INSIDE THIS ISSUEINSIDE THIS ISSUE

June 2007

VAGP is proud to offer a one-day Regional Conference hosted at beautiful Radford University on June 6, 2007. The theme is Leadership and Professional Development for PurchasingProfessionals.

A full day of approximately 7 hours of educational sessions will beoffered. It is expected that 1 CPPB, CPPO, and VCO recertifi cationpoint will be allowed. Some educational sessions have already been scheduled while others are being fi nalized.

So far, features of the educational sessions include:

• Elizabeth Jamison, Director of Radford University’s Leadership and Development Center, will conduct a session on Leadership.

• Dr.’s Melissa and Joe Chase will conduct asession on teamwork. Dr. Melissa Chase is theAcademic Advising Coordinator of the College of Arts and Sciences at Radford University. Dr. Joe Chase is an Associate Professor and ActingDean of the College of Information Technology at Radford University.

We expect to keep the registration coststraditionally low. The registration fee will includea continental breakfast, with mini bagels, muffi ns,small breads, mini pastries and donut holes,coffee, water, and juices is planned in the morning and boxed lunches to be selected from a listingprovided by RU Dining/Catering.

Watch the VAGP ListServ and the website at www.vagp.org for more information.

VAGP Regional Conference:“Leadership and Professional Development

for Purchasing Professionals”

Join uson

June 6June 6at

Radford University

PAGE 2 - June 2007

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers

PresidentDonald R. Rainey, CPPB, VCO

President ElectLisa Cumming, C.P.M., CPPB,

VCO

TreasurerCathy Hodock, CPPB

SecretaryJennifer Luchard, CPPB, VCO

First Past PresidentTimothy W. Moore, CPPB

Second Past PresidentNancy M. Davis, CPPB, CPPO,

VCO

First At–Large MemberKevin Beardsley, CPPO, CPPB

Second At–Large MemberBill LIndsey, CPPO, C.P.M.

Committee Chairpersons

ConferenceDeborah Powell, VCO

EducationSteve Coomer, CPPB

MembershipKelly Shaklee Dixon, CPPB

Professional DevelopmentLinda Wade, CPPB

Public RelationsStephanie Suter, CPPB

TechnologyDoug Crenshaw, CPPB, VCO

LegislativePatricia Innocenti, CPPB

Executive ManagerElisa Wills

EditorAngela Bright, CPPB

Layout, Design & AdvertisingKim Breeding

News & Views is published quarterly and was designed and created for the members of the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. (VAGP), by Organization Management Group, Inc. Views and advertising expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of, or endorsed by, the VAGP. Mail correspondence to 638 Independence Parkway, Suite 100, Chesapeake VA 23320; (757) 473-8701; vagp@managegroup.com. Subscriptions are included in the annual dues paid by members. Advertising rates and policies may be obtained by calling (757) 473-8701. Insertion deadline is generally the 15th of the month preceding publication.

Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

From the Desk of the PresidentBy Donald R. Rainey, CPPB, VCO

WOW! Spring has sprung already. It is hard for me to believe that my tenure asPresident is halfway completed. It has certainly been an exciting six months, and I look forward to the next six months. I have been fortunate to have an excellent Board of

Directors and Committee Chairs who have been dedicated and committed to the Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives of VAGP.

VAGP has been very successful in initiating our Legislative Action Plan this year. “VAGP Day on TheHill” was a great achievement and was well represented by VAGP during its fi rst trip to visit with VirginiaDelegates and Senate members. While we were there, we had the opportunity to discuss VAGP’s legislative agenda with our legislators, thanks to our Legislative Committee Chairperson, Patti Innocenti and our OMGLobbyist, Rob Bradham, leading this effort.

The Spring Conference hosted by the City of Lynchburgwas a “HUGE” success. Thanks to Stephanie Suter, Conference Chair and her dedicated team for putting together a superb program and well attended conference. The team included Eloise Bowling - Golf Tournament Chair, Deborah Powell - Expo Chair,and David Dise - CAC Chair. Also, thanks to the many volunteers who made this conference a great educational and professional experience for those who were in attendance. During the conference, we were privileged to have as our guest, presenter and banquet speaker, Mr. DarinMatthews, CPPO, C.P.M., President of NIGP. While here, Mr. Matthews presented a plaque to VAGP in recognition of the association’s fi fty years of outstanding contributions tothe public procurement profession. We also announced theaward winner for the 2007 J. Brad Oakley Scholarship - Gayle Thomas Bradley, VCA; the 2007 Buyer of the Year - Robin C.Wyatt, CPPB, VCO; the 2007 Manager of the Year - TimothyW. Moore; and the VAGP Distinguished Service Award recipient - David Dise, CPPO. There is much more to come, Iam sure, as the Host Committee and the CAC are working hard to pull together another dynamic conference in the Fall. I look forward to seeing all of you in Virginia Beach for the 2007 Fall Conference October 10 -12, 2007.

