Alaska Procurement Technical

Assistance Center

Meet the Challenge:

Government Contracting

2020

February 19, 2020

Fairbanks, AK

Alaska Procurement Technical Assistance Center

Annual Government Contracting Conference: Meet the Challenge in 2020

Welcome to Alaska Procurement Technical Assistance Center’s (PTAC) 2020 Government Contracting

Conference! The past year has been long and significant in just about every respect and government contracting is

no exception. Today’s event will give you an opportunity to take a closer look at some of the key issues facing

government contractors in an ever-changing marketplace.

Your presenters today provide a mix of expertise - business development, cyber security, audits, legal, agency

perspective, and more— that will help prepare you for doing business with the government during the rest of 2020

and beyond.

Key to your success is developing the flexibility necessary to adjust your business strategies in response to

changes in the government marketplace. Spending one day out of the office at a conference isn’t as easy as it sounds.

But, you are one step ahead of your competition by taking time to understand the unique challenges and identify the

resources to enhance your business knowledge and future success.

A Bit about Alaska PTAC

Alaska PTAC, established in 1986 as part of the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) under the U.S.

Department of Defense, provides businesses with the training and tools needed to compete and perform

successfully on federal, state, and local government contracts. Alaska PTAC is a partner program of the UAA

Business Enterprise Institute and a member of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

The Alaska PTAC provides services to government agencies and contractors statewide through our offices in

Anchorage and Fairbanks. The PTAC staff possess backgrounds in government contracting keep pace with the

ever-changing government marketplace and its policies and procedures in order to deliver the technical

assistance needed by Alaska companies.

Your Fairbanks Center Staff:

Pierre Thompson, Contract Specialist

Cassandra Sewell, Program Assistant

Your Anchorage Center Staff:

Carolyn Pratt, Program, Manager

Gary Bushor, Contract Specialist

Jody King, Contract Specialist

Jacqueline Summers, Program Specialist

Holly King, Administrative Assistant

For a complete overview of the PTAC program, contact information and our scope of services, visit our website at

www.ptacalaska.org

Enjoy the day!

Welcome!

Conference Agenda

8:00 - 8:30 AM Registration

8:30 - 8:35 AM Welcome

GENERAL SESSIONS

8:35 - 9:30 AM WHAT’S NEW FOR CONTRACTORS IN 2020 - Christine Williams, Outlook Law LLC

9:30 - 10:15 AM HOW TO USE CHANGE FOR YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Christian Muntean, Vantage Consulting Group

10:15 - 10:30 AM BREAK

10:30 AM - Noon BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout 1 ACCOUNTING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - Jonathon (Jonny) Woods, CPA

DCAA Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch - Alaska Sub-Office

Breakout 2 IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING

Clark Bihag, Senior Area Manager, SBA Fairbanks District Office

Noon - 1:00 PM NETWORKING LUNCHEON

1:15 - 2:00 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout 1 PREPARING & NEGOTIATING COST PROPOSALS - Au M Nguyen,

Procurement Analyst, USACE Alaska District

Breakout 2 MILLIAN DOLLAR HACK - BYPASSING THE BEST CYBER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY

Lean Jaimes, Sollievo IT, LLC

Breakout 3 DOING BUSINESS WITH EIELSON AFB - Gregory T. Johnson, Construction Flight

Chief / Contracting Officer, Eielson AFB

2:00 - 2:15 PM BREAK

2:15 - 3:00 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Breakout 1 MONITORING SUBCONTRACTS - Jonathon (Jonny) Woods, CPA

DCAA Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch - Alaska Sub-Office

Breakout 2 THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Russ Talvi, Fairbanks Small Business Development Center Director & Business Advisor

3:00 - 3:15 PM BREAK

Conference Agenda

3:15 - 3:35 PM

AND

3:40 - 4:00 PM

ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS: Join agency representatives & industry experts

for a 20 minute Q&A session. Sessions will be repeated. Choose two discussion groups to

join. Table registration is required and sign-up sheets can be found at the main registration

table.

