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La VozPage 1
October 2004
President’s Message
Inside thisissue:Unsung Hero AwardWinnerMembershipDuesCommitteeChairs
Newsletter of the National Organization of Professional HispanicNatural Resources Conservation Service Employees
La Voz La Voz La Voz La Voz La Voz
Meet the NationalCouncil, 2004-2005
By Bertha VenegasNOPHNRCSE President
President
Bertha T. Venegasbertha.venegas@tx.usda.gov4100 Piedras Drive EastSuite 253San Antonio, TX 78228210 735-3391210 735-3392
Vice President
Carmen Diazboritex0808@aol.com213 Cedar LaneBurleson, TX 76028Phone: 817 426-4299Fax: 817 426-2334
Executive Vice President
Carlos SuarezCarlos.suarez@ne.usda.gov100 Centennial Mall NorthRoom 152Lincoln, NE 68508
Secretary
Fernando Garzafernando.garza@tx.usda.gov727 East Durango, A-507San Antonio, Texas 78206-1204Phone: 210 472-5527Fax: 210 472-5525
Treasurer
Zaragoza Rodriguez, IIIzaragoza.rodriguez@tx.usda.govPO Box 1006Zapata, Texas 78076Office: 956 765-6911Fax: 956 765-5209It’s been a busy fourmonths for NOPHNRCSE!Since taking office, ourCouncil has selected 10committee chairs andapproved their plans ofaction and budgets. Thecouncil selected the 2005planning team and devel-oped and approved a planof action and budget forthe council. Well on ourway, we look forward to asuccessful year.Be expecting amessage from AstridMartinez, MembershipChair, as we kick off the2005 membership drive.She will be providing aletter of encouragement tojoin NOPHNRCSE. I urgeeveryone to submit yourdues within the timeallotted and recruit a newmember, or two or threeto join us! Mario Moralesis recruiting members tobe a part of the planningteam for our nationalconference in Lafayette,Louisiana. Contact him ifyou want to be a part ofthat team. All the commit-tee chairs are also recruit-ing members for theirrespective teams.I submitted all 2004NOPHNRCSE awardwinners to be consideredfor the UNSUNG HEROAward. I am proud thatAmanda Hasemeier wasone of the recipients ofthe UNSUNG HERO Awardgiven by the department.CONGRATULATIONS!Read all about Amanda inthis newsletter. I alsowant to congratulateGilbert Guerrero on hisselection as the newNational Hispanic Em-ployee Program Manager.I have asked all theRegional Representativesto communicate with ourmembers by providingminutes, financial reportsand any other informa-tion including newslettersand job openings.Feedback is encouraged.Contact your regionalrepresentative if youhave any comments orconcerns.Wishing you and yourfamily a joyous holidayseason. Stay safe andmay you have a prosper-ous New Year!
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Don’t forget topay yourmembershipdues for 2005
By Astrid MartinezMembership CommitteeChair
The 2004 membershipdues expire on December31, 2004. This meansthat dues for the 2005calendar year are due byJanuary 1, 2005.It is important that wepay our annual dues to ourorganization. These dueshelp us to subsidize thecost of our conferencesand other importantactivities carried out byNOPHNRCSE. By payingyour dues you will be ableto participate in thedecision making processof the organization. Bybeing a member in goodstanding you can partici-pate in the election and beeligible to hold anyposition in the NationalCouncil.It is very important tobe an active member if wewant our organization tobe a success. Our successdepends on each one ofus.There are two waysyou can submit yourannual dues payment:1. Submitting a checkpayable to NOPHNRCSE forthe amount of the mem-bership you chose alongwith a completed member-ship form to:Astrid Martinez4016 Norseman Ave.Grand Island, NE688032. By payroll deduc-tion. Fill out the form AD-1054 “Request for PayrollDeduction”, which you canget from your humanresources personnel andit is also available alongwith the membershipform at the NOPHNRCSEwebsite. If you decide togo with this option,please remember that Istill need a completedmembership form and acopy of the AD 1054.Please mail a copy at theaddress above. Theoriginal copy of the AD1054 will go to yourhuman resources office.Clarifications:If you requestedpayroll deduction, reviewyour Statement ofEarning and Leave (AD-334 USDA) to verify thatthe deduction for themembership dues isthere. You should see aline with code “87 Union/Association Dues 29” for$1.15. If the deductionis not there you are notin paying the membershipby payroll deduction.If this is your caseplease send me a checkto pay your 2005 duesand visit your humanresources personnel tostart with the payrolldeductions for 2006. Youshould visit your humanresources personnel toclarify why the deductionyou requested did nottake place.If you have not usedpayroll deduction beforeyou must be aware of thefollowing. If you startthe payroll deduction inJanuary of 2005 these willbe applied toward the2006 dues. These meansyou will have to pay the2005 dues by mailing acheck to my attention.I will like to ask everymember to call yourRegional Representativeand verify that we have themost current informationfor you in our files. Weneed to have current datato be able to reach youwhen necessary and keepyou informed of organiza-tion activities. You canalso complete the member-ship address update formlocated at the website andmail it to me.If you have any ques-tion regarding membershipplease feel free to contactme atastrid.martinez@ne.usda.govMembership forms areavailable on-line at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/intranet/hispanic/.