The 2007 VAGP Regional Conference is already upon us. Thanks to Nancy Davis, Second Past President, Pam Simpkinsand Jo Thomas, Radford University for all of their hard work and continuing to make the regionalconference successful. Those who participate in the conference workshops will receive one credit point for the VCO re-certifi cation and six educational hours for the CPPB/CPPO re-certifi cation.

As we look forward to August, I hope to see many of you in Hartford, Connecticut for the NIGP Products Exposition and Forum. VAGP and its delegates are normally well represented each year at theannual forum and this year should be no exception. More details about “Chapter Pride Day” will be disseminated, as well, so stay tuned by visiting the VAGP website for more information. See you all in Hartford!

Lastly, I would like to close by remembering the victims and family members of those who lost their lives and loved ones during the tragic events at Virginia Tech University. Let us continue to keep themin our thoughts and prayers as they prepare to heal together as a family and university.

Congratulations!

2007 J. Brad Oakley Scholarship winner

Gayle Thomas Bradley, VCA;

2007 Buyer of the Year Robin C. Wyatt, CPPB, VCO;

2007 Manager of the Year Timothy W. Moore;

VAGP Distinguished Service Award recipient

David Dise, CPPO.

PAGE 3 - June 2007

I just wanted to take a moment and express my thanks for allthe hospitality shown to me at the VAGP Spring Conference in Lynchburg. This was a great event and one I felt privileged to attend. The conference sessions were informative and well attended, and the social events proved to be a great opportunity for fun and networking.

It was good to catch up with the VAGP membership, many of whomI have known for a long time and others I met for the fi rst time.Meeting new friends and colleagues is one of the great benefi ts of being President of NIGP. I particularly enjoyed talking to severalprofessionals who were taking their certifi cation exams at theconference. I have already heard back from some of them that theywere successful in earning their CPPB.

This was my fi rst time in Lynchburg and I was very impressed with the City. There is obviously lots of history in the downtown area,

which I enjoyed taking a stroll through. I must confess, however, that I stopped at a local coffee shop rather than climbing those severalblocks of stairs!

While I did a lighthearted presentation at your banquet, I took very seriously the opportunity to acknowledge the value of VAGP. As our largest chapter, you all do a tremendous job that is looked upon with admiration by many of our other chapters. It was also agood opportunity to say “thanks” to longtime NIGP Director Mike Bacile, as well as “welcome” to Kathy Elgin, your new NIGP board representative.

Finally, I would like to apologize for my efforts during karaoke night. David Dise and myself (aka “Dave and Sugar”) had a lot of fun onstage, but are both pretty sure we won’t be winning any prizes for our singing. Thank you again for a wonderful trip to Lynchburg.

Thanks for Your Virginian HospitalityBy Darin Matthews, CPPO, C.P.M., NIGP President, 2006/07

By Mike Bacile, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., VCORegion 4 Representative (Virginia), NIGP Board of Directors

The NIGP Board of Directors met on Thursday, April 19, through Saturday, April 21, in Charlotte, North Carolina, site of the 2008 Annual Forum and Products Exposition. Charlotte is a wonderful city and should be a great place to hold our annual conference.

Our meeting began Thursday with a networking breakfast betweenthe NIGP Board and the Universal Public Purchasing Certifi cation Council Board. After breakfast, the Council briefed the Board on new directions and strategies for their organization that include some soon to be announced changes to the CPPO and CPPB examinations.

At lunchtime, we switched gears and networked with some of theInstitute’s corporate sponsors. After lunch there were presentationsby the sponsors and facilitated discussions on buyer-supplier relationships and what we can all do to maximize those relationships.

Prior to our meeting in Charlotte, the Board was given a readingassignment to prepare for our Friday morning session. Theassignment was to read a book entitled 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t. This book waspublished by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. It was the result of four years of research by the Measures of Success Task Force and its chair, Dr. Michael Gallery, facilitated our discussion. What we wanted to do was to benchmark ourselves against the remarkable associations studied in the book, and determine what NIGP needs to do to become one. The Board gained some insight as a result of this process and will continue discussions and possible next steps at a future Board meeting.

