When I learned this week of one of our folks being named a candidate finalist for the White House Savings Award, I couldn’t have been more pleased with her idea and effort to improve the way in which we try to achieve a higher standard of how we do things every day. Marjorie Cook, an FSIS inspector from Gobles, Mich., was among four finalists this year for the Obama administration’s White House Save Award, a contest that seeks cost-cutting ideas from rank-and-file federal employees. Through dedication and creative thinking, Marjorie’s idea stood out from 18,000 submissions on how to be more cost-effective in the federal government, which will result in saving taxpayer dollars. President Obama plans on including the winning idea in his proposed fiscal year 2012 budget.
Marjorie noticed that the agency requires inspectors to ship about 125,000 samples to labs each year using FedEx's "Express Next Day" service. The labs use the same fast shipping method to ship back empty containers. "We could save a bundle by having those boxes shipped back through regular ground service," Cook wrote in her contest submission, according to the Office of Management and Budget.
As I mentioned, Marjorie is one of four contenders for this award and we need your help. In order to ensure Marjorie’s success, cast your vote for your FSIS colleague here. It only takes a minute to recognize Marjorie and her innovative thinking on behalf of FSIS.