Another week of travel adventures with delays and cancelled flights. Whatever the reason — weather, forest fires, lack of employees — it is still a delay. I have learned to accept these delays (I mean adventures) and turn them into something fun.

Yesterday I had the “fun” opportunity to travel on two different airlines and unknown airports to get back home. I didn’t really think through my outfit as I was wandering through LaGuardia Airport focused on a meal and getting home. I was asked a few times where I was from, where I was going, and finally it was brought to my attention that I looked like I was headed to Las Vegas.

I fully blame Mindy Brashears, as I had just come from this year’s AMSA Reciprocal Meat Conference in St. Paul, Minn.; "Go forth and Sparkle" was the theme. Since Mindy is a great friend, I supported her theme and dressed for the part. I did indeed "sparkle and shine" at the meeting — and apparently at the airport in NYC.

At the meeting I had the distinct honor and pleasure to moderate a session on One Food Safety Agency. The panel was made up of amazing friends and colleagues — Al Almanza, Mindy Brashears and David Golden.They shared their unique experiences in public service and then we had a packed room with more questions than time. I am thankful that so many people came and so grateful for all the interaction.

My greatest takeaway from moderating this session — and one I believe the attendees heard loud and clear — is that we, as scientists, must do more than just science. Science will give us the answers and a data-driven pathway forward, but we must have people in place to move the agenda. How do we move this agenda forward and make sure people have access to variety, versatility, and convenience of poultry meat for years to come? We need public servants.

Mindy Brashears, Al Almanza and David Golden are all amazing and incredible public servants who have each dedicated a lifetime and career to serving others in various capacities, including academia, FSIS and FDA. It is sometimes (OK, most of the time) a thankless job. It is filled with many difficult decisions, but the positive impact is greater than we can ever imagine. These amazing and talented public servants have served us well, and now we need the next generation to become involved.

If you are a student or young professional, please consider public service as your profession and purpose. That’s how we move the needle and make change. We need meat and poultry scientists to become public servants and use scientific data and common-sense knowledge of the issues in our industry as their guide to decision making. This is how we improve food safety and quality for consumers.

I closed the session with this thought, and I hope that there were some students and young professionals in that room that not only heard me but that will go forth and bring the light in public service: Our industry needs some sparkle and shine.

Go forth and sparkle in public service

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