Friday afternoon began our Study Session with discussions about Forum sites, the Institute’s budget, changes to the strategic planand policy manual, and a possible web site re-design, to name a

few. Saturday’s offi cial Board Meeting fi nalized decisions made Friday and allowed for review of several executive summaries and verbal operational and progress reports from NIGP staff. A couple of noteworthy decisions: St. Louis, Missouri (home of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals!) was selected as the site of the 2009 Annual Forum and Products Exposition, and Mr. Paul Brennan,CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., County of Rockland, NY, was selected as the Institute’s new treasurer for 2007-08.

This meeting was the last for me as I roll off the Board on June 30. Kathy Elgin, who most of you know, will step in on July 1 for a two-year term representing our region. Kathy is well qualifi ed for this position, having served VAGP as secretary, treasurer, vice president and president. She has also served NIGP as a member of the FinanceCommittee and attended many Board meetings over the past severalyears. I couldn’t be more excited to have Kathy take over the reins in representing our state and association. Please give her your enthusiastic support as she works to improve the Institute, VAGP, and our profession.

As for me, it has been a great honor to have served you on the NIGP Board of Directors for the past six and a half years. As was the case in my service on the boards of the Purchasing Management Association of the Old Dominion (Virginia’s former chapter of ISM), the Capital Area Purchasing Association, and our own VAGP,I received much in return through my involvement with the NIGP Board. The knowledge and experience gained, the opportunity tocontribute to our profession, and the lasting friendships developed will be with me forever. Probably the one thing that stands out above all the rest though, is the realization of just how many great purchasing people make up our Institute and contribute so unselfi shly to the betterment of our profession. Many of these professionals are right here in Virginia; the members of VAGP. That makes me very proud. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to serve.

NIGP Notes

PAGE 4 - June 2007

DID YOU KNOW...?NIGP has a listing of speakers whoare committed to being a resorganizations and chapters tthorough its workshops and cooperation with the users.

We all seek speakers who caprovide a learning environmthat fascinates the audienceand encourages the retentioninformation provided; makethe audience learns practicaskills they can use and inspires others to put those skills to use, as well.

NIGP members may contactindividuals for Chapter meeconferences, and organizatioworkshops, if needed. For minformation, go to http://www.nigp.org/member_services/Speakers.htm

By Kathy ElginNewly Elected Region 4 Representative (Virginia), NIGP Board of Directors

Thank you so very much for your part in electing me to serve as the next Region 4 Representative to the NIGP Board of Directors. Serving the procurement professionals of theCommonwealth of Virginia and the NIGP chapters of VAGP and CAPA is so many things. As I was fl ying home from the NIGP Board meeting in Charlotte last month, I took a littletime to think about exactly what being an NIGP Director really meansto me.

It is an honor and a privilege. To be elected by my peers to serve the largest international public procurement organization in the world is absolutely one of the most awesome uplifting feelings in the world.

It is full of opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. I hope to use this experience to improve my public speaking, listening, and negotiating skills. Developing new relationships and strengthening others are nice perks.

It is a welcomed and rewarding challenge. Giving back to a profession that has given me so much and contributing to thecontinued growth and success of the Institute is exciting. Knowingthat I am working to positively impact the lives of future procurement professionals is rewarding.

It is a huge commitment. The fi rst week after being notifi ed of myelection to the Board offered quite a shock. The 12” or so stack of Town of Leesburg to-do stuff was shadowed by the growing pileof incoming daily NIGP TO-DO mail. I am committed to being asprepared as our previous rep, Mike Bacile. Trust me; this will be a hard act to follow, as he was ALWAYS 100% prepared.

It is invigorating and uplifting. You know the saying that you only get out of something what you put into it? I have experienced fi rst hand the ROI of giving to the Institute. Primarily, this has been the increased network of colleagues that I can confi dently call friends. The more I know about and see my “friends” doing more for theprofession, the more I want to be a part of what they are doing. I hope to have that effect on some of you.

It is involvement in my profession. Our code of ethics tells us to subscribe to and support the professional aims and objectives of the Institute. Not only will I be fully engaged in subscribing to and supporting these aims and objectives, I will be part of defi ning thetargets and setting the level of the bar for our future.

An NIGP Board of Director is all of these things and so much more. With your continued communication, help and support, wecan continue to move our Chapters, the Institute, and the profession towards excellence in public procurement. I am looking forward to my term as the Region 4 NIGP Director. THANKS TO YOU!

