responsibility and much more. All trainings take place during normal business hours.

The program is designed to build a cadre of seasoned professionals who possess a broad understanding of the role of the Federal government in society and recognize the value of interagency collaboration in accomplishing Federal initiatives. The program also provides participants with challenging opportunities for professional and personal growth through assignments, lectures, seminars, reading, team work, and interagency experiences. Moreover, the program assists participants in developing a broader perspective of managerial competencies particularly relative to interpersonal skills, influencing and negotiating, problem solving, leveraging diversity, partnering, strategic thinking, external awareness, accountability, team building, and continual learning.

The current class of 2013, now in full swing, consists of the following participants:

Marshall Anderson DOT-OIGFabian Bakari IRSJames Burnett BLSH. Camille Crain FEMAQuaison Crosby GSAApril Cumming FEMAStephanie Everfield FEMAAmy Feingold EPAKaty Lusky EPAMajorie Forney GSAJoy Scott-Fryer HUDJawanza Gibbs-Nicholson NRCRick Gilliam EPAShanta Harper GSALornette Harvey EPALauren Wattenmaker CMSPrasad Inmula FEMAG. Michelle Kilgore BLSPamela M. McBride IRSElizabeth Nicholson DOLCindy Nolan EPADonnette Sturdivant EPAUrshula Swann EPABryan Taylor FEMAKristin Trapp EPAGayla Uslu EPACarolyn Walker IRSThomas W. Young Jr. IRSTeresa Zayas CMS

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As a result, the Atlanta Leadership Government Program is now well positioned to help guide, train, and yield high leadership potential graduates back into their agencies, ready to face the future challenges of leadership.

fter I heard the president's State of the Union Address where he stated that dads needed to take responsibility for their children and the importance of early education for all children. I wanted to share with him how important family engagement is to me and to my team. So when I was notified that I would be meeting the President of the United States I was so ecstatic!

I was blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime I met the President of the United States on February 14, 2013 a day I will never forget. I am thankful to be a

U.S. Department of Education (ED) employee and a member of the family engagement team at ED.

By being a part of the ED family engagement team I have had the privilege of stressing the importance of parental involvement, especially dads being involved in their children's lives and their education. Based on research which the team shares with dads, dads involved in the lives of their children and education make such an impact that those children are less likely to drop out of school, get involved in gangs, or other criminal activities.

A great example of a dad is President Barak Obama who is involved in his children's lives as well as their education. Although his dad was not a part of his life growing, he has made a concerted effort to be the dad he didn't have. I find that to be a very admirable trait. It shows that he cares about his children and their future as well. I believe that being a parent is one of the most important jobs that we can have. Children do need both parents, but dad's involvement helps children to succeed and thrive at greater levels.

Despite the long wait in the cold and amount of security one must go through when it was my turn to meet the President I couldn't contain the joy I felt. I hugged him and told him how proud I was of him and that we need to keep our focus on family engagement and fatherhood. At that, he asked me if I heard his State of the Union address and I immediately replied, “Absolutely, I back you 100%.” He just smiled. As he reached out to shake my hand, I hugged him again! He laughed. We were then directed to turn to take the official photo together. As I stood there my mind was racing. I thought what an amazing moment this is for me in this moment of history. I contemplated how I would share this unbelievable moment with my family, friends, co-workers and members at church. I smiled as I thought of how I would share this moment with yet to be born grandchildren. I must admit I was teary eyed because never in a million years did I think I would have this opportunity and was thrilled to be a part of a team that supports the vision of our President and our Secretary.

I will be forever grateful to Eric Waldo, Alex Sanchez, Stacey Jordan, and Dennis Bega.

An Unforgettable Day

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President Barack Obama and Jonova Hawthorne, U.S. DOE


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By Debbie Smoot, Southeast Regional Public Affairs Director for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service

ural Americans face many unique challenges and every day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides assistance to help rural communities prosper. Unfortunately, 90 percent of America's persistent poverty counties are in rural America. In 2010, USDA launched the StrikeForce – an effort to leverage partnerships in poverty-stricken rural areas to ensure that every community has equal access to USDA programs.

