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USDA First Friday: Resilience

May 6, 2022

Group photo including Secretary Vilsack & his wife, at People's Garden in Washington, DC.
Secretary Vilsack and Christie Vilsack pose with other USDA employees and volunteers at the new People's Garden in Washington, D.C. USDA photo by Tom Witham.

Good morning,

Yesterday, I had the honor of delivering a commencement speech to the Utah State University Class of 2022 and tomorrow I will speak to the University of Minnesota Crookston 2022 graduating class. One theme of these commencement addresses is resilience. Like every generation, the class of 2022 is walking with us toward a future that is infinitely unpredictable, yet full of possibility. This week, I was reminded of resilience as I cut the tape on the newly re-opened People’s Garden. And as I looked out into the audience yesterday, I felt hope in our next generations of young leaders. I see that same hope resides at USDA—in our employees and also in our customers—as we collectively continue to deliver on our mission despite the challenges that arise every day.

There was no playbook for how to navigate the last couple of years. In the midst of unprecedented and challenging circumstances, USDA has continued to be instrumental in feeding, reinvigorating and rebuilding our nation. Despite all the challenges we are facing, you are seizing and shaping the potential of these investments. You are actively using your professional networks to engage communities and ensure greater likelihood of positive outcomes. You are also seeing opportunity for taking risks, building more efficiency into our work and equally important, doing this in a hybrid environment and reimagining how we work. Resilience is on display at USDA.

Last month the Biden-Harris Administration rolled out significant investments in rural counties across the United States on our Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour. We announced major and historic investments—including those authorized through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that will ultimately safeguard our water supply, lower energy costs, increase energy independence, and protect and help American communities recover from disasters. Ambassador Susan Rice, the director of the Domestic Policy Council, and I announced the formation of the Rural Partners Network—a collaboration between the federal government and local governments focused on empowering social and economic well-being in rural communities. In addition to making generational investments in our nation’s infrastructure these investments will furthers environmental justice goals, including the president’s Justice40 Initiative, which commits to delivering at least 40% of the benefits from federal climate and clean energy investments to underserved communities. With your leadership, experiences, expertise, and guidance investments and partnerships that are a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas.

Hard work and challenging times take their toll. Remember that this month is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take time to take care of yourselves and to support each other. No matter how tough it may get, find hope. As I told the class of 2022, true resilience, whether in a person, community or nation requires belief and faith in something better and the confidence and capacity to make it happen. Use your knowledge and passion to create a common vision for a better America. Let us use our collective resilience to get past the hurdles to realize our common dreams.

This Public Service Recognition Week I want to thank each and every USDA employee for your commitment to public service and the work you do on behalf of the American people each and every day.

I also want to give a special thanks to every employee at FSIS and APHIS who is working hard to safeguard the U.S. poultry and egg producing industries from the impact of avian influenza on our agricultural markets and trade. Another special thanks to Forest Service employees and specifically our firefighters who are on the frontlines of protecting communities. You all have our support, and we are here to listen, encourage and help you.

USDA is blessed with so much talent and wisdom. This week the president recognized the 2021 Presidential Rank Award recipients—six from USDA. Join me in congratulating these USDA employees and Mark Williams, a research agricultural engineer with ARS, who is a 2022 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America finalist for his work on agricultural runoff. Take some time to read about Mark’s work and vote for him on the Service to America People’s Choice Award webpage.

Finally, making USDA a best place to work is a top priority for the deputy secretary and me because we want people to love to come to work each day. We also want to recruit and retain top talent from across the nation. This week the Office of Personnel Management released the 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey Results: Governmentwide Management Report. 46% of you responded. USDA leadership and I are taking a close look at USDA’s results and look forward to sharing more with you at our next all-employee town hall. The 2022 FEVS administration is just around the corner—it is projected to begin at USDA the week of May 30th. Let us improve on our response rate. Stay tuned for more information soon. My hope and expectation are that we use our employees’ feedback to take meaningful action towards improving how we lead and work. Our employees’ participation is central to making USDA a best place to work. The more people participate, the better our organization becomes.

At the close of this Public Service Recognition week, I reiterate my sincere thanks to all of you. You continue to rise and do your part to push our nation towards a better future. I am grateful for that service.

With much appreciation,
Secretary Vilsack

See this and other secretary announcements on OneUSDA.

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/es/node/652054507