Thanks to YouFrom the President ElectBy Lisa Cumming, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., VCO

It’s that time of year again! Your Board of Directors met May 10-11, 2007 for our annualstrategic planning session - this year, held in the 4H Airfi eld Conference Center in Wakefi eld,Virginia. Participants spent time away from offi ce distractions to brainstorm and developa strategic plan to carry VAGP into 2008. A

complete report of our plan will be in the September 2007 editionof our VAGP News and Views.

Kudos to Steve Patterson, Director of Purchasing for the City of Norfolk for stepping up to the plate to host the Fall 2009 VAGP Conference! The City of Norfolk is a great location and has avariety of attractions that will meet any and all of the participants’ interests! I look forward to working with Steve and his crew on this fulfi lling endeavor!

We are still looking for a volunteer to host the Spring 2009conference. If you are interested, please let me know. VAGP offi cers and past sponsors will work with you and provide ideas oncoordinating the event. You will not have to plan the event alone,if you have never sponsored a VAGP conference before. Pleasecontact me, so we can discuss the possibilities.

PAGE 5 - June 2007

Suppliers and Purchasers - Together

As we move toward a summer promised with leadership building and professional development, let us also think about how we canuse these opportunities to shape, not only our skills as Purchasers, but also our strategies as professionals to obtain the requirements our organizations need at the right time and from the right suppliers. Thisis my food for thought regarding our relationships with suppliers.

Developing supplier relationships is not as diffi cult as some procurement professionals may believe. The hardest part, especiallyto those of us who have been in procurement for a long time, is the resolve that not all suppliers need Government business, or even want it, in some cases, and it is actually to our benefi t to establish arelationship that works well for all parties involved.

The best contract is the contract you barely know is there, because all parties perform their responsibilities, services/products arereceived properly, and the contract closes without issue. This worksmore often when the purchaser and supplier have created a trustingrelationship, where mutual benefi ts of both parties are considered and established. Suppliers who are treated fairly are more likely to bemore responsive to resolving issues, cooperative in making needed changes in the contract, more fl exible in completing the work whenwe need it, and more receptive to providing better pricing, even when there is inadequate competition in the market.

I believe the development of a good supplier relationship beginsin negotiations. It is unnecessary and counterproductive to try to “strong-arm” a supplier during negotiations, withhold information inan effort to “trick” a supplier into a contract, or threaten them with lack of future business from your organization. I have heard of manyprocurement professionals who practically brag about using these tactics – but I assert to you these antics do not create a lasting solutionfor obtaining good products and/or services from quality suppliers. Keep in mind, the result of a good negotiation is a “win-win”situation, not an “I won” mentality. In many cases, the Government is not the biggest customer for many businesses, and many of themare unimpressed about working with us. As long as the Government needs purchasers, purchasers will need suppliers. For these reasons, we need to make the best of the supplier pool that we have and make the relationships we establish as a result of contracts work best for us – even if it means sharing the benefi ts with the supplier.

I urge you all to take advantage of all the educational opportunitiesVAGP offers – not only for your own professional growth, but also for the good of our organizations.

*The views of this article are not the express views of VAGP or its offi cers and are completely and only the comments expressed by the writer. *

Editorial Discussion By Angela Bright, CPPB

VAGP Educational Offerings Third Quarter 2007

Contracting For Public Sector Services Jun 19 – 21 DRS Cecilia Starkey, VCA

Contract Administration Jul 18 – 20 SPSA Diane Culpepper, CPPB

Developing & Managing RFPs Jul 25 – 27 COM Ginger Gordon, CPPB

Effective Contract Writing Aug 1 – 3 RCAC Kay Johnson, CPPB

Planning, Scheduling and Requirement Analysis Aug 14 – 16 DRS Cecilia Starkey, VCA

Project Management for Workgroups Aug 23 – 24 COL Deborah Powell, VCO

Protests and Disputes: What’s a Buyer to Do? Sep 14 HCTC Martin Krebs, CPM

Creating Performance Based Request For Proposals Sep 17 – 18 SOTR Pat Barber, CPPB

Contracting For Public Sector Services Sep 26 – 27 COA Ann Turner

Introduction to Public Procurement Sep 26 – 28 HCTC Ron King, CPPO, CPPB

Developing & Managing RFPs Sep 26 - 28 RCAC Kay Johnson, CPPB

PAGE 6 - June 2007

2007 CONFERENCES

FALL Dates: October 10-12 2007L Location: Cavalier, Virginia Beach, Virginia Host: City of Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach Public Schools, Old Dominion University Contacts: Rick Berry, CPPO; Bill Davis, CPPO, VCO; Kevin Beardsley, CPPO, CPPB

2008 CONFERENCES

SPRING Location: Richmond Host: Division of Purchases and Supply, Richmond Contact: Ron Bell

FALL Host: County of Loudoun Contact: Kirby Battle

VAGP Conference Schedule

The purpose of the VAGP Mentor/Protégé program is to helpbuild future leadership for VAGP and allow people to see how theorganization works. As part of the program, individuals are given the opportunity to observe areas of involvement prior to committingthemselves - with the assistance and guidance of an assigned VAGP mentor.

