www.vagp.org SEPTEMBER 2019

NEWS & VIEWSPubl ished for Members of the Virg in ia Associat ion of Governmental Purchasing, Inc.

IN THIS ISSUE . . .VAGP at NIGP Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-2Fall Symposium in Lynchburg! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3VAGP Swag at the Fall Symposium . . . . . . . . . . .3Fall Symposium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Executive Order 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5VAGP Ambassadors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

VAGP Retiree Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Management vs. Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7New CPPOS & CPPBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8VAGP Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9VAGP Forum Photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

VAGP AT NIGP FORUMLorie Newton, CPPO, CPPBVAGP President

Fall is in the air and it’s a time to reflect on the past several months of our achieve-ments as procurement professionals as well as prepare for our future. After return-ing from the NIGP Forum in Austin, Texas, I was encouraged to see our peersachieving more, learning more, and engaging more. Virginia was well representedat the Forum, having an attendance of over 80 from across the Commonwealth.

VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

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BOARD OF DIRECTORSOFFICERSPresident

Lorie Newton, CPPO, CPPB

President-ElectJay Smigielski, CPPO

TreasurerCindy Smith, CPPB

SecretaryBeth Dooley, CPPO, CPPB

First Past PresidentSharita Bryant, CPPB, VCM, VCO,

VCA

Second Past PresidentEtta Henry, CPPO, CPPB, CUPO,

VCCO, VCO

First At–Large MemberStephanie Brown, CPPB

Second At–Large MemberCarla Smith, CPPB

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONSConference

Donnie Legg, CPPO

DiversityLawrence Shaw, VCO

EducationLisa Russell, VCO

MembershipJoey Patterson

Professional DevelopmentSheila Farmer, CPPO

Public RelationsKimberly Robinette, VCO, VCA

TechnologyKelly Gill

LegislativePatti Innocenti, CPPB

Executive DirectorChris Ruditys

NEWS & VIEWSEditor

LeeAnne Beatty Smith, CPPB, VCA,CUPO

Layout & Design Leslie Wright

News & Views is published quarterly and wasdesigned and created for the members of theVirginia Association of GovernmentalPurchasing, Inc. (VAGP), by WisconsinAssociation Management. Views andadvertising expressed in this newsletter are notnecessarily those of, or endorsed by, VAGP.Send correspondence to VAGP, 11801 W.Silver Spring Dr., Milwaukee, WI 532257 5 7 - 6 0 9 - 3 6 9 6 ; i n f o @ VA G P. o r g .Subscriptions are included in the annual duespaid by members. Advertising rates and poli-cies may be obtained by calling 757-609-3696.

VAGP AT NIGP FORUM CONT.The schedule contained professional development (construction,emergency preparedness, and more), educational sessions filled withcase studies and technology, future badging and certification initia-tives, and networking opportunities in abundance.

The keynote speakers focused on the “Power of Purpose”, “Rising toSignificance”, “Facing your Fears” and “Hurdling Adversity”, all ofwhich empowered procurement professional attendees to step out ofour comfort zone, make a difference, and work for the common goodof our citizens. All of us face challenges daily in our workplace, ourhome life, and our communities and trying new ideas, incorporatingnew initiatives, or even looking at things differently can be scary. Asprocurement professionals we are tasked with assuring compliancein the procurement of goods and services with little or no recognitionfor the service we provide. I would encourage you to take the oppor-tunity to “Dare to Matter” to your end users, your leadership, and yourvendor community. Look for ways to embrace the significance of whatyou do and how well you do it. You do matter and if no one else toldyou lately, I appreciate you!

While VAGP was not a finalist for Chapter of the Year, we are gratefulto Sharita Bryant for her hard work and many hours spent puttingtogether our submission. It takes a village and without the hard workand dedication of our members and volunteers everything Sharitaemphasized in our submission would not have been possible.Katherine “Ginger” Gordon was one of three finalists for the Buyer ofthe Year award and while she did not walk away with the NIGP trophy,she was a winner with her Virginia friends and peers and is welldeserving of this recognition.