Table 1 SBA PROGRAMS - Clark Bihag, Sr. Area Manager, SBA Fairbanks District Office

Table 2 DEFENCE CONTRACT AUDIT AGENCY (DCAA) - Jonathon (Jonny) Woods, CPA

DCAA Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch - Alaska Sub-Office

Table 3 US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS (USACE) - Kathy Kinnett, Small Business Specialist

& Au M. Nguyen, Procurement Analyst

Table 4 CYBER SECURITY - Leon Jaimes, Sollievo IT, LLC

Table 5 345th CONTRACTING SQUADRON, EIELSON AFB

Table 6 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, Christian Muntean, Vantage Consulting Group

Table 7 US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, Cynthia Guiler, Wage & Hour Investigator

Table 8 U.S. ARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND, RCO-AK, 413TH CONTRACTING

SUPPORT BRIGADE, Fort Wainwright, Alaska , Italia A. Carson, Esq.

We must meet the

challenge rather than

wish it were not before

us. — William J. Brenner

NOTES:

Session Descriptions

8:35- 9:30 AM - GENERAL SESSION

WHAT’S NEW FOR CONTRACTORS IN 2020 Christine Williams, Outlook Law LLC

Christine will provide an update on various changes affecting small businesses in 2020 as well as discuss-ing issues that may be presenting themselves in the near future for government contractors.

10:30 AM – Noon - BREAKOUT 1

ACCOUNTING SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Jonathan (Jonny) Wood, CPA

Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch Office - Alaska Sub-Office

Discussion covers accounting system requirements for performance on flexibly-priced contracts as per DFARS 252.242-7006, Accounting System Administration, and Standard Form 1408. We will discuss direct vs indirect costs, basic indirect rate structure, FAR 31.201 (allowability, reasonableness, and allocability), timekeeping, billing, and common deficiencies.

10:30 AM – Noon - BREAKOUT 2

IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN FEDERAL CONTRACTING Clark Bihag, Senior Area Manager, SBA Fairbanks District Office

This session will show you how to identify opportunities and threats using FPDS-NG, Acquisition websites and Beta SAM. Live searches will be demonstrated and strategies on how to use this information to your advantage presented.

9:30 - 10:15 AM - GENERAL SESSION

HOW TO USE CHANGE FOR YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE Christian Muntean, Vantage Consulting

We live and work in a rapidly changing environment. Change is often viewed, at best, as an annoyance. At worst, it is a threat. However, times of change often produce some of the most innovative thinking and robust business strategies.

Session Descriptions

1:15 – 2:00 PM - BREAKOUT 1

PREPARING & NEGOTIATING COST PROPOSALS

Au M Nguyen, Procurement Analyst, USACE Alaska District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - Alaska District supports military construction, environmental remediation, civil works, and other special projects across Alaska and the Pacific Region. The Alaska District awards about $650M worth of contract actions annually. This session discusses how to prepare easy to read cost proposals that meet the Government's needs and then negotiate in a non-adversarial yet effective way.

1:15 – 2:00 PM - BREAKOUT 3

DOING BUSINESS WITH EIELSON AFB

Gregory T. Johnson, Construction Flight Chief / Contracting Officer, Eielson AFB

The 354th Contracting Squadron provides responsive contracting support to Eielson units through construction, services and commodity contracts:

$40-60 million annually Government Purchase Card program 12,000 annual credit card transactions $15 million annually

1:15 – 2:00 PM - BREAKOUT 2

MILLION DOLLAR HACK - BYPASSING THE BEST CYBERSECURITY TECHNOLOGY Lean Jaimes, Sollievo IT, LLC

A million dollars will buy a lot of cybersecurity protection for most businesses. Leon Jaimes runs offensive and defensive cybersecurity engagements. This talk will offer a perspective from the trenches on why cyberattacks are still successful in spite of the latest and greatest in security protections and firmly held belief that the network is secure. Do you have the tiniest little seed of doubt about the technology that permeates your life? Let’s grow that into a tree.

Session Descriptions

2:15 – 3:00 PM - BREAKOUT 1

MONITORING SUBCONTRACTS

Jonathon (Jonny) Woods, CPA

DCAA Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch - Alaska Sub-Office

Discussion covers the importance of prime contractor’s monitoring of its subcontracts and subcontractors as per FAR 42.202, Assignment of Contract Administration. We will discuss the prime contractor’s responsibilities, consent to subcontract, and common deficiencies.

