Scheduled Activities...

• June 12 - Luncheon (Updated)

What's New...

• Katherine McKinney is 2007 Recipient of FDAAA Centennial Scholarship Award
• FDAAA Adds to Centennial Scholarship Fund
• Board Makes Changes to Association Committees
• FDAAA Membership Tops 700!
• FDAAA Members Hear about FDA’s New International Initiatives at November Luncheon
• Richard Merrill Ends More Than 5 Year's Service as FDAAA General Counsel: Board Selects Erika Lietzan as Replacement
• Request for Annual Awards Nominations
• Join the FDA Alumni Association’s New Group on Facebook
• FDA Commissioner Says Agency is ‘Coming Off the Canvas’
• FDA Office of the Commissioner Undergoes Organizational and Personnel Changes
• Members Hear CDER's Seligman Speak on Drug Safety at September Luncheon
• FDA suspends plan to consolidate inspection laboratories
• Pet Food Recall Showed 'FDA at its Finest,' CVM Director Tells FDA Alumni
• FDAAA Vice Chairman Bob Sauer Honored as FDA Distinguished Alumnus for 2007
• FDAAA's Awareness-Building Work Group Targets Current FDA Employees

FDA News...

• FDA Advisors Declare 'FDA Science and Mission at Risk' (FDA Alliance/Coalition for a Stronger FDA Press Release)
• Deputy Commissioner Dyer Discusses FDA’s 2008 Budget

Recent Retirements (and Other Departures from FDA)

Best wishes to the following FDAers who have recently retired or moved on from FDA:

Laura Alonge retired from CDRH in January after 33 1/2 years with FDA.

Joe Baca, CFSAN, retired in January.

Ronda Ann Balham, has left the Agency after 13 years with CDRH and the Office of the Commissioner.

Marc J. Balzarini, Baltimore District, has retired after 44 years of dedicated service.

Andrew Barlow, investigator with the New England District as an investigator has retired.

Maryann J. Bigner, administrative specialist in the New Orleans District, and Marion Ferrante, secretary to District Investigations Branch, are retiring on Feb, 2. They both started with FDA's New Orleans District on March 13, 1966. A retirement dinner and celebration will be held in their honor at Maggiano's Little Italy, 3106 West End Ave., Nashville, TN, at 5:15 p.m. on Jan. 28. Cost is $35, including tax and gratuity. If you plan to attend, please send your money by Jan. 22 to Tiffany George, U.S. FDA, 404 BNA Dr., Bldg. 200, Suite 500, Nashville, TN 37217. If you would like to contribute towards gifts for each of them, please send checks by Jan. 22, made out to "Cash," to Barbara George at the above address. For Marion's Book of Letters, please send cards and letters to Kari Batey at the above address by Jan. 28. For Maryann's Book of Letters, please send cards and letters to Marie K. Fink, 2424 Edenborn Ave., Suite 410, Metairie, LA 70001 by Jan. 28.

Carol Cavanaugh retired Dec. 28. During her 23 years with CDER, she served as the director of the FDA Medical Library and as the CDER Web program manager.

John Cleveland, a biologist in the Division of Product Quality in CBER, retired at the end of December after 32 years of federal service.

Karen Coleman, National Expert Medical Device Investigator (ORA/ORO/DFI, stationed in Atlanta) and Bob Coleman, National Expert Drug Investigator (ORA/ORO/DFI, also stationed in Atlanta) retired Jan. 3.

Joe Contrera, CDER, retired at the end of 2007.

Carolanne Currier, has retired from CDER/Office of Compliance/Division of Scientific Investigations.

Jerry Dennis has retired after a long and distinguished career with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Mike Druckman, has left FDA after 7 years in the Office of Chief Counsel.

Gary Dykstra has retired from his post of director of FDA's Southeast Regional Office after 40 years of service with the Agency.

Joseph Erdmann, supervisory investigator in New York District's Syracuse Resident Post, retired Jan. 3 after 30 years with FDA.

Robert A. Eshelman, over-the-counter drug expert with CDER, retired Jan. 3 after more than 41 years with the Agency.

John Farnham, CDRH, retired late last year after 30 years of dedicated public service.

Nathaniel Geary, CBER, retired Jan. 3 after more than 51 years with FDA.

Karen Goldenthal, has retired after 21 years at FDA, the first two with CDRH and the last 19 with CBER.

Connie Guerra, director, Office of Information Technology for the Office of the Commissioner, retired from the Office of Information Management Jan. 3. Connie began her IT career at CFSAN in 1983.

Judith Gushee, who spent 35 years as an investigator/compliance officer in the Boston District, at CVM, and at CFSAN, has retired.

Don Hare, Office of Generic Drugs, CDER, retired at the end of last year.

Dr. Kenneth L. Hastings has left FDA after 16 years with CDER.

Elizabeth (Dale) Hudgins, secretary to the Southeast Regional Lab Director of Science, retired Jan. 3. If you would like to send a letter or card for her book of letters, please submit them to Cathleen.carr@fda.hhs.gov.

Louis Kaufman has retired from FDA.

Anne Maria Laliberte, ORA, has retired after 39 years of federal service.