VAGP took an opportunity during the Forum to enjoy the company ofour Virginia colleagues at the beautiful Oasis at Lake Travis, which isnestled in Austin Hill Country and known as the Sunset Capital ofTexas. We enjoyed networking, delicious food and drinks, andwatched the sun dip below the horizon. Whether you are new to theprofession or a seasoned veteran, the 2019 NIGP Forum andProducts Exposition had something designed to enhance your knowl-edge. I hope that you enjoyed your stay in Austin and gained agreater understanding of why you do what you do. As we prepare our-selves to finish off the year 2019, I hope that each of you will taketime for yourself, your family, your friends and even completestrangers and keep on smiling! Happy Fall Y’all.

Enjoy more Forum pictures on page 10

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FALL SYMPOSIUM IN LYNCHBURG!Beth Dooley, CPPO, CPPBVAGP Secretary

Fall 2019 Symposium is right around the corner, are you planning to attend? The Fall 2019Symposium will cover design, construction, alternative delivery procurements and other relat-ed topics. The City of Lynchburg is excited to welcome VAGP Members, Public ProcurementProfessionals and Sponsors at The Virginian Lynchburg Hotel, Sunday, September 29, 2019through Tuesday, October 1, 2019! The Virginian is a newly renovated historic hotel in down-town Lynchburg and is part of the Hilton Curio Collection! Fall Symposium is a wonderful

opportunity to network with colleagues, learn new tricks of the trade and earn CEUs with only two daysout of the office and minimal impact to the training budget! Learn more about the low conference registra-tion and hotel fees on the VAGP Fall 2019 Symposium Webpage. The VAGP Board looks forward to see-ing you in Lynchburg!

VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

VAGP SWAG AT THE FALL SYMPOSIUMKimberly Robinette, VCO, VCAPR Committee Chair

Come see us at Fall Symposium! Make sure to look for the VAGP information table at TheVirginian Hotel in Lynchburg! We will have a variety of amazing VAGP logo items for sale.Did you miss out on the VAGP t-shirt pre-orders? No worries! We will have a limited supplyof t-shirts for sale!

Make sure you are following VAGP on Facebook and Twitter! We will be posting give-aways on our social media pages at random times during the symposium! See you there!

www.facebook.com/VAGPofNIGP https://twitter.com/vagpofnigp

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VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 1LYNCHBURG, VASAVE DATE TH

E

VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING

Fall S Y M P O S I U M

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VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

EXECUTIVE ORDER 35Patricia Innocenti, CPPBLegislative Committee Chair

On July 3, 2019, Governor Northam issued Executive Order 35 for the purpose of advanc-ing equity for small, women, minority, and service-disabled veteran-owned business instate contracting. The governor cited past disparity studies that highlight the underutiliza-tion of women-owned and minority-owned businesses in all business categories of primecontractors. All executive branch agencies and institutions of higher education aredirected to:

• Exceed a target goal of 42 percent of discretionary spending with small businesses certified by theDepartment of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD).

• Continue the subcategory of small business eligible for micro business designation (no more than 25employees and no more than $3 million average annual revenue).

• Conduct a disparity study on women- and minority-owned business participation in the Commonwealth’sprocurement transactions.

• Executive branch agencies shall formulate policies and procedures for a set-aside program for purchases under the formal threshold.

• Executive branch agencies shall formulate policies and procedures to require a small business subcontracting plan in all procurements over $100,000.

• Require reporting for each prime contractor to report compliance with its small sub-contracting plans.

• Executive branch agencies and institutions of higher education with statutory authority for procurementshall utilize eVA to post current and future procurement and subcontracting opportunities.

• Institutions of higher education shall work with the administration to assist the Commonwealth toadvance equity for small, women, minority, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses instate contracting.

The full Executive Order 35 including the Importance, Collaborative Agency Efforts and ReportingRequirements is available on the state website.

VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

VAGP RETIREE BREAKFASTMelissa TillmanVAGP Zone 7 Ambassador/VAGP Protégé

As part of my VAGP Mentor-Protégé project I helped coordinate the first ever VAGP RetireeBreakfast along with Carla Smith (VAGP 2nd-At-Large) and Cecilia Stowe. We began planning inFebruary 2019 using Cecelia’s retiree research from VAGP’s 60th Anniversary event. Carla helpedgather inactive member lists through Chapter Manager to aid in our research. The three of us workedcountless hours to track down contact information of VAGP retirees and plan the Retiree Breakfast.

