Beyond Data Management Podcast

In our June 1st episode AFDO Executive Director Steve Mandernach gave us a teaser that a new AI for food safety and health regulators was going to be debuted at the upcoming AFDO conference in Columbus Ohio.

The unveiling has happened, and Wiley is smart.  Jason Brill from AFDO joins us to give us an exclusive deep dive into this powerful new tool.

You can ask Wiley yourself at https://afdo.org/askwiley and you can reach Jason at jbrill@afdo.org

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In this episode of Beyond Data Management, Cameron Garrison welcomes back Steve Mandernach, Executive Director of AFDO, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of food safety regulation, inspections, training, and technology.

Steve previews the upcoming AFDO conference in Columbus, including major sessions on AI in food safety, the 15th anniversary of the Food Safety Modernization Act, food safety culture, inspector safety, de-escalation, and the launch of AFDO’s new AI-powered website assistant, Wiley.

The conversation also covers FDA-state collaboration, the “FDA bridge project,” federal information-sharing challenges, food chemical regulation, training modernization, and why AI may create one of the biggest shifts the inspection world has seen in decades.

Whether you work in regulatory food safety, public health, industry compliance, inspections, or government technology, this episode offers a look at where the field is heading next.

Links and Resources Discussed:

AFDO & 2026 Annual Conference
• AFDO Official Website: https://www.afdo.org/
• 130th AFDO Annual Educational Conference (Columbus, OH – June 5-9, 2026): https://www.afdo.org/event/aec-130/
• AFDO Training Courses & Webinars (free): https://www.afdo.org/training/

Dr. Harvey Wiley & The Poison Squad
• PBS American Experience Documentary "The Poison Squad": https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/poison-squad/
• Book: "The Poison Squad" by Deborah Blum: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/312067/the-poison-squad-by-deborah-blum/
FSMA 15th Anniversary & Policy
• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Overview: https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma
• The BRIDGE Project (FDA state inspection transition): https://www.fda.gov/food/integrated-food-safety-system-ifss/bridge-project
• Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2026 (H.R. 8430): https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8430

Cost of indecision clip from Steve's first appearance on the podcast:
https://youtu.be/L6XpjQWb0kk
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In this episode of Beyond Data Management, powered by HS GovTech, Cameron Garrison talks with Dr. Aaron Ashbrook, Assistant Professor of Urban & Peri-Urban Entomology at the LSU AgCenter.

Dr. Ashbrook breaks down the science (and horror) of bed bugs: their resurgence tied to spring travel in the Southern U.S., how much blood they drink, why they’re so hard to kill, and the bizarre reality of traumatic insemination. He also shares practical advice for travelers, hotel inspections, and what environmental health professionals should tell operators when bed bugs show up.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:
• The gross truth about bed bug mating (traumatic insemination) and how much blood they actually consume
• Why bed bugs are surging again in 2026 — especially in the South due to travel
• Heat treatments: What temperature and time actually kills them (and why resistance to heat is limited)
• Hotel room inspection checklist every traveler should use
• Why bed bugs are NOT a “dirty house” problem — they love clean, high-traffic places
• IPM strategies: Vacuuming, mattress encasements, silica dust, biocontrol, and when to combine with insecticides
• Real lab insights from Dr. Ashbrook’s heat + humidity and insecticide research

Whether you’re in environmental health, pest control, or just someone who travels and doesn’t want unwanted guests, this episode gives you the facts without the hype.

Dr. Ashbrook’s work focuses on bed bugs, German cockroaches, and other urban pests in the humid Gulf Coast environment. He’s also heavily involved in extension and training for pest control operators and public health professionals.

📌 Resources Mentioned:
- LSU AgCenter Urban Entomology
- Bed Bugs Uncovered webinar / presentations by Dr. Ashbrook
- Recent heat exposure studies on bed bugs

Drop your biggest bed bug horror story (or hotel inspection tip) in the comments!

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders in environmental health, entomology, and government innovation.

#BedBugs #EnvironmentalHealth #LSU #Entomology #PestControl #HotelSafety #TravelTips #PublicHealth
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In this episode of Beyond Data Management, powered by HS GovTech, Cameron Garrison sits down with Alicia Love, Bureau Chief of the Meat, Milk & Egg Inspection Bureau at the Montana Department of Livestock.

Alicia shares her unexpected journey from wildlife management dreams → vector control → becoming a food safety leader in one of the most unique state agencies in the country. She also delivers practical, biology-based strategies for one of the toughest parts of regulatory work: de-escalating conflict with angry operators, restaurant owners, and meat plant workers.

🔑 Key Topics Covered:
• How the amygdala hijack affects inspectors and operators — and why stepping away is often the smartest move
• Practical phrases and excuses to reset heated situations without losing authority
• Body language tips (why standing in doorways makes things worse)
• Recognizing when a situation has crossed from "unpleasant" to "unsafe"
• Dealing with lies, complaints, and burnout in food safety inspections
• What makes Montana’s Department of Livestock different from typical ag or public health departments
• Real field stories — from cockroach surprises to being asked to write up a violation on purpose

Whether you're a food safety inspector, environmental health professional, or anyone who deals with regulated industries, this episode gives you tools to stay calm, protect your mental health, and build better relationships in the field.

Alicia’s popular de-escalation training (recently presented for NEHA and others) is designed specifically for inspectors — not law enforcement — and focuses on real-world regulatory interactions.

📌 Resources & Links:
• Alicia’s recent NEHA Conflict De-Escalation Webinar [add link if available]
• Montana Department of Livestock Meat, Milk & Egg Inspection
• NEHA Pre-Conference Training with Alicia Love (August 2026)

If you're in regulatory work, drop your biggest inspection conflict story in the comments — we read them all!

👉 Subscribe for more real conversations with leaders in environmental health, food safety, and data management in government.

#FoodSafety #EnvironmentalHealth #DeEscalation #FoodInspection #RegulatoryTraining #PublicHealth
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Episode 34 of Beyond Data Management is here, and this week Cameron Garrison is joined by Melissa Rogerson for another Ask the Inspector-style conversation powered by questions from across EH Nation.

In this episode

We dig into the real-world challenges food inspectors and environmental health professionals face every day — from difficult operators and illegal food vendors to training new inspectors, handling deception in the field, and helping people break into food safety careers.

Melissa Rogerson brings frontline environmental health experience and practical insight to a wide range of audience-submitted questions, including:

-what inspectors hear when operators say “you were just here”

-how to handle illegal or unpermitted food vendors

-whether operators use small talk to distract inspectors

-the mental toll of difficult inspections and dishonest interactions

-what training works for new inspectors

-how to coach staff who miss violations

-strange but memorable things seen in kitchens

Featured Guest

Melissa Rogerson
HS GovTech
Former El Paso County Environmental Health Department, Colorado

About Beyond Data Management

Beyond Data Management, powered by HS GovTech, explores environmental health, public health, inspections, compliance, data systems, and the real-world work happening across agencies and communities.

Connect with us

Have a question, story idea, or want to be featured on the show?
Email: beyond@hscloudsuite.com

Comment below:
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in a kitchen that wasn’t technically a violation?

#FoodSafety #HealthInspector #EnvironmentalHealth #PublicHealth #FoodInspection #RestaurantInspections #FoodSafetyCareer #EHNation #HSGovTech #BeyondDataManagement
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