| |
WVDA DIVISION LOSES 105 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FOLLOWING RETIREMENTS
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s (WVDA) Meat and Poultry Inspection Division lost a combined 105 years of experience following the retirement of four employees: Director Jan Charminski, DVM, Ph.D., two assistant directors, Dwane Swiger, Jr., and George Comer and Adminstrative Assistant Suzanne Moss.
Charminski retired after 23 years at the WVDA, while Swiger and Comer had 37 and 35 years of service, respectively. Administrative Assistant Suzanne Moss retired after working at WVDA for 10 years.
Veterinary Supervisor Robert Pitts, DVM, has been appointed acting director.
“Although I am sad to see these individuals leave the WVDA, I am very happy for them and wish them the best during their retirement,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “Their service has been exemplary. Under Dr. Charminski, our program has been ranked as the best in the country and there has never been a recall of state-inspected product since I created the Division in 1965.”
Commissioner Douglass added that although replacing lost staff will be difficult – especially for positions that require advanced degrees – he is confident those slots can be filled and that sufficient staff is in place to maintain the quality of the inspection program, which each day inspects approximately 30 commercial meat processing facilities in the state. The Division also inspects approximately 30 custom processing plants, which provide processing services for individuals who grow their own meat, and 170 meat and poultry distributors.
However, he cautioned that more retirements can be expected as more staff members continue to qualify for retirement.
“My top priority at the Legislature this year will be the salary structure of the WVDA staff. Since July 1, 22 employees have taken retirement from the WVDA” said Commissioner Douglass.
“The WVDA has a high percentage of positions that require substantial education and experience, a fact that has gone unrecognized because of the long tenures of many of the members of the staff. With food safety becoming more of an issue than ever, the state is going to have to find ways to offer competitive salaries for the staff that will be needed to protect our food supply in the future,” he said.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
|
