Message from the Secretariat
As we begin 2009 I would like to report that the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security (NAFSS) has undergone a leadership change. Following the retirement of Dr. James Denton in 2008 as secretariat of NAFSS, the Board of Directors and Operating Committee subsequently conducted a search for his replacement. I am honored to have been elected to this position and appreciate the Board of Directors' and Operating Committee's confidence in me during this very critical time for our Alliance. I want to begin this message by first acknowledging the outstanding leadership and many contributions that Dr. Denton provided NAFSS during his tenure as secretariat. In Dr. Denton's 2008 welcoming message to the membership, he reported on the loss of our Congressional funding in support of the mission and objectives of NAFSS. One of my top priorities will be to work with our other Executive Committee members to reestablish our funding base either through our USDA/ARS partner or with any other funding groups having a like-minded mission, either Federal or otherwise. I must admit that this funding challenge is somewhat daunting considering the current economic climate. The Executive Committee and I will need your support throughout this process and welcome your suggestions. One of my first strategies will be to schedule a fact finding and lobbying trip with Dr. Pat Curtis, our current chairman of NAFSS, to Washington and Maryland during the first quarter of 2009. Not a day goes by that I do not hear or read about a food safety or security issue. For example, just this past week I listened to President Obama and members of a Federal Congressional committee address the current peanut butter/Salmonella crisis. Clearly, the mission, goals, and objectives of NAFSS are still as relevant today as they were in 1998 when the idea for NAFSS was founded. According to the original memorandum of understanding, NAFSS exists to conduct research and education programs "which bring the strongest expertise and talent to bear on priority food safety problems and issues." With your continued support we will remain a viable entity well into the future.