A VAGP mentor is a current or past member of the VAGP Board of Directors, who is paired with a protégé and acts as an “advisor”during the process.

Mentors not only inform and educate the protégés about areas of service within VAGP and the operation of the Board and organization, as a whole, but also are responsible for answering any questions the protégés may have during the program.

There are currently seven active relationships in this program, one of which will be completed soon. Three current protégés are servingon various VAGP committees and one is a committee chairperson. This level of involvement is evidence of the program’s value to theorganization and how it can work well for those who participate.

At the spring conference in Lynchburg, we had six additional peoplewho requested applications for the Mentor/Protégé program and two who have already become active. If you are also interested in becoming a protégé, please contact me by phone at (757) 263-1175or via email at Kevin.beardsley@vbschools.com. I will be happyto discuss the program with you and forward you an application. Applications are also available on the VAGP website for your convenience.

VAGP Mentor/Protégé Program Bears Fruit By J. Kevin Beardsley, CPPB, CPPO, 1st At Large Member

I believe there will be a day soon when a former protégé from this programwill be elected to theVAGP Board of Directors. It could be you! Get involved today.

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PAGE 7 - June 2007

Conference Advisory Committee

Highlights - Spring Conference ‘07: What a beautiful day it was tokick off the Spring Conference, with temperatures in the low 80’s and 19 holes of golf at London Downs Golf Course. Of the14 teams, consisting of VAGP members, Vendors and City of Lynchburg locals, Bryan Ferguson, Brandon Bryant, Jeff Paulette and David Eden fromthe Va. Dept. of Transportation won with a score of 62. Gary Evanswon straightest drive, Tim Karnes took closest to the pin, Mike Hill took longest putt and Jeff Paulette took longest drive. For the women,Lisa Cumming won closest to the pin and longest drive, while EloiseBowling took straightest drive and longest putt.

Wednesday and Thursday were both fi lled with exciting speakers and topics, such as Everyday Ethics – Teresa Chambers, Elephant BungeeJumping – Jennifer Kupec, Hallmarks of a Professional – Fred Marks,and Design Build – Thomas Folk. Lynchburg was also honored to have NIGP’s President Darrin Matthews speaking on The State of the Profession, A Global Perspective. Thank you all for sharing your success stories and knowledge with us.

Wednesday’s host event took place at Amazement Square, and there was something for everyone to do. Whether it was eating, listening tothe music or playing the games, its relaxing atmosphere proved to bea great night for networking.

Many great items were donated for the silent auction, with proceeds inthe amount of $1,505.00 going to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Thanks toall of those involved for helping make this conference such a success.

Keep your eyes on the VAGP website for registration details on the fall conference in Virginia Beach. You can bet it will be full of exciting speakers, topics and events.

Professional Development Committee

By Kelly Okken, CPPB, Professional Development Committee Assistant Chair

What is professionalism and how does it relate to the Professional Development Committee? Professionalism, as defi ned in the Encarta Dictionary, is having the skill, competence, or character expected of a member of a highly trained profession. That is exactly what isexpected of us all in this profession. The primary purpose of the ProD Committee is to foster, produce, offer, and conduct professionaldevelopment opportunities to the membership of VAGP. Withthat being said, the Pro D Committee offers a variety of seminarsthat help to enhance your professionalism. A few of the low-feeseminars offered are instructed by certifi ed Master Instructors. What

is a Master Instructor? NIGP characterizes a Master Instructor as an ambassador of education for NIGP and its programs. VAGP and the Pro D Committee benefi ts from this program to the extent that we are able to provide valuable seminars to the membership at a low fee with a few of the seminars being taught by Master Instructors. Allthe instructors for the Pro D low-fee seminars refl ect the defi nition of professionalism.

Nancy Davis is the most recent VAGP professional to achieve theNIGP Master Instructor certifi cation. Because this certifi cation is “no piece of cake”, Pro D would like to recognize all the Master Instructors in the VAGP membership. In addition, Pro D would like to recognize all the professional Pro D low-fee seminar instructors.Their continued support adds great value to VAGP’s educational offerings and to the membership.

