Daryle Harris, Director, Division of Field Administration, Office of Management (OM), Division of Field Administration (DFA)

Like most organizations, success is fully dependent upon support operations that run in the background. It is no different here in ORA. I lead the Division of Field Administration (DFA), which is responsible for providing administrative support to ORA offices, laboratories, and commodity-specific program divisions. Specifically, the DFA provides the full spectrum of administrative support that is necessary for an office to function. This portfolio includes a variety of resource management functions. Including  (i.e., facilities management, financial and property management, human resource liaising, records management, and badging operations).

We help ORA staff such as field investigators, program managers, and laboratory analysts to conduct their daily activities. Whether it is leading a workforce that is responsible for orchestrating financial management or managing the shipment of samples to FDA laboratories, it all ties back to the primary mission of the FDA.  For the Consumer Safety Officer who conducts inspections, a DFA staff member is there every step of the way from budget support for travel to mail operations for sending sample collections to laboratories. In this regard, the duties carried out by my division are critical to the overall support infrastructure that is necessary to allow ORA to carry out its public health mission.

I cannot tell you the number of times that I have gotten a call from a district director or a program division director with a question about a resource management issue that needed to be resolved to prevent a work stoppage or that was would have significantly hindering hindered operations. Each time, using a network of professionals and technical experts, I was able to resolve the matter.

I have always been driven by a strong desire to accomplish the mission in the most efficient way possible to move an organization forward. As a 22-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran, I have served multiple tours overseas such as Operation Enduring Freedom.

To my fellow veterans who are searching for a career in public service, I want to convey the message that ORA has a tremendous mission benefiting the public at large. It is uniquely placed within the agency. We are the foot soldiers of FDA. As investigators and analysts; , we perform compliance and regulatory actions to help ensure the safety of commodities such as human and animal food and feed, medical devices, radiological equipment, biological products, and drugs. As veterans, we are used to being on the front lines confronting national challenges. Whether it is a natural disaster, a military conflict, war or a mission to end a humanitarian crisis; ORA is the front lines of the FDA. As we say in the military, it’s where the rubber meets the road. Come and be a part of that.

I am Daryle Harris, and #IAmORA.