Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact.
Title
Congratulating Tommye J. Schneider, Director of Environmental Health and Laboratories for Public Health Madison and Dane County on her retirement
Body
WHEREAS, Tommye J. Schneider, has provided dedicated service to the City of Madison as the Director of Environmental Health and Laboratories for Public Health Madison and Dane County since December, 1995; and
WHEREAS, Tommye began her professional career as a Microbiologist with the Madison Department of Public Health in 1972; as a result of budget cuts she transferred to the City of Madison Building Inspection Unit as a Code Enforcement Officer in 1983; returned to the Health Department as a Public Health Sanitarian in 1985 and was promoted to Environmental Health Services Supervisor in 1988.
WHEREAS, During Tommye's service she has worked tirelessly to develop an exemplary environmental health program as recognized by earning the prestigious National Environmental Health Award, The Samuel J Crumbine Award in 1997; and
WHEREAS, Tommye was a critical participant in the formation of Public Health Madison and Dane County and was continually focused on the need to develop an Environmental Health and Laboratory Division for the new department that would provide a high level of service to all residents of Dane County; and
WHEREAS, as a supervisor and director, Tommye always supported her staff and ensured that they had the tools, knowledge, and opportunity to provide the best possible service to their customers; and
WHEREAS, while keeping an eye on the needs of the day, Tommye was always looking forward to how things could be improved in the future. As a result, Madison and Dane County food service operators benefit from periodic updates through the Food Facts Newsletter and are able to provide their insight on Division programming through the Safe Food Advisory Committee which promotes understanding of the nature of food service while nurturing the shared goal of food safety; and
WHEREAS, Tommye's insights for the food safety training needs of local food service operators secured a $50,000 Innovative Food Safety Grant from the FDA to develop the department's Safe Food Crew - Food Safety Education and Recognition Program. Hundreds of retail and restaurant food employees have been trained on safe food handling practices since this program began 2004. This program received national recognition as a Public Health Model Practice from the National Association of City County Health Officials in 2005.
WHEREAS, Tommye made time to share her knowledge and experience with other environmental health professionals through the Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards (WALHDAB), Wisconsin Environmental Health Association (WEHA) and National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) in order to support environmental health professionals in other communities and bring home lessons that have greatly benefited our community; and
WHEREAS, Tommye has been an integral leader in the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign, developing plans and working with staff to administer as many doses of H1N1 vaccine to as many City of Madison and Dane County residents as operationally feasible (although often foiled by vaccine availability!); and
WHEREAS, Tommye was awarded the prestigious Environmental Health Professional of the Year 2005 from the Wisconsin Environmental Health Association; and
WHEREAS, Tommye has helped the Animal Services Section grow from a two-man circus into a polished section of seven well-trained and fully certified Humane Officers; and
WHEREAS, Tommye has had the fortitude to put up with and manage the crazy, eclectic, think-outside-of-the-box individuals that make up Animal Services, and not only to manage them but to foster in them the drive to constantly improve the section; and
WHEREAS, the staff of Public Health - Madison and Dane County feel that Tommye Schneider deserves to retire and travel the world without the worries of dog bites, killer monkeys, dirty houses with 999 cats, foodborne illness and H1N1 vaccination schedules and wish her all the best in her retirement,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Common Council commend Tommye J. Schneider for her 37 years of service to the City and people of Madison and Dane County.