USDA piloted the StrikeForce initiative in 2010 in the states of Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi. In 2011, StrikeForce expanded to the Southwest, adding Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. In 2013, Secretary Vilsack announced new efforts to bring the StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity to Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Participants in the StrikeForce include The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, the Farm Service Agency, the Food and Nutrition Service and the USDA Office of Advocacy and Outreach.

USDA's StrikeForce aims to increase investment in rural communities through intensive outreach and stronger partnership. USDA partners with rural communities and regions on locally-supported projects. USDA takes steps, in partnership with the community, to provide technical assistance and explanation as needed to ensure that communities can fully access USDA


USDA Food and Nutrition Service Southeast Region Helps Rural Communities Prosper through StrikeForce

programs. USDA StrikeForce goals for FY 2013 include:

1. Support economic viability of persistent poverty communities

2. Promote food security in persistent poverty communities

3. Expand program education for USDA employees, partners and others

In 2012, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service nationally increased the number of children in StrikeForce states receiving free or reduced price school breakfasts by 7.4%. The agency increased the number of children receiving food assistance through the Summer Food Service Program in StrikeForce states from 10.5 million to 11.3 million.

As part of the StrikeForce initiative in FY 2013, the Food and Nutrition Service is working to increase the number of meals served in the Summer Food Service Program; increase participation in the National School Breakfast Program; and increase the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefit Redemptions at Farmers Markets.

To date, the Southeast Region Food and Nutrition Office has had many successes in reaching the StrikeForce goals to include participation in state outreach meetings to inform partners about opportunities through the USDA; has held Farmers Market sign-up events so farmers can now redeem benefits for their food products from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; has had numerous outreach and training opportunities to inform partners about becoming Summer Food Service Program sponsors and sites; and has promoted the National School Breakfast Program.

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“The Food and Nutrition Service will continue to support StrikeForce goals of improving access to, and awareness of, nutrition assistance programs – such as the Summer Food Service Program, the National School Breakfast Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefit redemptions at farmers markets -- for eligible recipients and participating farmers markets by working with state agencies and our StrikeForce partners, “ said Donald Arnette, Southeast Regional Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

For more information on the USDA StrikeForce, visit: http://www.usda.gov/StrikeForce

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).


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outh Empowerment for Environmental Awareness (YEEA), was developed as part of the 2012 Atlanta Federal Executive Board (FEB) Leadership Government Program. FEB focuses on developing leadership skills for current federal government employees and to become knowledgeable about the issues that will impact the federal government over the next few years. The mission of the Atlanta FEB is to provide cost effective services that advance national and local initiatives through enhanced partnerships in such a manner that inspires public trust and confidence. Members of our YEEA group are: Amina Brock, GSA; Deanne Grant, EPA; Jason Hunter, FEMA; Maurice Horsey, EPA; and Heidi LeSane, EPA.

The mission of the YEEA is to equip today's youth with the tools and knowledge needed to prepare and educate the community in effectively handling issues that impact our environment. We took our group project to Charles Drew High School in Clayton County and invited the environmental science students to join.

YEEA is a “train the trainer” program. The program is designed to select a group of students to teach how to identify and access


Youth Empowerment for Environmental Awareness (YEEA)

public information about environmental issues. Once trained, the students will educate perspective peers and the local community to enhance environmental awareness. The program is designed to continue each school year with a different theme pertaining to the environment.

Our first theme for the 2012 school year was, “Chemical Emergency Preparedness.” The training was centered on chemical threats in the local community and ways to become prepared. The 2013 theme was “Children's Health and Air Quality Issues.” The monthly trainings were centered on children's environmental health issues, air quality concerns and chemical threats in your local community. The students also took a field trip to the Environmental Protection Agency's Science and Ecosystem Support Division in Athens, Georgia. Students also started a recycling program in the school and a bus

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Athens Field Trip to SESD

Bus Idling Campaign

orty-two thousand pounds (42,000) of food. In 2012, that was the amount of food and non-perishables donated to the Atlanta Area Feds Feed Families campaign in best Feds Feed Families food drive. Several local agencies exceeded the goals they set. Nationally over 7.2 million pounds were donated.

This year the need is greater than ever. The Atlanta Regional Commission 2013 “Regional Snapshot” shows that among the 20 most

Food barrels will be distributed to requesting agencies. The tentative collection dates are: June 28, July 26 and August 30. The donations will be of special value to families whose children benefit from school lunch programs but do not have that opportunity in the summer months. More than ever the generosity of the federal family is needed to assist other families.