Richmond was chosen as a central location for holding the event and Cecilia booked space at a localGolden Corral. Carla sent invitations to the retirees and current VAGP Board Members. I planned

the breakfast agenda and created some VAGP Trivia questions as ice breakers.

The Retiree Breakfast was held on June 24, 2019, and was attended by: Mike Bacile, Sharita Bryant, Kenny Crouch,Horace Ford, Etta Henry, Ed James, Marvis Marshall, Lorie Newton, Cecelia Stowe, and Melissa Tillman. We all hada lot of fun, and this was a successful event to jump start the program initiative. We are hoping to host future RetireeBreakfasts to expand the program and maintain connections throughout Virginia!

YOUR VAGP AMBASSADORS WOULDLIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Gina Mobley, CPPB - (Zone 1 Ambassador) Jennifer Stieffenhofer, CPPB, VCO - (Zone 3 Ambassador)

We are currently planning to host a hot topics breakfast at the VAGPSpring Conference to be held at the Hilton Virginia Beach on March 24th-26th. Receiving input from our VAGP members on the real hot topics oftoday is an important part of making this initiative a success. Click hereto access the survey and to provide your valuable feedback.

Additional information about VAGP’s Ambassador Program and the breakdown of the zones as well asZone Ambassadors and their contact information is available on the VAGP website athttps://www.vagp.org/chapters/nigp-vagp/regional-ambassadors.cfm. Your feedback is always appreciat-ed. Please consider reaching out to your Zone Ambassador to discuss creating opportunities in your areaof the state.

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VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

MANAGEMENT VS. LEADERSHIPNicole Robertson, CPPB, MPAVAGP Zone 2 Ambassador

“Management” and “leadership” are often used interchangeably; however, the truth is thatthey are two separate, but complementary, parts of the same puzzle. Management generallycomes with a formal title and is focused on ensuring their team is performing their tasks tothe best of their abilities. Managers are good at what they do but can be risk averse, tendingto veer towards comfort in the status quo. Leaders, on the other hand, tend to be more infor-mal influencers and motivators. Leaders may or may not have a formal title with dedicatedstaff under their direction. They tend to be more open-minded, creative, and conceptual.

Leaders are more willing to take risks and are comfortable in the uncomfortable, seek to initiate change,and influence and inspire colleagues. Because managers often handle the administration and day-to-daytasks, both leaders and managers are needed in order for a workplace to be successful and thrive.

Over the past several months I have been collecting data on leadership through a questionnaire I sent outon the VAGP list serve. Some of the top qualities, characteristics, or skills that were cited by respondentsas the most important for an effective leader to possess include: effective and open communication; hon-esty, integrity, and high moral code; intelligent and experienced; confident; fair, objective and neutral; arisk-taker, visionary, having courage to take risks; motivational; compassionate and empathetic; good lis-tener; team player and collaborator; dedicated and driven; accountable; flexible; and asks the right ques-tions. “I think a leader needs to inspire people to do things because they are empowered to dothem not because it is their job to do it.” – Anonymous respondent.

But, can anyone be (or learn to become) a leader? 58% of the questionnaire respondents said “No.” Alarge number of respondents pointed to leadership being a natural or innate quality or trait in an individual,rather than a skill or competency that could be taught and learned. “It is a trait that is already inherentin one’s personality/DNA waiting for the opportunity to bring it out and develop it.” – Anonymousrespondent.

From my coursework in our city’s 2-year leadership program and my research thereafter, I have learnedthat in most cases leadership is a combination of both innate characteristics and learning to harness andexpand on those qualities to succeed. If a person inherently does not have the qualities of a good leaderor does not want to lead, then there is little chance they will effect positive change. One must have passionfor leadership and be willing to take the road less traveled. The choices you make now and things youdevote time to will determine where you will be in the future. Consider who you want to be, where youwant to be, and what impact you want to have. An effective leader is like a thermostat: adjusting to theconditions surrounding it and affecting positive change (heating/cooling as necessary). A manager may bemore like a thermometer: providing accurate and detailed output (temperature readings) with no ability orintention to control the temperature. How well do you adjust to change? How will you handle the heat?

