Carrie Harmon - NPDN Deputy Executive Director
The Communicator: Volume 6, Issue 9, September 2025

As I write this, the travel of last month has already faded into memory, replaced by samples, teaching, and projects, some of which originated or were inspired by discussions at the national meetings of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) and the National Plant Board (NPB).  Back to back, these two meetings were in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii, and tours and talks highlighted the critical part pest surveillance plays in the islands’ economic and ecological health.

During the NPB meeting, NPDN was commended for valuable partnering with the state departments of agriculture and APHIS, including the value of our diagnostic database, communication efforts, and quality diagnostics nationwide.  Stephen Long, SC state plant regulatory official and past president of the NPB, Wendy Jin, associate deputy administrator, APHIS PPQ S&T, and I presented the outcome of a year-long collaborative project around NPDN data access, sharing, and integrity to support regulatory decision-making.  I also presented an update on NPDN and DAVN projects and services of interest to the NPB.  Both sessions generated great conversations about the importance of continuing the work of the Regulatory Relations Committee as well as forging ahead with the APHIS-NPB-NPDN initiatives.

A few days later, I presented on behalf of Alicyn at APS in a session on the importance of diagnostic networks.  The session’s speakers emphasized that networks are critical now more than ever, as federal expertise shrinks and diagnostic services support increasingly global agrosecurity and agribusiness needs. 

But the best part of these meetings was not the location, it was connecting with so many of you in person.  We filled nearly every seat at the NPDN Town Hall, but it felt more like a family reunion than a business meeting.  Introductions helped connect new diagnosticians to the network and conversation tilted toward ensuring we support somehow the training and camaraderie we usually get from the only diagnostic-focused meeting in the US. Your NPDN Professional Development and Leadership committees will be working on this – check in with your regional reps and reach out with ideas.  The other hot topic was keeping up the momentum of communicating our worth to decision-makers this summer and into the future.  Alicyn’s presentation on the topic last February will be followed by a “Part II” as well as a quick-start guide to telling your story and communicating your impact with policymakers.  The IPM Centers are also working on this message – consider joining their Sept 17 session, info below.  Don’t forget that our whole network can amplify your voice – share your success stories with your administrators and cc your regional or national reps; we can all promote the value of what we do: https://www.npdn.org/public/impact.

As always, thank you for all you do, and best wishes for a happy, healthy autumn.
Carrie

 

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