[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E799-E800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING MS. CINDY SMITH FOR HER 32 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO 
                          AMERICAN AGRICULTURE

                                  _____
                                 

                          HON. FRANK D. LUCAS

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Cindy Smith, 
the outgoing Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). She has served as 
Administrator of APHIS since September 2007, ably carrying out the 
mission of APHIS: protecting American agriculture.
  Ms. Smith has dedicated her life to public service, and is a true 
success story. She started out at APHIS in 1979 as a clerk-typist. She 
worked her way from the bottom to the top of the agency, showing a real 
commitment to its important mission, no matter the job. She understands 
the value of leadership development. The APHIS Leadership Development 
Roadmap she inspired has served as a model for other Federal agencies.
  As APHIS Administrator, Ms. Smith led a major regulatory agency that 
protects U.S. plant and animal health, administers the Animal Welfare 
Act, and conducts wildlife damage and disease management activities, 
overseeing more than 8,800 employees.
  Ms. Smith has a unique ability to identify emerging issues and 
determine a course of action to attain high-quality outcomes that are 
technically sound while still respectful of the taxpayers' dollars. She 
understands how to build momentum for her ideas, while working closely 
with stakeholders on all sides of an issue to strengthen support and 
identify consensus.
  When HINT influenza started gaining international attention in 2009, 
Ms. Smith provided key leadership in shaping USDA's response. She 
formulated an effective response plan, recognizing what the impacts and 
implications of detection in the U.S. livestock population would be, 
and how it would affect the swine industry. She directed APHIS to align 
animal health and human health officials at the Federal, State, and 
local levels to coordinate U.S. policy should H1N1 be identified in the 
U.S. swine herd, and she ensured the swine industry was included in the 
discussion. Under her leadership, APHIS and its partners developed 
action and communication plans that government and industry 
stakeholders praised for their inclusiveness and transparency. Once a 
case of H1N1 was identified, government officials spoke with one voice, 
providing a clear message to the public and stakeholders, assuring them 
of the safety of pork, and how APHIS and government efforts were 
protecting the swine industry and human health. Due to the groundwork 
she laid, the United States was able to avoid trade disruptions with 
Canada, and address concerns raised by Mexico.
  With foresight, vision, and an ability to collaborate and get others 
behind her ideas, Ms. Smith demonstrated genuine leadership in what 
could have been a major crisis. Her efforts dramatically minimized the 
impact on American agriculture, and were of innumerable value to this 
country.
  Ms. Smith has always demonstrated forward thinking. While she was 
Deputy Administrator for APHIS' Biotechnology Regulatory Services 
program, she recognized the growing importance of biotechnology in 
agriculture, as well as the need for more rigorous requirements for 
field tests of GE crops. She was instrumental in developing a program 
to help companies and researchers enhance their compliance with 
biotechnology regulatory requirements. Through its proactive approach 
to compliance, companies who participate in the Biotechnology Quality 
Management System are better able to analyze their operations, identify 
vulnerabilities, and see that they're addressed. The program she helped 
implement ensures accountability by confirming that trials of these 
necessary and beneficial crops are conducted responsibly. The program 
she created continues to grow, as more and more universities and small 
and large businesses recognize the value of participation.
  Ms. Smith's integrity, dedication, professionalism--and perhaps most 
importantly, her leadership--have served the United States well in all 
these endeavors. While she is not retiring from federal service, and 
has taken a new role as APHIS' Chief Advisor for Government, Academia, 
and Industry Partnership, I wanted to thank her for her 32 years of 
service with APHIS, her successful tenure as administrator, and her 
continued commitment to the American people and U.S. agriculture.

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