Tina Borger, CPPO David Dise, CPPONIGP Master Instructor VAGP Pro D InstructorVAGP Pro D Instructor

Ronald King, CPPO, CPPB, VCO Mary Jane Comly, CPPB NIGP Master Instructor NIGP Master Instructor VAGP Pro D Instructor

Lisa Cumming, CPPO, C.P.M., VCO Fred Marks, CPPO, VCOVAGP Pro D Instructor NIGP Master Instructor

VAGP Pro D InstructorNancy Davis, CPPO, VCONIGP Master Instructor Peter Rigterink, CPPO, CPPB, VCOVAGP Pro D Instructor NIGP Master Instructor

Wiley Rowsey, CPPO, VCO Larry Wellman, CPPOVAGP Pro D Instructor NIGP Master Instructor

Jim Totty, CPPO, C.P.M., VCOVAGP Pro D Instructor

LOW-FEE SEMINARS SCHEDULED

Date Seminar Location 7/25 Competitive Bidding vs. Competitive Negotiation HRSD in VA Beach9/19 Ethics in Procurement City of Suffolk9/21 Information Technology Procurements James Madison9/21 Methods of Procurement City of Manassas11/2 How to Award to the Best Vendor City of Suffolk11/7 Ethics in Procurement City of Manassas12/14 Competitive Bidding vs. Competitive Negotiation City of SuffolkTBD Time and Materials Contracts City of LynchburgTBD Methods of Procurement City of Roanoke

If you are interested in registering to attend any of the above low-feeseminars or need information about other low-fee seminars offered by Pro D, visit www.vagp.org. Advertisements for scheduled seminarsare e-mailed to the membership and posted on the VAGP website withonline registration information. Look for additional seminar offeringsthroughout 2007!

(continued on page 8...)

Committee Reports

PAGE 8 - June 2007

CPPB/CPPO REVIEW SESSIONS AND EXAMS SCHEDULED

Date Session Host Location TBD (Summer) CPPB Review Session & Exam TBD10/10-10/13/07 CPPB/CPPO Review Sessions Fall Conference, & Exams VA Beach

*You must be pre-registered to attend CPPB/CPPO Review Sessionsto reserve your seat. Registration information is always availableat www.vagp.org. To sit for the CPPB or CPPO written exam at aconference, your eligibility must be preapproved by UPPCC whichcan take up to 6 weeks. Please visit the UPPCC website at http://www.uppcc.org for complete certifi cation information.*

NEW CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS - CONGRATULATIONS!

James Dwelley, CPPB; Fairfax County Public SchoolsRoxanne Ehardt, CPPB; County of SpotsylvaniaLinda Gilbert, CPPB; Williamsburg James City County Public SchoolsKeith Gordon, CPPB; City of HamptonShelley Hollowell, CPPB; Fairfax County Public SchoolsTrena Low, CPPB; Hanover County PurchasingCindy Davis Smith, CPPB; Fairfax County Public SchoolsSharon Vaughan, CPPB; Virginia Department of Social Services

IMPORTANT CERTIFICATION NEWS

UPPCC Fully Certifi ed Agency Award Program: Through its annual Fully Certifi ed Agency Award program, UPPCC identifi es organizations that have earned the distinguished and unique honor of achieving and/or maintaining a UPPCC fully certifi ed public procurement staff. The UPPCC believes that having a fully certifi ed procurement staff is a signifi cant accomplishment and a strong indicator of current trends within state and local governments.*UPPCC Discontinues Delayed Eligibility in August 2007: The practice of applying under delayed eligibility is being phased out of the UPPCC application process.*

New Certifi cation Exams to be Introduced in 2008: The UPPCC willintroduce new certifi cation exams for the Certifi ed Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and Certifi ed Public Procurement Offi cer (CPPO) in2008.*

Bridge Opportunity for Current C.P.M.s: The UPPCC is offering a bridge opportunity for current and valid C.P.M.s. Bridge examinations will be offered through December 31, 2008.*

*Source: NIGP Buy Weekly

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Eloise Bowling, CPPB, City of Lynchburg 434-455-3961 eloise.bowling@lynchburgva.gov

Cindy Hatfi eld City of Suffolk 757-923-2097 chatfi eld@city.suffolk.va.us

Kelly Okken, CPPB, Asst. Chair, City of Charlottesville434-970-3860 kokken@charlottesville.org

John McConnell, CPPO, City of Virginia Beach 757-385-4438 jmcconne@vbgov.com

Joe Parr, CPPB, CPPO, VCO, VITA 804-371-5971 joe.parr@vita.virginia.gov

Kelly Shaklee Dixon, CPPB, Spotsylvania County Schools540-834-2500 kshaklee@spotsylvania.k12.va.us

Linda Wade, CPPB, Chair, HRSD757-460-7311 lwade@hrsd.com

ProD exists exclusively to serve the VAGP membership. Pleasecontact any of the above committee members to host or instruct a low-fee seminar, join our team, share your ideas for new seminar topics, and to offer suggestions for continuous improvement of low-fee seminars and certifi cation review sessions.

