50
PENNSYLVANIA DHIA
TECHNICIAN TRAINING
AND CERTIFICATION
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
BACKGROUND
Over the last 15 years,
information technology has
become increasingly cheaper,
more powerful and more
flexible. Tasks that once re
quired large mainframe data
processing systems maintained
by central programming staffs
are now accomplished in mul
tiple remote locations with
portable hardware and soft
ware. Among the
most affected by these changes
is the DHIA whose primary
business is information manage
ment.
These technology
developments have had pro
found affects on the employees
of DHIA who deliver manage
ment information services to
dairy producers. Their job
responsibilities have grown
more complex and demanding
as they are expected to provide
more varied services to more
people. Added to this complex
ity is increasing professionalism
which is prompted by NDHIA
Quality Certification standards
and by the conversion of the
national DHIA system into a
competitive marketplace.
DHIA field technicians
are asked to do more today ano
m a better way than their
predecessors of the last 20-30
years. Consequently, the need
for better training is growing.
Nevcr-the less. DHIA often has
fewer resources available to
train them and they struggle to
provide the support and training
that technicians deserve and
need.
In response to this
problem, suggestions were
made to appoint a committee to
assist the PA DHIA Board and
Staff with this problem. In
April, 1993, the Board ap
proved the appointment of an
advisory committee to deal
specifically with this issue.
COMMITTEE PURPOSE,
STRUCTURE AND
COMPOSITION
The advisory committee
is a permanent committee
responsible to the PA DHIA
Board of Directors. Its purpose
is:
1. To review the re
quirements for technician
training needed to meet NDHIA
certification.
2. To determine addi
tional qualifications needed to
meet the needs of the market
place in fulfilling the mission of
the association.
3. To review existing
training programs for DHIA
technicians and identify weak
nesses in them.
4. To determine the
resources needed to properly
train technicians and make
recommendations to the Board
and Staff regarding needed
changes in training programs,
and in the allocation of re
sources to support them.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Neil McCulloch - Chairman
Cumberland County
Andy Meier - Co-Chairman
Somerset County
Beth Kelchner-Technician
Lycoming County
Jay Risser- Technician
Lancaster County
Dennis Brown-Clarion County
Dean Daubert-Clinton County
Marion Butler-Tioga County
Doug Johnson-Lackawanna
County
John Esh-Clinton County
Anne Bert-Blair County
Bill Ule-Cambria County
Helene Driesbach-Berks County
Dennis Kauffman-Lebanon
County
Lap Top Demonstration
Data at your Fingertips
PA DHIA Technicians
continue to serve their members
with the introduction of the lap
tops. The electronic data entry
by the technicians is the project
of PA DHIA since the summer
conference and additional
training was held during the
October Fall Conference for the
technicians. Region Managers
and senior technicians assist
with the extra training sessions
as required. 141 technicians
have been assigned user id's on
the mainframe system. About
93 are active-either actually
released for transmission or
sending parallel transmissions
with paper harnsheets lor
com pat isons. A Help Desk
function to support technicians
from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. 5
days a week. With questions
and problems as they occur,
transmitting data to the
mainframe from the farm
Lirttttar faming, Saturday, January 22, 1994-Cll
Technicians Receive State Awards for Services
Distinguished
Service Award
Each year a list of nominees
for the Distinguished Service
Award is formulated. Each
canidatc must have completed
live years of service and qual
ified for the Award of Merit
for the previous year. One
technician is chosen from
each region based on the
following criteria. Coopera
tion with county personnel,
statistcal performance, neat
ness and appearance.
Technicians may only receive
this award once. It is also
required that a technician win
this award prior to consider
ation for Superior Technician.
The winners each receive a
plaque and check for $25.00.
Region 1: Lisa Kulinski,
Lawrence County
Region 2: Brenda Bingen
heimer, Bedford County
Region 3: John Loughner,
Bradford County
Region 4: Andrew Baer,
Lebanon County
Is PA DHIA (he first to attempt
such a project? For data enlry
we're far from the first. Some
DHIAs have been doing
electronic data entry for
approximately ten years. As of
January 1. 1993 it was esti
mated that just under 50% of
the DHI cows in the nation
have their data entered elec
tronically. However, our
approach to a totally
integrated program is relatively
recent and something that a
number of DHIs are in the
process of putting in the field.