Andrea Latish, CDRH, retired at the end of last year.

Deborah Lavoie, has left FDA after six years with CBER.

Judy O. Lee has retired from CFSAN after 34 1/2 years of federal service.

Frank Mackison, CDRH, retired in January.

Cazemiro Martin, CDER, retired Jan. 3 after 27 years of federal service.

Melisa Moonan, has left FDA after four years in the Office of Chief Counsel.

Tommy Mosely, CDRH, retired in January.

Gene Nandrea, ORA, has retired after almost 42 years with FDA.

Doug Nelson, has retired after 30 years in the Minneapolis District Office and CFSAN.

Karen Oliver, CDRH, retired in January.

Barbara Rodgers, consumer safety officer with CVM, retired Jan. 3 after more than 42 years of government service. A luncheon in her honor is planned for Feb. 7th at 11:30 a.m. at the Far East Restaurant in Rockville, Md.

Stanley Rogers, ORA, has retired.

Brenda Seidman, CDER, has retired.

Carol Shirk, CDRH Office of Compliance, retired Jan. 3 after 35 years of service to FDA. A luncheon will be held Jan. 31, at noon in the Chesapeake Room at O’Donnell’s Sea Grill, 311 Kentlands Boulevard, Gaithersburg, Md., 20878. Cost is $25, which includes a contribution toward a gift. Please RSVP with payment by Jan. 28, to Debbie Rickett or Deirdre Bertrand at 240-276-0115.

Judy Shore, ORA management and program analyst, retired Jan. 2 after 41 years of federal service.

Carrie Smith Hanley retired Oct. 31 after more than 24 years of service with FDA. She began her career in 1983 with the Executive Director of Regional Operations, serving in Cincinnati and Baltimore. She later joined the Office of the Commissioner as an administrative officer, then as director of external affairs operations and office of executive operations, and finally as deputy associate commissioner for management.

Duane Sylvia, CDER, has retired after 32 years of government service.

Gladys Wood, CDER, has retired.

If you have have a retirement announcement that you would like included on the FDAAA website, please send it to mail@fdaaa.org.

New FDAAA Members

Welcome to these new members of FDAAA:

Dr. Ronda Ann Balham, who has left the Agency after 13 years in CDRH and OC and is now with Becker & Assoc. Consulting, Inc.

Andrew Barlow, who did his stint at FDA in ORA's New England District as an investigator and still resides in Winthrop, MA.

Bob Coleman, who served FDA as National Expert Drug Investigator in Atlanta.

Karen Coleman, who served the Agency as National Expert Medical Device Investigator (ORA/ORO/DFI) in Atlanta.

Marjorie Dannis (associate member), who has worked in CDER for one year.

Mike Druckman, now at Hogan & Hartson in DC after seven years in the Office of Chief Counsel.

Gary Dykstra, who recently retired from his post as director of FDA's Southeast Regional Office after 40 years of service to the Agency. He’s now with the University of Georgia’s School of Pharmacy.

DeVaughn Edwards, now on the water in Barnegat, NJ, after 15 years in ORA in Dallas and Atlanta districts.

Judith Gushee, who spent 35 years as an investigator/compliance officer in the Boston District, at CVM, and at CFSAN.

Dr. Kenneth L. Hastings, after 16 years at CDER, and now with Sanofi-Aventis.

Dr. James Hoadley now in Shepherdstown, WV, after 20 years in CFSAN.

Deborah Lavoie, who recently left the Agency after six years at CBER.

Melisa Moonan, who left FDA recently after four years in the Office of Chief Counsel and is now with Goodwin/Procter.

Suzanne O'Shea, who spent two tours totaling 21 years in CDER and the Office of the Commissioner and is now with Baker and Daniels LLP.

Kim Rice (associate member), ORA, who’s been with FDA since 1976.

Eric Shangold (associate member), CDRH, who has worked at FDA for 31 years.

Eric Sheinin, who spent 30 years at FDA.

Voyce Whitley, who spent 32 years in CFSAN, CVM, CDRH, CBER and the OC.

In Memoriam

Pete Margelis, who served as a guard at CDRH facilities for many years, passed away Dec. 12, 2007.

Ada Shechtman passed away after a long illness. Ada began her FDA career in 1972 as the secretary for the Division of Field Science in what is now ORA. Her last position before retiring in 1994 was as the secretary for what was then the Divison of Emergency Operations. Her daughter, Cindy Lachin, works in ORA.

FDAAA 2008 Annual Report and Member Directory
Available in PDF format.

Something New about You?

Help us keep our membership information current. If you have a new address, phone number, or e-mail address, please send the changes to:

F. Alan Andersen, Ph.D.
Chairman, FDAAA Member Services Committee
1101 17th St. NW, Suite 310
Washington, DC, 20036
andersena@cir-safety.org
202-331-0651.

View the recorded video interview entitled "An Introduction to the FDA Alumni Association" featuring Burton Love and Gail Sherman. (Technical assistance was provided by David W. Bailey, Division of Communication Media, CDRH/FDA.)

If it isn't already installed, you will need to download the free version of RealOne Player at RealCom.