Welcome to the New AO in South Dakota

Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 09:27:14 -0500
To: "AO - All Administrative Officers"<distribution
From: "Alice A. Sabatini, Division Administrative Officer, WRD" <aasabati
Subject: Welcome to the New AO in South Dakota


We have a new administrative officer in South Dakota--Patsy Hood.  Please
join me in welcoming her to the USGS and to WRD.  She brings with her a
wealth of experience with the Forest Service in administrative positions.
Her short bio follows:

I was born and raised in Hot Springs, SD.  After high school, I attended 
Black Hills State University majoring in Business Administration.

My Federal career began with the USDA Forest Service, Black Hills 
National Forest in 1971.  I started as a clerk-typist/receptionist (GS-3) 
on the Spearfish Ranger District and ended my career with that district 
as the District Clerk (GS-5) in 1977.   

After taking 15 months off and moving to Deadwood, SD, I had the 
opportunity to be reinstated with the Black Hills National Forest in 
January 1979 at the Nemo Ranger District.  While there I worked as the 
Receptionist (GS-3), Resource Clerk (GS-4), District Clerk (GS-5), 
Business Mgt Tech, (GS-6), and Support Services Specialist (GS-7).

In 1987 I began a four-year tenure at the Boxelder Job Corps Center in 
Nemo, SD.  This was also a Forest Service position.  I held the Assistant 
Administrative Officer (GS-9) and the Administrative Officer (GS-11) 
positions.  

In 1991 I was offered and accepted the District Administrative Officer 
position on the Bearlodge Ranger District in Sundance, Wyoming.  In 1994, 
the Black Hills National Forest combined the seven ranger districts into 
four ranger districts.  The Forest Leadership Team asked if I would take 
over the AO duties on the newly combined Pactola/Harney District.  It was 
a challenge that I looked forward to accepting.  I had two offices, one 
in Rapid City, SD, and the other in Hill City, SD.  

With cutbacks ever present and the advent of Unified Budget Systems, the 
Forest Leadership Team made the decision that District AO's were no 
longer needed and my position was abolished effective September 30, 1996. 
The Forest offered a GS-9 Purchasing Agent position to me with the duty 
station being Custer, SD.  Although it meant extensive warrant authority 
training and a predetermined amount of OJT as I was never a purchasing 
agent as such, the Forest was willing to put that kind of time and effort 
into my career.  

I applied for the AO position with USGS in Rapid City in January 1998 and 
was selected in February 1998.  The rest is history...

I will celebrate 26 years of Federal service in December.

My husband Jerry and I will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary in 
January, 1999.  Jerry is the Facility/Fleet Manager and Fire Team Leader 
for the Boxelder Job Corps Center in Nemo, SD.  We have two grown 
daughters. Robbyn, our oldest, lives in Hinesville, GA, with her husband 
Ron. an MP with the US Army, and their son Aaron.  They are expecting 
their second child in March.  Our youngest daughter Shelly and her 
husband Jason live in Rapid City, SD, where Shelly is an RN on the 
pediatric ward of Rapid City Regional Hospital and Jason is an account 
representative for Green Tree Financial Corp.

I feel very fortunate to be a part of USGS and am looking forward to the 
future here.


I       


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