Legislative CommitteeBy Patti Innocenti, CPPB, Legislative Committee Chairperson

During the 2007 legislative session, the General Assembly considered 35 procurement-related bills. By the end of the session, fourteen billspassed and twenty-one bills failed, were tabled, or continued to the 2008 session. Again this legislative session, VAGP was represented by a professional lobbyist retained through the management group,OMG. Mr. Robert Bradham, Government Affairs Director, was tasked with meeting with the legislators on eight bills that wereidentifi ed as priority issues for procurement practitioners in Virginia. In addition, VAGP conducted a Day on the Hill event this year topromote our legislative priorities. The Day on the Hill provided an opportunity for VAGP representatives to meet with key legislators in the House of Delegates and the Senate, particularly members of the General Laws subcommittees. Overall, VAGP had mixed results with our advocacy program. Four of the seven bills we opposed failed (three passed) and the single bill we supported also failed (see www.vagp.org/commlegi.htm).

Looking to the future, the Legislative Committee hosted a legislativeoverview and symposium on the fi nal day of the Spring Conference. Rob Bradham presented the results of the 2007 General Assembly session and anticipated trends for the 2008 session. An open forumfollowed, allowing all participants to offer suggestions on legislative concerns. Issues raised will be placed on the list for consideration as 2008 legislative priorities for the Association (see below).

CODE CHANGES• Change newspaper advertising requirement from mandatory tooptional.

(continued on page 9...)

Committee Reports

PAGE 9 - June 2007

If you spend any amount of time in an airport bookstore or large chain bookstore you will quickly discover that the largest growthindustry in the United States (and some distant planets) is writing“How to” Management books. There are scads of people out there,some famous, some not so, who are giving you their “secrets” to asuccessful career, more money, more rewards, shorter work hours, and a house on a tropical island. You can tell which ones they are. They have a full face picture on the back page, they are promintlydisplayed, and you will overpay for the book. They are list priced and never discounted.

Sometimes they are ghost written, sometimes not. The authors are allcharacterized by having some accomplishment or degree of notoriety.In addition to the book you can also hire these authors to speak at your meetings or conferences for an outrageous fee (plus expenses for them and their staff) and if you are lucky, you’ll get to shake handswith them as they walk off the podium and collect their fee or stand in line to buy an autographed copy of the book after the speech. Just make sure they spell your name correctly. If you ask them a specifi cquestion about a problem you have at work they will give you a general answer like “It’s in Chapter 4 of my book” and you will go away, bathed in the glow of speaking to a famous person. Only whenyou read Chapter 4 of their book you will discover that it’s something you knew all the time, except that it’s phrased differently.

Here are my ten secrets to being a successful manager based on an undistinguished and understated career in public purchasing. It was not ghost written nor do I have a staff. The three year old computer on the old kitchen table in the basement is my spacious offi ce. Myfi les are neatly kept in a plastic milk carton from Smedley Dairies and there are hockey pictures on the wall. I am available to speak at your meetings and conferences for a nominal fee and will autograph almost anything for you, except a blank check.

1. You were hired/promoted because someone has confi dence in you. They think you can provide leadership and direction better than anyone else. They had enough confi dence in you to give you your present job. Don’t let them down!

2. Have a clear vision of your job. Transmit the vision to your staff and have them buy into it. Be professional! Learn your joband the job of everyone who works for you.

3. Make it enjoyable for people to come to work. You can’t control the external factors like who they deal with or the problemsthey have to solve, but you can control how the offi ce environment affects their job and productivity.

4. Talk to them frequently. Find out what they do, how they do it, what are their successes and what are their frustrations.

5. Start at the middle and work down. If you get those people on your side your job is more than half done. It’s the sergeants that run the army and the chiefs that run the navy. You need middle management on your side to accomplish your goals.

6. Learn people’s names. Nothing brings a smile tosomeone than to have you remember their name or a detail about their life or their work. Be sincere whenyou talk to them. If they are frustrated, encourage them to talk to their supervisor about it and follow up to see if it can be solved.

