By April Haynes, OFO
In Alethea “Missy” Payton’s nearly 31-year career, she has advanced through FSIS in several in-plant positions: food inspector, consumer safety inspector (CSI) and supervisory CSI. She also was a resource management specialist (RMS) from 2017 to 2019 and again on a detail starting in 2023.
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Alethea ‘Missy’ Payton of the FSIS
By Dr. April Haynes, OFO, on detail to OPACE
Tamar Khafi, Ph.D., thrives on “digging deep” to identify the source of an issue and innovate solutions. As director of the Data Innovation and Governance Staff in the Office of Planning, Analysis and Risk Management (OPARM), Dr. Khafi leads and coordinates
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Tamar Khafi
By Maribel Alonso, Public Affairs Specialist • ARS, Office of Communications
Dr. Dayna M. Harhay is a Research Microbiologist at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, NE. For two decades with ARS, Harhay’s knowledge and expertise in microbiology, molecular biology, bacterial metabolism, serotyping, and genomic sequencing
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Dayna M. Harhay of the Animal Research Center
FSIS’ International Liaison Director in Mexico City, Mexico, Ciarra Toomey, began her USDA career in 2008 as a trial attorney with the Office of the General Counsel’s (OGC) Trade Practices Division, now the Marketing, Regulatory and Food Safety Programs Division. In her role with OGC, Toomey represented and provided legal
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Program Analyst Cedric “Ced” Hardy proudly retired from the U.S. Air Force after serving for 20 years. He followed his military service with a 20-year executive career in the private sector. Hardy’s “third act” began in October 2020 with FSIS’ Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit (OIEA).
LEPS Program Analyst
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In 2004, Leigh Ann Acree was a recent college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in visual arts from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her mother – Dr. Bonnie Rose, a microbiologist with FSIS’ Office of Public Health Science – encouraged her to apply for an internship with
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Leigh Ann Acree from FSIS
Dr. Kenneth Clevenger completed his undergraduate requirements at what is now known as the University of Texas at Arlington. After receiving his associate degree in animal science, he transferred to Texas A&M University and earned a bachelor’s degree in the same discipline.
After graduating with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Dr. Kenneth Clevenger of the FSIS
Jerome Yoon has been with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service for just over one year, serving as branch chief for the Office of Management’s (OM) Safety & Physical Security Branch (SPSB). In this role, Yoon supervises the Physical Security Team and the Safety Team, delivering technical expertise on safety-related
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Jerome Yoon of the FSIS
Consumer Safety Inspector (CSI) Stephen Jankowski celebrated his “golden anniversary” of federal service in October 2022. The son of Polish immigrants, first-generation American Jankowski and his siblings were raised on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin, where he had his first experience working with livestock. He began his 50-year government
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Stephen Jankowski of the FSIS
Joseph Smith, a consumer safety inspector (CSI) in the Chicago District, has been with FSIS for almost ten years. He began his career with the agency in February 2013 as an intermittent employee — working only when an inspector was out sick or on annual leave — and has worked
Continue Reading Faces of Food Safety: Meet Joseph Smith of the FSIS