Tanya Jackson

• Chaired the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) for the recruitment of Foreign Service Officer (FSO) for the Economic Growth and Agricultural Development (EGAD) Office at the USAID/Haiti Mission.
• Advised USAID/Haiti Mission staff on best practices for diversity and inclusion, and for fostering a positive work environment.
• TEC panelist for USAID Agency wide procurement of 58 new FSO positions in anticipation of a surge of early FSO retirement.
• Collaborated effectively across offices to strategize long-term talent acquisition plans aligned with organizational objectives.
• Pre-screened resumes prior to sending to hiring managers for consideration and conducted thorough reference checks on potential hires, ensuring the accuracy of information provided during interviews.
• Analyzed statistical data and generated graphs to produce a power-point gap analysis report for my supervisor of overseas Missions' current budget and the projected need for additional Agricultural Development Officer (ADO) positions in the next fiscal year. The outcome of this report ensured that an additional funding request for ADO positions will be in the next Congressional Budget Justification.

Demonstrated strong organizational and time management skills while managing multiple projects; worked effectively in fast-paced, insecure environments while continuously providing support and guidance to field, office, and virtual teams. Specific accomplishments during this assignment included:

• Created better linkages between the Economic Growth and Agricultural Development (EGAD) sides of the portfolio for the purpose of improving collaboration and communication between private sector entrepreneurs, agricultural producers, and value chain actors.
• Managed a $33M annual budget; in 2023, the EGAD office merged with the Office of Infrastructure, Energy and Engineering (OIEE) and the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) team.
• Actively supervised, mentored, and empowered a diverse staff composed of 11 Foreign Service Nationals (FSN), 1 United States Personal Service Contractor (USPSC), and 1 United States Direct Hire (USDH) personnel through promoting professional self-empowerment to achieve personal & agency goals.
• Provided technical leadership in coordination with the Government of Haiti Ministries, USG agencies, international partners, and other stakeholders on managing and mitigating animal health risk through monitoring Dominican and Haitian zoonotic issues that may impact human health, food security, and the EGAD office programming.
• Served as a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) panelist for a HCTM Procurement for Agricultural Development Officers.

Due to a change in the Embassy's security posture, some incoming personnel chose to be reassigned, therefore, I was temporarily promoted to the Acting Office Chief (AOC) until another FSO Office Chief could be approved. During the five month period, I assumed the duties of the Office Chief while also continuing the duties as the Deputy Office Chief. My AOC duties included using strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective solutions for challenging security situations that were developing in Port-au-Prince which were having a negative impact on daily office operations, and had the potential to have a negative impact on field operations.

• Acting EGAD Office Chief for 9 FSN and 1 USDH staff organized into two teams (Economic Growth & Agricultural Development). Ensured the successful Implementation of economic growth, agriculture and food security projects, including managing both financial and human resources, and continuously monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the extent to which projects could be successfully implemented in the current insecure environment.

USAID stopped the implementation of development activities in Afghanistan after American troops were withdrawn from the country in 2021. During my assignment, my specific duties included:

• Activity Manager and Agreement Officer Representative (AOR)/ Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for three capacity building projects, totaling $29 million, designed to build the agricultural technical capacity of the former Government of Afghanistan (GoA).
• Ensured delivery of programmatic and technical expertise to the Office of Agriculture (OAG) Office Director, mission management, the former Government of Afghanistan (GoA), and donor colleagues. Built consensus and partnerships among these stakeholders to support agriculture sector growth and economic prosperity in Afghanistan.
• Served as the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) Chair for the hiring and retention of OAG staff.
• Guided and motivated staff to perform at their best, ensuring that Foreign Service National (FSN) staff were trained and mentored to take on more responsibilities.
• Successfully integrated training opportunities to economically empower women and support the Mission's objective of economic growth, job development, and self-reliance into capacity building activities.
• (After we lost the Embassy) Supported Afghan Task Force; responsible for reviewing supporting refugee/asylum documentation and processing Afghan refugee applications for P1/P2 visas. Provided referrals for USAID's implementing partners' local staff. Established and maintained liaison with Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector stakeholders involved in the parole program's resettlement process.

• Inspected and conducted food safety and food quality audits of food processors that produce USAID's specialized nutritious food.
• Designed a “Food Safety Best Practices Toolkit” to promote capacity building initiatives of emergency food beneficiaries.
• Reviewed and provided technical evaluation on unsolicited humanitarian assistance grant proposals.
• Contributed to the revision of Food For Peace's Nutrition Strategy for the implementation of nutrition interventions, including fortification and supplementation, gap analyses, and technical assistance for nutrition-specific, nutrition-sensitive, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions.