Can we collect more than 42,000 pounds this year? With your agency's help we can and demonstrate the dedication that federal employees have in helping others.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication in feeding our neighbors, families, and communities.

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idling education and outreach program from the Clayton County bus drivers! We look forward to year three with a theme of “Water Compliance and Enforcement”.

populous metro areas in the country, Atlanta had the highest percentage of increase in suburban poverty. In the last decade, poverty increased 5.9 percent in the suburbs and 1.7 percent in the city. A trend that continues.

Working with Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Feds Feed Families program will run from June 1 – September 1, 2013. To support donation efforts this year, each agency is being asked to appoint a Chair and at least one Champion. These collaborative efforts and partnerships will ensure a successful food drive for your agency. The Chair's volunteer duties will be to provide oversight throughout their agency. The Champion(s) volunteer duties will include coordinating the collection logistics, ensuring that all goods collected are weighed, reported, and delivered to their destination.


Dear Federal Executives and Agency Administrators,

I am excited to formally introduce myself, Yvette Taylor, as the new 2013 CFC Chairperson and Dee Foster, the new CFC Director!! We are very pleased to have expanded this year to include the Athens, GA area. As such, the campaign is being re-named to Greater Atlanta-Athens Combined Federal Campaign. We look forward to collaborating and working with you to achiev our goals for the 2013 Campaign. his new partnership is vital to our success in giving to the communities that depend the most upon our help. There will be lots of work ahead as we gear up for the coming campaign kick-off.

As we move into this year's campaign, we are aware of the current economic challenges that lie before us as a nation; however, we must persevere to continue our great legacy as generous givers to help each other and our communities to thrive in the most difficult times.

Thanking you in advance for your dedicated support and commitment to the 2013 Greater Atlanta-Athens Combined Federal Campaign!!

[email protected]

eT

Dr. Yvette Taylor, 2013 Chair,Greater Atlanta-Athens

Combined Federal CampaignRegional Administrator,

Federal Transit Administration

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The Atlanta Federal Executive BoardRichard B. Russell Federal Building75 Spring Street, SWRoom 1142Atlanta, Georgia 30303

focustherightUpcoming

For questionsor additional information

please call Ronald Stephens

at (404) 331-4400

july 2013

august 2013

2013 Corporate Event - Six Flags White Water 10:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

CFC Awareness Day - RBR Building10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

CFC Awareness Day - Summit Building10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Division Coordinator’s Training - TBD9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CFC Awareness Day - Sam Nunn Federal Center 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Keyworker Training - AthensTBD

Loaned Executive Training - TBD9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Keyworker Training - TBD9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. / 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Gwinnett Braves Game - Gwinnett StadiumTBD

Athens CFC Awareness Day - TBD

Bus Tour - Loaned ExecutivesNonProfit Organizations, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Keyworker Training - Sam Nunn Federal Center9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. / 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Keyworker Training - TBD

Leadership Brunch - Sam Nunn Federal Center 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Atlanta Braves Game - Atlanta StadiumTBD

July 13-14

July 17

July 24

July 25

July 31

August TBD

August 6-8

August 14

August 16

August 20

August 21

August 22

August 27

August 29

August 30

Events

5oth A N N I V E R S A R Y

Loaned Executives Still Needed for the 2013

Combined Federal Campaign

oaned Executives (LE's) are an essential part of the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). We need at least 12 to 14 Loaned Executives to staff the 2013 CFC Campaign. Each year the Environmental Protection Agency, Social Security Administration, General Services Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U. S. Department of Labor, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have supported the campaign as Loaned Executives. The staffers are needed to ensure implementation of campaign strategies and a successful year. In exchange, the Loaned Executives will enhance their marketing and communication skills as well as build interagency partnerships.

The lead management agency for this year is the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

The theme for 2013 Combined Federal Campaign is “One Reason to Give… We All Have One.” Donations made through CFC have provided meals for hungry children, relief for families in need of counseling, research cures for diseases, and renewed hope and better lives for millions.

For more information please contactDee Foster, 2013 CFC Director. Dee can be reached at (404) 562-4620 or [email protected].

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