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Executive Committee Conference Call

Date: 02/27/2009

Location: Conference Call

2/27/2009 NAFSS Executive Committee Conference Call Agenda

  • 1. CFI Update (Center for Food Integrity; Terry Fleck): Food Integrity Index project.
      1. NAFSS would assist in identifying and pre-screening 2 authors for developing a 2-page white paper on the question (Is food grown and produced in the U.S. as safe as or safer than food grown outside the U.S.?) (30 days from signing the contract to finishing the paper).
      2. The contract would be solely between the authors and CFI
      3. The authors would have editorial privileges throughout the process
      4. No endorsements by NAFSS are allowed in the papers although the white paper can identify NAFSS's assistance in identifying the authors and the author's association with NAFSS
      5. The authors would each receive a $1,000 fee for their services with NAFSS receiving $200/author identified (20%).
      6. Author identification and selection via a general RFP announcement to the membership with selections made by vote of the Executive Committee.

    2. Annual Meeting

      1. Objective of meeting? Besides general business aspects of the meeting, what will our focus be?

    i. Food Safety Crisis Response/Management Manual (Pat Curtis): Dr. Vincent Covello, Dir. of the Center for Risk Communication may be able to come and present to the group an overview of dealing with crises. This may be the catalysis for NAFSS developing a Food Safety Crisis Response/Management Manual. Partial funding for this event may possibly come through the AFRI (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative RFP and specifically in the request for a Conference Grant (not to exceed $10,000). No letter of intent required (May 6, 2009 deadline for submission to the Food Safety and Epidemiology program area. Dr. Nancy Cavallaro)

    ii. Topic round table breakout in the afternoon to discuss grant opportunities (Have Center Dirs. Work on grant ideas prior to meeting).

    iii. Mini-symposium on activities of NAFSS members

    iv. Cost of meeting: breaks and lunch cost will be on the expensive side considering that it is a convention center.

    1. Balance as of the end of February: $29,546 ($2,168/month not counting DC trip and IAFP trip; 14.5 months)

    2. Rough estimated cost for breaks and meals depending on attendance (12 vs 40): includes a morning and afternoon break plus lunch: $1,241 vs $3,375

    3. PowerPoint Projector? and Screen

    3. Lobbying trip to Washington, D.C., Maryland (March 23 week??) and other locations

    a. Marketing piece for distribution: 3-page document highlighting NAFSS rationale, justification, NAFSS University members, significant accomplishments, benefits of NAFSS, contact information (may be written generically and not stressing Federal partnerships for non-government support organizations)

    b. Contacts:

    i. Federal agencies: USDA/ARS, USDA/FSIS, USDA/CSREES - Dr. Nancy Cavallaro (AFRI), Jeanette Thurston (AFRI), Jan Singleton (CSREE), Lynda Kelley (FSIS), Vicki Levine (FSIS), FDA (John Sheehan - Dir. Plant and Dairy Food Safety Division), Ramkishan Rao (CSREES), EPA?, NIH?, NSF?

    ii. Congressional Members: David Price (Dem NC House Appropriations), Mike Macintyre (Dem NC House Ag.), Kay Hagen (Dem NC Senate?), Alabama's House and Senate members (Mike Rogers - Ag. and Homeland Security; Robert Aderholt - Appro. and Budget); Carl Levin (Dem. MI Homeland Security; Debbie Stabenow (Dem. Ag. and Budget)

    c. Research Triangle Park: meeting set for March 10 to talk with Dr. Mary Muth - Food and Ag. Policy Research) and Lee-Ann Jaykus (Epidemiology area)

    d. Grocery Manufacturers Association; United Fresh

    4. NAFSS Webpage (still maintained at Purdue University - Kevin Hamstra

      1. Needs updating (Secretariat and Chair welcome information current)

    i. Membership (will send out a request to send in update information)

    ii. News items and event dates

    iii. Member Achievement Spotlight

    iv. Center Directors (Chairs and Vice Chairs)

    v. Other Additions?? Links, NAFSS project pubs.

    5. Participation

      1. Greater participation of Center Directors and Centers
      2. Clearly communicate benefits of NAFSS to members
      3. Better communication
      4. NAFSS-supported conference calls
      5. Welcome junior faculty members
      6. Publicize events

    6. Annual Report for 2009 (last was 2007)

      1. Highlight non-NAFSS research and education activities (following template)

    7. Center Elections (chairs and vice chairs)

      1. Term of office for each?
      2. NAFSS Chair and Vice Chair?
      3. Board of Directors, Operating Committee, Advisory Boards
      4. Detection Technology (Rama Nannapeneni - MSU; Doris H D'Souza - Tenn)
      5. Education and Outreach (Randy Phebus - KSU; Monica Ponder - VPI
      6. Intervention Strategies (Jim Dickson - ISU; Alejandro Castillo - TAMU
      7. Microbial Physiology and Ecology (Mark Harrison - UGA; Todd Callaway - TAMU)
      8. Risk Analysis and Policy (Micky Parish - UMD; Linda Harris - UC Davis

    8. 2008 NAFSS Annual Meeting Report