My intention over the next couple of quarters is to provide additional insight and information on leadershipthrough future newsletter articles. I greatly appreciated those that have responded to my questionnaire sofar and welcome anyone who still wishes to submit.

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VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

NEW CPPOS AND CPPBS

CONGRATULATIONS! VAGP wants to take this opportunity to congratulate the VAGP members whosuccessfully passed the UPPCC CPPB/CPPO certification examinations administered in May 2019.Your hard work and dedication paid off. We are very proud of your accomplishment!

CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC BUYERS (CPPB)

Name AgencyGerald Amacker, CPPB Town of HerdonMichelle Brizzi, CPPB Fairfax CountyPixie Calderwood, CPPB Loudoun County Public SchoolsMelissa Chasteen, CPPB Chesterfield CountyNicole Cifci, CPPB Fairfax CountyJanet Dudley, CPPB York CountyAmy Gardner, CPPB City of SuffolkAnthony Hinds, CPPB Suffolk Public SchoolsDaemien Jones, CPPB PWCPSDouglas Kissick, CPPB Fairfax CountyDyanna McMullen, CPPB Arlington Public SchoolsLyn Wrigley, CPPB Albemarle County

CERTIFIED PUBLIC PROCUREMENT OFFICERS (CPPO)

Name AgencySara Brinkmoeller, CPPO Fairfax CountyAndrew Janos, CPPO Fairfax CountyAndrea Philyaw Loudoun County Public Schools

Upcoming Application Deadlines for Spring 2020 Testing http://www.uppcc.org/

Exam Dates: Apply by: Apply withLate Fee by:

Scheduleexam by:

May 4-16, 2020 Feb 3, 2020 Feb 18, 2020 April 13. 2020

VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

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VAGP-SPONSORED NIGP CLASSESRegister for one of our classes online at https://www.vagp.org/insidepages/meetings/. Please contactLisa Russell russelll@chesterfield.gov or any of the Education Committee members with questions!

Class

Contract Administration in the Public Sector

Strategic Procurement Planning

Risk Management in Public Contracting

Legal Aspects of Public Procurement

Date(s)

Sept 25-27

Oct 23-25

Oct 28-29

Nov 13-15

Location

Daleville

Virginia Beach

Fairfax

Daleville

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (LOW-FEE)CLASSESVAGP offers full day and half day seminars throughout the year that allow you to enhance your skills, increaseyour potential, and earn hours toward obtaining or renewing professional certifications- all of this for substantiallylower rates than most other professional development courses! Take a look at our current offerings and registertoday! https://www.vagp.org/insidepages/meetings/

2019 Class – Scheduled

Developing a Basic Understanding ofConstruction & How to Reduce ConstructionCosts

Sealed Bidding vs. Competitive Negotiations

VPPA Case Law

VITA Training

VPPA- Case Law

Quantitative Measures in Procurement

Date(s)

Oct 3rd

Oct 3rd

Oct 4th

Oct 25th

Nov 4th

Nov 8th

Location

Charlottesville

Arlington

Chesterfield

Chester

Manassas

Harrisonburg

Sponsor

City of Charlottesville

Arlington Public Schools

Chesterfield County

VITA

City of Manassas

City of Harrisonburg

VAGP NEWS & VIEWS SEPTEMBER 2019

This is your Association and your publication—make your voice heard! All VAGP members areencouraged to send articles, press releases and photos. Published articles on purchasing relatedtopics may help members earn recertification points. For eligibility requirements, please verifydirectly with the certifying agency. Suppliers and contractors are also encouraged to submit pur-chasing-related articles for publication. Limited opportunities are available and offered at no cost!Submit your contributions to LeeAnne Beatty Smith at smith2LB@jmu.edu.

Production Schedule 4th QuarterDeadline for Submissions Nov. 6thPublish Date Dec. 4th

We want your news and views in 2019!NEWS & VIEWS

FORUM RECAP PHOTOS

Industry News• Best Practices• Photo• Book Reviews• Education Opportunities• Event Recaps• New Certifications• Tips and tricks

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