A few of the state DHI As have
an agreement with the Dairy
Comp 305 program owners.
Valley Ag Software. At some
point in the near future, well
over 50% of the DHI cows in
the nation will have access to
the Dairy Comp 305 program
on test day. PA Danes will
begin to see reports in the
Putnam Award
The Putnam Memorial Award
was initiated in 1983 in honor
of Dexter N. Putnam for his
contributions to PA DHIA. Mr.
Putnam was an extension dairy
man from 1957 until his retire
ment in 1982. Dexter's dairy
extension responsibilities in
cluded working with DHIA
Technicians to improve their
accuracy in reporting data on
DHIA forms. The Putnam
award is given annually to the
technician who commits the
fewest errors per 1000 cows
tested. Technicians may only
win this award once. The
winner receives an engraved
desk set.
Full-l ime: Darren Little,
Centre County
Part-Time: Cheryl (ielsinger,
Franklin County
x- ; i» >
j i/ >■/
YOU CAN HOLD THE
WINNING HAND by
joining a champion team.
Even when the chips are
down you can be confident of
success if you belong to the
Pennsylvania DHIA.
That's because Pennsylvania
gives you the information you
need to make wise manage
ment decisions.
As a member of Pennsylvania
DHIA you lap into an official
nationwide network of
information. Pennsylvania
scored a 100% in the Labora
tory Services and Field
Services for providing quality
service and accurate, reliable
results to member dairy
producers. Pennsylvania is
committed to their members.
Spring of '94 as our technicians
get more proliccint at tunning
these reports and using Dairy
Comp 305.
This project is being paid (or by
the PA DHIA reserves for
equipment and the program
writing is being covered by
Valley Ag Software for Dairy
Comp 305. In the future, it is
estimated or projected that the
reduction in data entry at the
DHIA Service Center at the the
slate office will finance (he on
going expenses.
This is a big project and ollen
with a project of this si/e they
move slowly. When this pioject
is completed it will oiler data at
your fingertips, and ollei
greater flexibility! Flexibility is
needed by today's dairy liinn-
Flcxibility that is needed to
serve the varied needs and
requests for infonnation that is
wanted by a large and diverse
number of dairy farmers.
Hollinger Award
The Carl B. Hollinger Award
was started in 1977 in honor
of Mr. Hollinger who was a
licldman for PA DHIA from
1954-1974. The winner ol this
award is selected by the em
ployees who work in Central
Milk Testing Lab, to recognize
the outstanding technician for
excellence in neatness and
accuracy of samples and
bamshcels. Criteria used in
selecting the winner include
order and neatness of the
bamshccls, neatness in sample
packing, si/e of samples,
method of ordering supplies,
and cooperation with the lah.
The winner receives an en
graved desk set.
Andrew Baer,Lebanon
County
Pennsylvania DHIA does an
excellent job of communicat
ing with current members.
Listening to their needs and
shaping icports to meet their
needs. We provide a full
service DHIA to our members
and we are the only DHIA on
the Eastern U.S. to oiler all to
our members.
Deciding to go with Pennsyl
vania is a decision to be
successful. Pennsylvania
DHIA is active in various
cooperatives and workshops.
We provide workshops to our
members on an individual
basis or in gioup settings also
to interested ag lenders and
velennariiuis and feed
consultants periodically in the
year. The staff is committed
to providmg workshop on
using and understanding
DHIA records.
Deciding to go with Pennsyl
vania is a decision to be
success!ul. To be iihead of the
game. To be a winner. Call
today!
1-8(10-344-8378 Seiviee Cenlei
Rookie of the Year
The Rookie of the Year was
established to honor new tech
nicians who have shown ex
ceptional aptitude in learning
the job of the DHIA Technician.
These individuals must have
worked between 6 to 18 months
and demonstrate outstanding
cooperation with the stale and
local DHIA organizations in
conducting an efficient and accu
rate testing program.
The award consists of engraved
plaque. This year the field staff
had a difficult choice to make
since there are several very good
new technicians.
Julie Warf, Beaver County
Cheryl Oelsinger, Franklin
County