1. Montana: Pine Creek Lake July 2014

2. SUSTAINING QUALITY: MONTANA’S STORY Lab Accreditation Meeting San Diego, March 11 th

3. Sustaining Quality: Montana’s Story Who are we? Why pursue accreditation? How we did it!

4. MT Department of Agriculture Lab Analytical Chemistry Testing Laboratory 8.625 FTE Montana State University Bozeman, MT ~2,500 samples per year

5. MT Department of Agriculture Lab ~1/2 Feed /Fertilizer samples ~1/2 Pesticide samples ISO 17025 Accreditation November 2014 2 Feed, 1 Fertilizer Method 0.5 FTE QAO position

6. MT Department of Agriculture Lab 2003-2013 USDA PDP Water Survey Program 3 methods for testing pesticides in water 2006-2008 : 2 years to complete accreditation 2008-2013: accredited 5 years 2013 Inactive Status

7. Why pursue accreditation? The HAPPENING: Accreditation Movement FSMA: LAB Accreditation critical 2 Tiers: Have and Have Not's Did we want to be part of the movement?

8. Why pursue accreditation? Wrestled with Decision over several months No FDA funding Customer: no accreditation needed No one was pushing or asking

9. Why pursue accreditation? Better Data Quality Continual LAB Improvement Build Quality System to last Professional growth Adds value to customers

10. Why pursue accreditation? Time and resource drain It Costs Measure value? Not much value added? Is it worth it?

11. Why pursue accreditation? We care about data quality We care about lab processes We care about professional growth We didn’t just want to do a job… We wanted to do an A+ job!

12. Why pursue accreditation? Wave of the future It was going to be hard, extra work No funding or extra staff Management support

13. How we did it! We believed in the value of accreditation We knew we could do it! Prior experience with accreditation Enthusiasm and drive to complete it

14. How we did it! Team approach—4 of us helping. February 2014-November 2014 2 Feed drug methods 1 Fertilizer Nitrogen method Working on adding protein to scope

15. How we did it! Maintaining Accreditation QAO: 0.5 FTE ~$ 35,000.00 Operating: ~$7,000.00 TOTAL: ~$42,000.00

16. Accreditation Family Network of support Comradery Part of the ISO community Never be alone

17. Conclusions Accreditation is so doable! Many hand make for light work Formal recognition of lab technical capabilities

18. Acknowledgements Dan Singer Robin Johnson Cara Robertus Jona Verreth

19. “Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character.” Albert Einstein

20. MIDWEST AOAC meeting June 8-10 th 2015 Bozeman, MT SYMPOSIA: Pesticides at work in the Agriculture LAB State AG FEED LABS going ISO-Say what? Veterinary Toxicology and Mycotoxins NFTA technical presentations Food Safety: Chemistry and Microbiology Applications ICP workshop LIMS issues SPECIAL EVENTS: Vendor expo and presentations Tuesday evening social: Mountain Chalet surrounded by snowcapped mountains Casper-Helfe Memorial Golf Outing