My duties for the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity (OCRD) detail:

• Conducted "Needs Assessment for Foreign Service Language Training Program".
• Presented results of needs assessment to HCTM and OCRD staff and provided recommendations and options for improving the language training program based on the findings.
• Improved workplace culture, fostering open communication and a positive work environment through team-building initiatives.
• Assumed role as Executive Secretariat and managed the activities of the “Healthy Workplace Advisory Board”.

• Revised the Request For Proposal for the $28 million Regional Agricultural Development Program (RADP-East) activity.
• Coordinated the completion of pre-obligation documents between the Mission's program and procurement offices and USAID/Washington.
• Served as the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) Chair for the procurement of the RADP-East activity.
• Identified areas of development cooperation between OAG USAID/Afghanistan and the Department of Defense (DOD); provided OAG program overview to military officials involved in civilian-military cooperation for rural development activities.

Technical Adviser for Food Safety Issues

• Provided expert advice for the Mission's complementary food safety project that identified the prevalence of fungal-based toxins found in imported and domestic wheat flour.
• Designed a Results Framework for proposed “2016 Bilateral Food Safety Activity”.

Technical Adviser for Nutrition Issues

• Advanced the Mission's food fortification program bilaterally and regionally that directly contributed to food security component of USAID's, “Almaty Consensus”.
• Led the Mission's food fortification design team for a new activity to reduce chronic malnutrition.
• Served a coordinating role on regional nutrition and food security activities.

• Activity manager for a $1.2 million poultry production scale-up project in the Southern Delta Region of Bangladesh designed to improve food security, biosecurity, and nutrition.
• Provided technical assistance for the Office of Economic Growth (OEG) and served on the Avian Influenza Pandemic Team.
• Strengthened Mission commitment to gender equity by leading the procurement of the Women's Empowerment Activity (WEA) which was designed to increase women's empowerment in Feed the Future (FtF) activities.
• Built consensus among stakeholders and advanced the Mission's Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) Food Safety Program implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) with the technical assistance of other United States Government (USG).
• Coordinated quarterly Food Safety Stakeholder's Meetings.
• Organized and facilitated a presentation for the American Embassy staff with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO) Food Safety Experts regarding the safety concerns of locally procured food.

Training for future overseas assignments included:

• Long term language training.
• Continuous security training.
• Coursework for COR/AOR certification.
• Short-term details through USAID's technical offices and State Department's Financial (F) bureau.
• Volunteering for State Department's Japan Task Force during 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

As a Regulatory Consultant and Technical Reviewer for New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) Notifications submitted by industry to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) , I performed the following:

• Analyzed Dietary Supplement Heath Education Act (DSHEA) compliancy of client's proposed dietary supplement.
• Provided exceptional client service by addressing questions or concerns promptly and professionally, maintaining strong working relationships throughout engagements.
• Interpreted regulatory rules or rule changes and communicated with others through corporate policies and procedures.
• Advised clients on complex regulatory matters, ensuring understanding of requirements and implications.
• Monitored changes in legislation affecting clients' businesses, providing timely updates and strategic advice as needed.
• Wrote executive summaries and option papers for dietary supplement manufacturers and legal representatives justifying their decision to file or not file a pre-market notification with FDA.

Position title: Regulatory Scientist and Lead Reviewer:

• Served as a scientific and regulatory analyst in the Division of Dietary Supplements Program.
• Provided technical support in regulatory and policy issues during the drafting of a guidance document for industry for submitting history of use and safety data for “New Dietary Ingredient” (NDI) Pre-Market Notifications.
• Researched Investigational New Drug (INDs) and New Drug Applications (NDAs) status for New Dietary Ingredients submitted by industry in their “New Dietary Ingredients Pre-Market Notifications”.
• Identified and evaluated drug claims and function/structure claims in “New Dietary Ingredients Pre-Market Notifications”.
• Reviewed “New Dietary Pre-Market Notifications” from industry and prepared a FDA response letter based on the reviews submitted by the botanical, chemical, toxicological and clinical reviewers.
• Wrote summary papers on the regulatory history of controversial new dietary ingredients submitted in “New Dietary Ingredients Pre-Market Notifications”.
• Wrote botanical/phytochemical reviews for botanically based supplements.