FDA Alumni Advisor Program a Big Success

The FDA Alumni Advisor Program Pilot ended on March 18, 2016 after a 9 month run which showed that the program met its objectives and was successful in bringing back retirees to mentor current employees. Plans are underway to turn it into a formal program in the fall of 2016.

The pilot program was developed by the FDA / ORA’s Division of Human Resource Development’s (DHRD) Management and Leadership Development Program (MLDP) in cooperation with the FDA Alumni Association.

The advisors / mentors in the pilot program, which included former FDA regional and district directors, began mentoring current FDA employees in June, 2015. The pilot was so successful in assisting the current FDA employee “learners” in leadership skills and career development that it had been from December 2015 to March 2016.

Nancy Myers, FDAAA chairman said: “This is a prime example of how FDAAA can work with the FDA on a program that enables alumni to contribute their experience, talent and wisdom, while helping FDA employees benefit from alumni experience”

“A mentoring relationship of the type established by the pilot proved to be very beneficial not only to the learner, who benefits from the advisor’s vast knowledge and experience, but also for the advisor, whose participation in the mentoring relationship was deeply rewarding”, said Andy Bonanno, VP FDAAA, who helped develop the program with FDA and colleague and fellow FDA alumni Dan Michels.

The advisor / mentors consisted of twelve former FDA employees, all now retired, from senior positions in FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. Each member of the group had many years of FDA experience prior to retirement.

Mentor/advisors:

• Louise W. Arnolie
• Gary Dykstra
• Arlyn Baumgarten
• Malcolm Frazier
• Thomas Gardine
• Richard Garwood
• Carolyn White
• Paul Raines
• Emma Singleton
• James Strachan
• Tyler Thornburg
• John Thorsky

Please join us in thanking these individuals for their dedication and devotion to the FDA, and their willingness to return to the workforce on a part time basis to assist and support current FDA managers.