Don’t Forget to Pay Your Membership Dues
USDA has launched anew Spanish-languagewebsite, www.usda.gov/EnEspanol, as part of thedepartnment’s ongoingefforts to expand Hispanicaccess to USDA programs.“This website is a newtool to help more peopleaccess USDA programs andservices,” said Secretaryof Agriculture AnnVeneman. “Consumers canuse this website to findinformation from nutritionassistance tohomeownership or conser-vation programs.”
USDA LaunchesNew Spanish-language Website
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Member WinsUSDA Hispanic Americans:Unsung Hero Award for2004
In September, AmandaHasemeier received theUSDA Hispanic Americans:Unsung Hero (HéroesDesconocidos) Award for2004. She was one of fourin USDA given this award.NOPHNRCSE recognizedher this year as ourAmiga/Amigo awardwinner.In 1994, a HispanicEmployment Committeewas formed in Pennsylva-nia. The original goal setout by its members was todevelop cultural awarenessin NRCS and the commu-nity that showed thepositive value of Hispanicsand promoted the indi-vidual and group profes-sionalism through out-reach. Besides working onquarterly newsletters andorganizing programs forHispanic Heritage month,the first outreach activityAmanda was involved withwas a neighborhood urbanschool that had a highnumber of Hispanicelementary children. Shehelped in a first gradeclass, and in particularthere was an immigrantgirl with little Englishability. Amanda was toldthat her help with thisyoung student allowed forprogress to the next gradewithout being left behind.Amanda received thePennsylvania Civil RightsAward in 1995. As part ofthe Pennsylvania CivilRights Committee, agardening and tree-planting project thatinvolved the youngergrades took place at that
Hasemeier Named Unsung Hero
same school the followingyear. Amanda becameHEPM in 1996 and in 1998was elected the EastRegion Representative ofNOPHNRCSE, and re-mained so for two terms,all the while maintainingher dedication to theScholarship and Endow-ment Committee. Otheroutreach activitiesmoved to another part ofthe state working withHispanic workers in themushroom industry. In2000, Amanda was givena group award for herwork in Chester County.Those same workers arenow becoming producersand property owners so anew level of assistance isreaching them. Theoutreach has been mostlyin water quality issues inthe mushroom-growingareas of Chester andBerks counties. Themost recent activitiesAmanda has been in-volved with includetranslation work forsafety documents andinformational brochuresand a joint-agency eventwhere NRCS, FSA, RD,Chester County Conserva-tion District, SmallBusiness Administration,the American MushroomInstitute and a newlyformed Mexican produc-ers group with someprivate interests cametogether.Hasemeier maintainsconsistent leadership,ensuring the continuoussuccess of the scholarshipand endowment fund.She has been chair of thecommittee for three yearsand a member since thecommittee was formed.Helping students of all ageshas been a consistentcommitment for Amanda,and even though her threechildren are almost out ofcollege, there is alwaysmore work to do in helpingstudents as competition inthe world gets harder andcosts of going to collegecontinue to increase.The Scholarship andEndowment Fund hasenough funds now toincrease both the numberof scholarships as well asthe financial amountawarded to deserving full-time students who major ina natural resources relatedfields. At the live auctionduring the annual trainingconference this year,NOPHNRCSE raised$5,607.50. The challengeis to continue to increasethe endowment fund and tomake sure that the avail-ability of this scholarship isknown throughout thenation, so that an abun-dant number of applica-tions get returned to thecommittee for evaluation.
Amanda Hasemeier
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