Exchange Quality Assurance Manager Margret Knopf, who has been with the Exchange’s Gruenstadt bakery for 30 years, loves her job and takes every opportunity to share her knowledge.
“To me it’s not a job,” Knopf said. “I have a career that I love and a passion to share my knowledge with others.”
On April 8, Knopf was honored for her more than 15 years of service to the annual Laboratory Audit Training program hosted by Public Health Command Europe (PHCE).
The annual training provides instruction in auditing commercial food and bottled water laboratories. The training is the only one in the Department of Defense (DoD) inventory and is based in Germany. U.S. Army Veterinary Corps Officers attending this training are responsible for auditing DoD food suppliers throughout Africa, Europe, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), many with in-house laboratories.
PHCE Consumer Safety Officer Robert Hess presented Knopf with a certificate and coin, thanking her for her invaluable service.
“This is a unique course in Europe because it’s not offered anywhere else in the world,” Hess said. “We’re very thankful to have somebody with the experience and knowledge that she brings to the table, it’s such a tremendous asset.”
Knopf’s contribution to the continuing education of Veterinary Corps Officers directly impacts the DoD’s food protection mission globally, as these officers will eventually PCS to other regions of the world, bringing with them the knowledge and experience that was acquired at the Gruenstadt facility.
“She is a major reason for the success of plant operations for the Exchange,” said Gruenstadt Food Plant Operations Manager Don Henson. “Her attention to detail to the quality standards required by our brand partners is exceptional, and she ensures that we meet those standards, for which we are grateful.”
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