Laboratory Issues
September 23-26, 2024
Denver, CO
Audience
Current and newer lab managers and directors working under FIFRA cooperative agreements. Experienced senior level FIFRA laboratory staff will also be considered.
Course Goal
Share knowledge, expertise, communication strategies, and best practices to enhance competency and quality for managing a state regulatory pesticide laboratory.
Information to be covered in this course includes:
- Emerging environmental challenges laboratories face that require unplanned attention and resources.
- Communication strategies between lab and enforcement managers including how to collect defensible samples and how to interpret reported lab results.
- Leadership and management training including managing across generations, communication, time management, and succession planning.
- Pesticide residue analysis including instrumentation, methodology, and best practices.
- Quality control issues such as ISO accreditation, the measurement uncertainty process, and training to be an expert witness.
Nominations and Participants
Nominations
Nominations must be submitted electronically. It is best to prepare your justification for selection before starting your nomination application.
Before starting the nomination form, please have the following ready:
- The nominee’s name, job title, agency or tribe, email, number of years working in pesticide regulatory programs, and number of years in nominee’s current position.
- Responses to the following questions:
- What are the nominee’s job responsibilities and how are they relevant to the course?
- Why is this training essential to the nominee’s job responsibilities?
- Submit 1-2 sentences describing 2 topics you wish to see offered during the course.
Nominations for the Laboratory Issues course open Thursday, May 23, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time and close Thursday June 20, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
The PREP Team will make selections no later than Friday, July 5, 2024 based on how closely the nominees fit the target audience and why the training is essential to their job responsibilities. Accepted nominees must confirm their participation no later than Friday, July 12, 2024. If accepted nominees do not reply by this date, the PREP team cannot guarantee them a spot in the course.
Nominations have closed for this course.
Participants
Planning Group
- Arina Ferdig, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
- Eric Petty, Colorado Department of Agriculture
- Jona Verreth, Montana Department of Agriculture
- Ashley Pierce, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Melanie Banta, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
- Kelly Engle, US EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
- Thuy Nguyen, US EPA Biological and Economic Analysis Division
Travel and Lodging Information
State, Territory, Tribal Participants
Participants’ lodging, travel, and per diem will be paid for by PREP Network.
More course information will be shared via email after accepted participants complete the course registration form. Please pay close attention to your email, including your junk/spam folders for this information. Your quick response to these emails is vital to ensuring you receive your preferred travel arrangements.
EPA Participants
EPA Participants are responsible for reserving their own flights, ground transportation, and hotel. Please plan to arrive on Sunday, September 22nd and depart on Friday, September 27th. EPA participants must also pay a course registration fee.
More course information, including how to reserve your hotel room, will be shared via email after accepted participants complete the course registration form. Please pay close attention to your email, including your junk/spam folders for this information. Your quick response to these emails is vital to ensuring you receive your preferred travel arrangements.