Who is Heather Zawalick? FDA? or HOAX?

[robw]

I'm not saying she does not exist, but something sounds fishy.
First here is the email text.

From: Zawalick, Heather (CBER) [mailto:Heather.Zawalick@fda.hhs.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 4:08 PM
To: Zawalick, Heather (CBER)
Subject: [LIKELY_SPAM]FDA Outreach: FDA Takes Enforcement Action on Electronic Smoking Products, Entering Clearance

Subject/Headline: FDA Takes Enforcement Action on Electronic Smoking Products

Planned Release Date: May 5

Driving Event: Compliance action

Rollout Plan: Extensive rollout planned including press conference at HHS, press release, fact sheet, video for upload to YouTube, podcast, consumer article, consumer Q &A, key message points, internal media Q & A, Op-Ed, photos of products for posting on Internet.

Other background, hidden factors: Action involves three largest distributors. One of the distributors has just sued FDA seeking a restraining order to prevent us from holding their product at the border. There is keen interest in this subject. E-cigarette kiosks are all over town, including Montgomery Mall. They're being advertised as a safer alternative to cigarettes. Our concern is that this might introduce nonusers to nicotine use. This is a drug delivery device. The content of the products have not been analyzed by FDA. To be sold, they would have to be approved by the agency.

Spokespersons: Janet Woodcock and Deborah Autor

Heather Zawalick
FDA/OC/Office of Legislation
301-827-0090
Heather.Zawalick@fda.hhs.gov

First of all her email Heather.Zawalick@fda.hhs.gov which indicates the website Home | Origin Scotland Online which is not a real web site. Granted it could be a email forwarder, but most emails to the FDA goto yournamehere@fda.gov.

I sent a email to the one supplied in the letter and it has not yet bounced back but that may be delayed.

Second I did a search for Heather Zawalick on the FDA website and found nothing.

Third there is a Heather Zawalick in Washington DC but she is a photographer.

Fourth the phone number. I called it and indeed the name on the audix voice mail say her name but when I looked up the phone number on google I got this.
LAMPS UNLIMITED
1362 Chain Bridge Ave
Rockville,MD 20847
7.0MI from Bethesda
(301) 827-0090

I don't know, but to me something is not right. I guess it could all be a coincidence but we will certainly know for sure on the 5th.

 

[Wildsky]

Wow nice digging there!

 

[robw]

not really, im finding that there is a FDA office in the same town and the email suffix is valid.

 

[Wildsky]

not really, im finding that there is a FDA office in the same town and the email suffix is valid.

The phone number does it for me.

Perhaps there are two people with that name (mother and daughter?) I dunno.

 

[robw]

I think this person is an Ombudsman
FDA/CBER Ombudsman

From: Zawalick, Heather (CBER)

CBER is a complaint investigation division of the FDA

According to the FDA website this is the role of a CBER

The function of the CBER Ombudsman parallels that of the FDA Ombudsman, but provides an avenue for interested parties for getting complaints involving CBER programs resolved at a level closer to the source. The CBER Ombudsman reports directly to the Center Director.

I gather they do preliminary investigations from the description on the web page

 

[robw]

This may be one of those cases where the person uses a cell phone for both their real business and the part time business. The question is does she work full time for the FDA or for the Lamp company

 

[gfijoshua]

Many people think that this email is a fake one..
ds1.psc.dhhs.gov/hhsdir/eeQ.asp]HHS Employee Directory[/url]

If you go to above site, it will tell you who Heather Zawalick is..
Also when you google Janet Woodcock and Deborah Autor , they both are very powerful figure in FDA, and banning of unapproved products in the past.
We should be worried

 

[gfijoshua]

correct URL is
ds1.psc.dhhs.gov/hhsdir/eeKey.asp?Key=30218&Format=Table

 

[robw]

Well, I for one am not worried. I can import stuff direct and the China suppliers will figure out how to get around the ban. They will keep on changing company names and shipping companies until Obama bombs them or something.

 

[Sun Vaporer]

I'm not saying she does not exist, but something sounds fishy.
First here is the email text.


First of all her email Heather.Zawalick@fda.hhs.gov which indicates the website Home | Origin Scotland Online which is not a real web site. Granted it could be a email forwarder, but most emails to the FDA goto yournamehere@fda.gov.

I sent a email to the one supplied in the letter and it has not yet bounced back but that may be delayed.

Second I did a search for Heather Zawalick on the FDA website and found nothing.

Third there is a Heather Zawalick in Washington DC but she is a photographer.