7. You can’t solve everyone’s problems or make everyone happy all the time. Do your best to have a better than .500batting average. Understand there are people who don’t like you, your style, your socks, or anything about you. It’s their problem, not yours. As long as you do your best. Make your decisions consistent and sustainable. There is nothing worse thaninconsistency in management and personnel decisions. You haveto decide for yourself which are frivolous questions (“What is the speed of Dark?”) and which are legimate (Do our rules allow us to do this?). Treat each kind with the attention each deserves.

8. Make your boss look good, try to anticipate their questions. Keep them informed. There are some things they don’t want to hear. Learn what they are and stay silent. Remember Sgt. Schultz in Hogan’s Heroes? “I hear NOSSING!”

9. Be consistent in your dealings with people, your moods, your attitudes, and your general demeanor. It’s brutal for someone onyour staff to try to fi gure out who you will be today.

10. Reward people! Even if its not money, people like to have asense of worth. It can be a recognition of their accomplishments, a letter placed in a personnel fi le, a public acknowledgement, a trinket, a lunch, a better assignment next time, a bigger cubicle,make it something and make it of value to them, not you.

MBF-Management

By Fred Marks, Speaker at the VAGP 2007 Spring Conference

(L-R) David Dise, Fred Marks and Darin Matthews, President, NIGP

(Committee Reports, continued from page 8...)

• Change best value language to add construction and professionalservices.• Change competitive negotiations to create a single process(professional and non-professional services); consistent thresholds and processes.• Change or eliminate dollar thresholds for annual expenditures for architectural and engineering services.• Increase threshold for formal procurements to $100,000.• Change procurement process for small architectural and engineering contracts (under $25,000) to increase contracting opportunities for small architectural and engineering companies.

Review categories of professional services; consider eliminationof medical professionals from defi nition of ‘professional’ services;streamline proposal submission process for this category of services.

PAGE 10 - June 2007

As a continuation in an ongoing series of Purchasing Month celebrations, the City of Hampton Finance Department, Procurement Division and Economic Development Department, Business Development Division held its fi rst annual BPAS ‘07 event. Thissymposium was for small, women and minority owned business toobtain information on how to do business with the City of Hampton, Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Federal government. Participants also received information on upcoming major construction projectsin the City of Hampton. This was a full catered event and the City of Hampton departments and Hampton City Schools departments camethrough with donations of items for the participants.

The symposium was preceded by the City of Hampton Council proclaiming March 2007 as Purchasing Month in the City of Hampton. Staff members from the Procurement Division received the proclamation at the Council session preceding the Symposiumevent. Councilwoman Angela Leary, as Council liaison for thePurchasing Procurement Oversight Committee (PPOC), a committeemade up of citizens and key City and School staff members, provided opening remarks. The City of Hampton Mayor,Ross Kearney, and School Board member RuthAnn Kellam were also in attendance. Speakers included Von Gilbreath, Business Development, Economic Development; Lisa Cumming,Procurement Division; Jack Beecher, U.S.Army Corp of Engineers; Rick Ott, Hampton City Schools Construction Manager; TiffanyTaylor-Minor, eVA; Darlene Lee, Department of Minority Business Enterprises; and JosephMoore, Procurement Technical AssistanceCenter, George Mason University. A special thank you goes out to Yolanda Powell, Sheri Reese, and Doris McRae, Procurement Divisionfor organizing and executing all the details tomake this an outstanding event.

City of Hampton’s First Annual Business Procurement Assistance Symposium (BPAS)

(Above center) Doris McRae, CPPB, 2006 Buyer of the Year

PAGE 11 - June 2007

2007 Board Meeting ScheduleDate Place Time

June 15 Teleconference - Complete Board 9:30 am Approval of 2008 Action Plan

July 20 Department of Motor Vehicles 9:30 am Richmond - Approval of 2008 Budget

August 3 – 9 NIGP Forum (No Meeting)

September 14 Teleconference – Complete Board 9:30 am

October 9 – 12 Fall Conference – Virginia Beach Cavalier Inn Virginia Beach

October 11 Pre-Conference Board Meeting TBD

October 12 Fall Conference Business Meeting TBD

November 16 Teleconference – Complete Board 9:30 am

December 14 Department of Motor Vehicles 9:30 am Richmond - Outgoing ’07 & Incoming ’08 BOD

Be sure to check www.VAGP.orgfor upcoming events and other announcements!

PAGE 12 - June 2007

©2007 CDW Government, Inc.

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