2:15 – 3:00 PM - BREAKOUT 2

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Russ Talvi, Fairbanks Small Business Development Center Director & Business Advisor

As a small business owner or manager, you have much to do and not enough time to do it all. Here are some strategies to maximize your return on the time you invest in business development by leveraging your net-working actives. Use networking to generate new business with customers and partners, stay current with new industry trends and be involved in local community events and activities.

NOTES:

Meet the Speakers

Leon Jaimes, Owner, Sollievo IT, LLC

Leon Jaimes (pronounced hi-Mays), founder of Sollievo IT, LLC, has nearly 20 years of ex-perience in Information Technology and Cybersecurity. Leon has led both offensive and de-fensive teams in a variety of enterprise projects testing and implementing cybersecurity con-trols. Leon has helped businesses in a variety of industries to effectively meet cybersecurity com-pliance objectives within multiple compliance frameworks including HIPAA, SOX, PCI, and NIST. Most importantly, Leon is passionate about thwarting adversaries, learning new attack methods, and finding creative new ways to defend enterprise networks and sensitive data.

Christine V. Williams, Outlook Law LLC Managing Partner Christine V. Williams is an adjunct law professor on Government Contracting at Seattle University School of Law’s Alaska Campus. She is widely recognized for her expertise in the Government Contracting field and speaks nationally several times a year on the subject. Christine has admission to a diversity of courts, including various federal circuit courts of appeals, where she has prevailed, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court. Christine was recognized as one of the top 5 percent of lawyers in the Nation for Government Contracting by the Best Lawyers in America, a peer reviewed and distinguished honor among the nation’s lawyers. Christine was appointed to the national Regulatory Fairness Board by Administrator McMahon. Christine concentrates her practice on Government Contracting from counseling on qualifications and administration to disputes and companies in crisis. She is often involved in sensitive internal investigations and frequently interacts with Government agencies when a company faces a tough situation.

Russell Talvi, Fairbanks Center Director, Alaska Small Business Development Center Russ has 30 plus years of experience as a manager/owner of multiple destination resort, hospitality and food and beverage businesses in Alaska and Hawaii. He has personal experi-ence buying and selling businesses, both asset sales and stock sales. Russ loves to help exist-ing small businesses review their current financial performance, discover opportunities and implement improvements to increase their profitability!

Meet the Speakers

Christian Muntean Founder, Vantage Consulting Christian Muntean has helped hundreds of businesses rapidly grow, increase profitability and expand impact. He primarily works with entrepreneurial and fast growth businesses who are looking to scale up or exit. His work has taken him to dozens of countries around the world. He is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA.) Christian is the author of Conflict and Leadership and First Year CEO. He is the host of The Leadership Coach podcast. Additionally, he is a contributor to Forbes.com. Christian lives in Anchorage, Alaska. He and his wife have three active children. In his spare time, he teaches a strength & conditioning class and practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Clark Bihag Senior Area Manager, SBA Fairbanks District Office Clark Bihag is the Senior Area Manager for the SBA Fairbanks Office, which serves Interior Alaska. Clark plays a part in supervising SBA activities and connecting current and aspiring entrepreneurs with resources to start, grow, expand, and recover their businesses throughout the respective region. Clark has been with the SBA Alaska District Office as a Business Opportunity Specialist since 2015. During the past five years he has been responsible for supporting the SBA government contracting and business development programs, as well as developing and conducting outreach and training to strengthen and improve business opportunities for both procurement agencies and eligible small businesses.

Jonathan (Jonny) Wood, CPA

Supervisory Auditor, Seattle Branch Office – Alaska Sub-Office

Jonny is the Supervisory Auditor at the DCAA Alaska Sub-Office in Anchorage. His re-

sponsibility is to oversee audits and other audit services performed on behalf of the De-

partment of Defense and other Federal Agencies in the Alaska area. He has experience in

audit areas, including incurred cost, forward pricing proposals, accounting systems, Cost

Accounting Standards (CAS), disclosure statements, terminations, claims, and real-time

labor (floor checks).