Fourth the phone number. I called it and indeed the name on the audix voice mail say her name but when I looked up the phone number on google I got this.
LAMPS UNLIMITED
1362 Chain Bridge Ave
Rockville,MD 20847
7.0MI from Bethesda
(301) 827-0090

I don't know, but to me something is not right. I guess it could all be a coincidence but we will certainly know for sure on the 5th.

Robw--I picked that up myself---very strange. Time will tell---Sun

 

[esmok-e]

She's not a fake. The e-mail was unauthorized. She works at FDA/HHS but has no authority to make such statements whatsoever. This was a mistake, a prank, an accident or a hoax. For all we know she may have done this as a joke that got out of control in a nicotine stupor while she sucks on her USB passthrough. Will she lose her job over it (and go back to photography full time)???? It's the government, another Zawalick also works for FDA/HHS. Who knows how she got her job? Qualifications, relatives, political favor....

If you don't have an original copy of an email (with full header information) DON'T POST IT.
Especially if YOU WERE NOT THE RECIPIENT. It wasn't meant for you and you have no right to post it. If it turns out true or not like this.

This had a negative effect with royal repercussions. Whoever posted this should take full responsibility, post an apology and also admit that they had no provable "chain of custody" evidence other than rumor and hearsay.

Please maintain the utmost credibility or you'll blow everything you are working for. Unless perhaps you are an FDA plant playing this forum.... and I'm not a paranoid for saying it.

 

[scintar]

She's not a fake. The e-mail was unauthorized. She works at FDA/HHS but has no authority to make such statements whatsoever. Unless perhaps you are an FDA plant playing this forum.... and I'm not a paranoid for saying it.

This is most likely the case, i suspect the fda have their people all over these forums watching every move suppliers and buyers are doing. people that are saying stuff like I have a 1000ml bottle coming from China of the guy that is selling 48mg juiceare all being documented in some way. Watch what you say folks, It might in some way bite you in the a.s.s

 

[robw]

The FDA is a bunch of fascist red tape weaving, pencil pushing, tax dollar sucking, cant get anything done in less than 10 years, suppressing actual cure, propping up big pharmacy and killing small chemist, communist .......s.

Bite me in the A.S.S. FDA.
Im gonna go to their office and VAPE in the waiting room

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

The FDA is a bunch of fascist red tape weaving, pencil pushing, tax dollar sucking, cant get anything done in less than 10 years, suppressing actual cure, propping up big pharmacy and killing small chemist, communist .......s.

Bite me in the A.S.S. FDA.
Im gonna go to their office and VAPE in the waiting room

Been nice to know you, dude...

 

[robw]

Why should I care what the FDA thinks of me? Im not a vendor or manufacturer. Last time I checked the Constitution said I had the right to call them what ever I want.

Dissent is the greatest form of patriotism. Thomas Jefferson

That means if I disagree with the government, I have the right to voice it. And if the FDA is reading these forums, then what better place for us all to make a stand.

 

[Vicks Vap-oh-Yeah]

Why should I care what the FDA thinks of me? Im not a vendor or manufacturer. Last time I checked the Constitution said I had the right to call them what ever I want.

Dissent is the greatest form of patriotism. Thomas Jefferson

That means if I disagree with the government, I have the right to voice it.

And if I disagree with what I'm reading in a forum, I also have my right to voice (or type) it. But not going to fight........

//end threadjack

 

[scintar]

i have been in a group that talked about gray area discussions and the athorities were able to use what you say on a open forum just like this as legal statements that hold up in a court of law. Personally know a guy being sued by a large local corporation for 20,000,000 Yeah true story. He plans to move to Costa Rica now hehehe.

 

[robw]

Ya if the FDA was a private corporation, it is defamitory, but they are not, they are the US Government and they work for me and you and all tax payers. If I don't like what they are doing I have the right to protest.
Remember the following methods
Soap Box
ballot Box
Jury box
Ammo box

Use them in that order

 

[scintar]

Why should I care what the FDA thinks of me? Im not a vendor or manufacturer. .

Yes, you are correct. The end user unless stating that he or she is involved in illegal activity has nothing to worry about.

 

[Webby]

The disavowing of the original post by the FDA seems strong enough for me. We'll surely know by Wednesday morning, but I have to agree with all the chatter that it's unlikely the FDA would yank a ban out of it's .... so quickly without a congressional approval on the Waxman Bill.

The whole thing screams of tobacco lobby muscle-play.