In July, the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy welcomed three visitors from Bangladesh to research Food Security and Disaster Management. The following objectives were outlined by the Department of State for this project:
- Provide an overview of food security, food supply, and public health issues at the federal, state, local, and grassroots levels;
- Meet with representatives of government agencies, medical facilities, laboratories, universities, and food-handling facilities to discuss food safety, consumer protection advocacy, and disease prevention standards and practices in the United States;
- Examine how government agencies resolve challenges in their efforts to regulate the food industry;
- Assess programs designed to ensure food supply and security and prevent food-borne diseases;
- Illustrate U. S. interests and achievements in realizing domestic and international food security;
For their first day of appointments in Pensacola, Program Officer Barbara Henry welcomed the group and gave them a program orientation. They then met at the H2O Restaurant at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front with Romeo Amodo, Food and Beverage Manager, Mike Cosse, Food and Beverage Director, and Dan Dunn, Executive Chef where they then had the opportunity to discuss restaurant food handling safety and tour the restaurant and kitchen.
Later, Dr. Robert McDaniel, Faculty Researcher and Chief of Operations at the Center for Disaster Risk Policy at Florida State University, and a delegation of disaster management experts from Korea met with the group to discuss emergency preparedness in Florida. At the Emergency Operations Center in Pensacola, John Dosh, Emergency Manager for Escambia County, gave the group a tour of the facility. Thank you to Dr. KiHoan SUNG, former Chief of Disaster Relief Team with the Korean Red Cross and current professor at Seoul University, to Dr. HeeCheon CHOI, member, Planning Director Board, Korean Association for Crisis Emergency Management, and to the Center for Disaster Risk Policy personnel Dr. Janet Dilling (Senior Advisor), David Merrick (Deputy Director), and Jarrett Broder (Director of Information Technology).
After lunch downtown, our guests visited Baptist Hospital to focus on management of medical needs in crisis situations with Shellie Massey, Gulf Breeze Hospital Dietary Operations Manager. We would also like to thank Patsy W. Myers, Vice President of Operations and Chief Nursing Officer, Priscilla Brewer, Clinical Manager in Emergency Services, and Dr. Bob Harriman, Senior Vice President of Baptist Health Care for their participation.
On Monday, appointments continued with a visit to N.B. Cook Elementary School to meet Jaleena Wortham, Dietician for the Escambia County School District, and Priscilla Griffith, Supervisory Technician. The purpose of this visit was to feature school nutrition and to highlight food distribution during natural disasters. Thank you to Glenna Taylor for arranging the meeting.
Next, Jerry Mitrovich from the Homeless Plus Team at First United Methodist Church welcomed the delegation as they joined other Pensacolians in feeding the homeless. The group then traveled to MANNA to meet with Cathy Sowell, Pantries Program Director, and to participate in another volunteer activity to highlight an organization working to alleviate hunger.
Thank you to Dr. Richard Hough and family for inviting the group to dine with them Saturday evening, and to Mayor Mike Wiggins for declaring the group honorary citizens of the City of Pensacola.
Thank you to everyone who made this program possible by donating their time and expertise.
