Visual Information Specialist Micheall Myrie has worked at FSIS for over seven years, primarily supporting the graphic design needs of the Office of Employee Experience and Development (OEED). “As a skilled visual communicator, I provide my team members with concepts and ideas to help transform the way FSIS trains and develops employees,” Myrie said. Much of his work involves developing training for inspectors, and he uses his visual design expertise to incorporate interactive video, touchscreen and question-and-answer capabilities into training sessions.
Using techniques to improve FSIS training
Several years ago, the inspection The training consisted mainly of binders filled with pages of copied documents. In 2018, OEED began transforming the training of FSIS inspectors by integrating vision. The process begins after laptops are distributed to districts so all FSIS employees have access to the tools needed for training.
At FSIS, Myrie uses all his skills as a designer. His role in creating training for OEED includes videography, photography, graphics and animation. A typical work day at Myrie involves processing graphics requests from OEED clients. These requests can include PowerPoint slides, document layouts, or visual collateral such as illustrated characters, icons, and buttons.
Currently, Myrie is focused on enhancing the visual content FSIS uses for training, incorporating 3-D modeling and animation to improve the user experience, help employees understand the material and increase engagement during training. 3-D modeling and animation would be a significant improvement, especially the components used in training to recognize pathology. To ensure the accuracy of the model, Myrie is working closely with Dr. Shoshana Tanenbaum, a public health veterinarian in the Des Moines area, to obtain the close-up, high-resolution photos of the bull’s head needed to create the 3-D model. Myrie said, “I get great satisfaction from my job because I am part of an innovative team that has revolutionized FSIS’s approach to training and development.”
AAFE Award Winner
In December 2021, Myrie was awarded an OEED Diversity and Inclusion Administrator Excellence Award (AAFE) for the Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Advisory Committee (EEOAC). He led the preparation of a quarterly EEOAC newsletter highlighting OEED’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Myrie said of the award: “It was completely unexpected. I knew my work was appreciated and supported, but I never thought I would be recognized at this level. It’s a good feeling.”
OEED Training Modernization Specialist Salina Nájera said, “Micheall is a creative and innovative employee who is always looking for ways to provide training with state-of-the-art visual content. In working with clients He strives to exceed their expectations through the results of his work and is always open to new ideas.”
Becoming a member of the FSIS team
He started his career at FSIS as a contract graphic designer for one year before becoming a federal employee in September 2015 as a visual information specialist . Transitioning to a federal position made sense for Myrie, who sought job security to support his young family. Myrie’s first assignment was to create an animated video series to train food inspectors on the export certification process. After finishing the animated series, he saw a video of slaughter using virtual reality goggles, and he was excited to learn everything about the new technology and how it could be used to improve training at the agency.
Myrie describes his colleagues as the most professional group of people he has ever worked with. Everyone wants to contribute and respect the feelings and perspectives of others. He believes it all starts at the top – leadership influences everyone to work with each other in a professional and harmonious way. Of FSIS’ four core values—responsibility, collaboration, empowerment, and solution orientation—Myrie said, “I think it’s critical to have all of the FSIS core values equally. Well done as a developer, each of these values will impact your success.”
Previously, as a graphic designer in the private sector, Myrie has worked as a writer, content editor, editor of many projects Marketers and Project Managers. In his current FSIS role, he consistently focuses on the audience when creating material; for example, he applies a sense of diversity to each mission. He doesn’t want to offend anyone with his work, so he pays attention to what’s written, how it’s written and if it suits the target audience.
More about Myrie
Myrie was born in Panama, but in Growing up in Montgomery County, Maryland, he graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus, where he majored in Graphic Communications. He chose this major because it took him beyond the level of a graphic designer and taught him how to be an effective communicator.
Long before his interest in graphic communications, Myrie was from 1990-1994. He joined the army because, in Myrie’s words, “a young lady broke my heart and I needed a vacation.” Myrie is an Army track and wheeled vehicle mechanic, and he believes his military experience serves him well prepared for life, and he thanked FSIS for the opportunities it offered former service members.
Single father of Xander 9 and Kaia 15, Myrie enjoys biking, swimming, strength training and playing basketball. Other hobbies include storytelling and making cartoons. His dream was to make an animated series of superheroes.
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