He has received numerous individual and team awards for his audit efforts. Jonny graduated from University of

Utah with a Masters in Accounting. He began his DCAA career as an Auditor at the Salt Lake Valley Branch

Office in Salt Lake City, Utah. He has seven years of experience with DCAA and is a certified public accountant.

Meet the Speakers

Au M. Nguyen Procurement Analyst, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District Au Nguyen is a Procurement Analyst/Small Business Professional at USACE Alaska District. He has previously worked as a contracting specialist and contracting officer at various Federal agencies. He received his Bachelors in Management and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Kathy Kinnett Small Business Professional , U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District Kathy Kinnett was appointed as the Small Business Professional for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in December of 2018. Pri-or to her current position she was a contract specialist in the USACE Alaska District’s Mili-tary Construction Branch for more than seven years. Kathy had been a federal contract specialist for 25 years and worked for various agencies that include the Defense Logistics Agency, Army, Air Force and USACE.

Gregory T. Johnson Construction Flight Chief / Contracting Officer, Eielson AFB Acquisition Flight (Construction) leads market research; provides business advice and ac-quisition planning for solicitation, executes award, and performs contract administration; and ensures performance management for all installation acquisition requirements relating to the alteration, repair and maintenance to existing facilities, architect-engineering design requirements, and brand new construction.

Meet the Agencies

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District headquarters is located at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on a bluff overlooking Anchorage. Part of the Pacific Ocean Division, the district is composed of several resident offices located across the state in major cities and on development and construction sites. Employees of these offices primarily support the military missions of the armed forces throughout Alaska and partner with the many civil agencies in the planning, construction and operation of their projects.

https://www.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Contracting/

I don’t run away from a challenge

because I am afraid. Instead, I run

towards it because it the only way

to escape fear is to trample it be-

neath your foot.

- Natalie Comaneci

413th Contracting Team, Fort Wainwright Italia A. Carson, Esq. Department of the Army Civilian Attorney-Advisor (Contracts and Fiscal Law) U.S. Army Contracting Command RCO-AK, 413th Contracting Support Brigade Fort Wainwright's mission is to deploy combat ready forces to support joint military operations worldwide and serve as the Joint Force Land Component Command to support Joint Task Force Alaska. Our strategic location, superior training capabilities and dynamic relationship with our local civilian communities make Fort Wainwright and United States Army in Alaska a significant national asset and world-class power projection platform for military operations anywhere in the world.

https://home.army.mil/alaska/index.php/fort-wainwright

Meet the Agencies

US Department of Labor Cynthia Guiler, Wage & Hour Investigator US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Em-ployee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act, and a number of employment stand-ards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Addi-tionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the Service Contract Act and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/about

Defense Contract Audit Agency DCAA provides audit and financial advisory services to DoD and other federal entities re-sponsible for acquisition and contract administration. DCAA’s role in the financial over-sight of government contracts is critical to ensure DoD gets the best value for every dollar spent on defense contracting. DCAA operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer.

https://www.dcaa.mil/

345th Contracting Squadron, Eielson AFB The 354th Contracting Squadron consists of three separate flights: Acquisition Flight (Construction) leads market research; provides business advice and acquisition planning for solicitation, executes award, and performs contract administra-tion; and ensures performance management for all installation acquisition requirements relating to the alteration, repair and maintenance to existing facilities, architect-engineering design requirements, and brand new construction. Plans and Programs Flight consists of all functions in support of the contracting squad-ron. This includes the orderly room function, maintaining and operating the squadron's main frame computer that is the mind and heart of contracting purchasing system, Infor-mation Technology support, administration of the government purchase card program, Quality Assurance Evaluator Program, contract review committee, focal point for squad-ron training, squadron performance metric development and trend analysis.

https://www.eielson.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/382411/354th-contracting-squadron/

Notes

NOTES:

There are no great people in this world, only great chal-lenges which ordinary peo-ple rise to meet.

- William Frederick Halsey

Notes

NOTES:

He listens well who takes

notes.

— Dante Alighieri