IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
The Rocky Mountain Governmental Purchasing Association
Rocky Mountain High Notes
OCT-DEC, 2015
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Submitted by Molly McLoughlin, CPPB
Inside this issue: Happy Holidays RMGPA MembersLetter from the President
1
Leeds Business School Meet & Greet
2
Speaking at CSU
3
2016 Programs Report
4
NIGP Values in Action— Google Hangouts
5
2015 Winter Conference Recap (plus photos)
6-8
Spotlight on Member Kerry Sheahan
9
As this year comes to a close, I would ask all of you to reflect on your accomplishments, both professional and personal, in 2015. Maybe you passed your certification, received a promotion, started a new position, began a career in public procurement, or maybe you reached health milestones this year. But don’t forget that all of this was done with your hard work, dedication, and persistence. We have also accomplished many great things this year in RMGPA through the hard work, dedication and persistence of you, our members and volunteers. Some of our accomplishments include winning the NIGP 2015 Extra Large Chapter of the Year award, honoring the 2015 NIGP Albert H. Hall awardee, Ron Watkins, also honoring the 2015 NIGP Distinguished Service awardee, Jennie Readey, the Chapterwide celebration of March as Purchasing Month with the Governor’s video, our largest Reverse Vendor Trade Show to date, four successful conferences, and development of a new RMGPA Student Brochure. Our great organization continues to set the bar in providing our members opportunities in education, professional development, technical assistance, and networking while promoting excellence and effectiveness in public purchasing. If you are interested in joining this great team or want to see more about our organization, please visit the Committees/Volunteers page on our website. I have been honored to serve as your president in 2015 and sincerely appreciate the support of everyone in this organization, from Kristen Spicola and other past presidents mentoring me, to committee chair and volunteer work to pull events together. This is an amazing chapter full of resources and knowledge. As we continue to move forward in 2016, I want to wish Skeet McCracken the best in his Presidential endeavors. He has great ideas and I’m excited to see new horizons in 2016 for our membership.
March 21
As we enjoy our holiday season, please remember to take some time to reflect on all of your accomplishments this year and take the time to be grateful for all of your blessings. It has been my privilege to serve as your president in 2015 and I thank all of you for the encouragement and opportunity.
June 13
Wishing You an Abundant Holiday Season,
September 26
~ Molly
Newsletter Article Deadlines for 2016:
December 14 Questions about the newsletter? Comments? Contact the NEW editor at
[email protected] 1
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
Meet and Greet at CSU Leeds School of Business Submitted by Molly McLaughlin, CPPB, President
On December 3rd, RMGPA President Molly McLoughlin, Vice President Skeet McCracken, and Programs Committee Chair Valerie Scott participated in the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business “Meet and Greet.” We had the opportunity to set up a table outside of their library/coffee shop to meet and greet management students to tell them about public procurement. This was a great event promoting public procurement, RMGPA and attempting to reach as many students as possible about the profession and student membership in RMGPA.
2
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
CSU Speaking Opportunity Submitted by Skeet McCracken, CPPO, CPPB, Vice President
I received an e-mail from Paul Vanderspek, a Colorado State University Professor in their business department, inviting us to speak at the Supply Chain Management Club. He explained that we would be speaking to juniors and they will probably be a great target audience because they will be looking for work in the next couple of years. It was a very exciting experience, to say the least. I invited Jill Wilson and Ed Bonnette from the City of Fort Collins’ Purchasing Department to join me on this endeavor. We all worked together to create a Power Point covering three areas Paul had asked about. The Power Point covered the difference between Private and Public Purchasing, Quotes, Bids and Request for Proposals. We started out with Jill explaining the difference between Public and Private Purchasing and working with Quotes. She talked about the five (5) rights to Public Procurement and the complexity of the product scope/service. Jill addressed the reasons that we would use an RFQ method as well as the dollar threshold it takes to go with a Quote and a Bid. She spoke about how Private entities are more singular in the products they procure vs. public entities that procure a wider range of products/services. She talked about the RFQ process and how it differs from a Bid or an RFP. I followed up with explaining what Bids are and the specifications that are needed for the products and/or services that were being Bid on. I walked the students through the correct way to hold a Bid and examples of Nonresponsive Bids as well as what it takes to place a responsive, responsible Bid. I explained what minor mistakes were and about protests. Ed took up the challenge of explaining what a Request for Proposal is and how it is different from using a Bid process. He explained the value that comes from using an RFP process along with examples from the City of Fort Collins to show how the process works. Ed talked about the scope of work and working with the Project Manager to get the correct specifications for the product or service needed because they are the Subject Matter Expert. He talked about a comprehensive marketing plan, submittal requirements, qualifications and experience, commodity codes and contracts. All in all we had a great deal of information to share with the students. We had a lot of great questions and I believe the students went away from this experience with more of an idea what Public Purchasing is and the career they could have in Public Procurement.
3
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
NIGP Webinars Webinars are a great training opportunity and are now offered at NO COST to members. All registrants receive a certificate of completion and one contact hour for attending. January 27— Evaluating Responsiveness of Bids February 10— Wrangling the P3: The Best Practices for Public Private Partnerships Offered at various times during the day, a Webinar includes 60-70 minutes of information followed by a Q&A session. Register for the above webinars by going to www.NIGP.org.
Looking Forward to 2016 Programs Submitted by Beth Hewes, CPPB, 2016 Programs Committee Chair
Hello RMGPA Family. I am excited about this coming year and want to share some of the events we have planned. I want to thank Valerie Scott, 2015 Programs Chair, for providing framework for the conference locations and keynote speakers for this year. In honor of RMGPA’s 35th anniversary, the overall theme for our events will be celebration! The Spring Conference theme is a celebration of disaster recovery so far and lessons learned from the natural disasters in Colorado in 2013, along with our annual celebration of March as National Procurement Month. During the Spring Conference, we will again be breaking ground and welcoming the Washington Chapter of NIGP for part of our conference with Google Hangouts. For the Summer Conference, we will be at the beautiful resort of Snowmass Village. In the fall, we are headed back to Colorado Springs for the Reverse Vendor Trade show and Fall Conference. We are still working on the location for the Winter Conference, but it will be in the northern Colorado area. We are working on the detailed content for the rest of the year and have great keynote speakers and locations lined up. We are also expanding our technology to connect everyone together, so be on the look-out for updates. If you are interested in helping with any of our upcoming events, please send an email to
[email protected].
4
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
Google Hangouts: NIGP Values in Action
by Valerie Scott, CPPB, Vice President
Innovation, Collaboration, and the synergy they provide. These are two NIGP Values in practice as RMGPA continues to grow our use of video conferencing technology. At the 2015 RMGPA Fall Conference, we transcended the boundaries of the conference room by sharing the general business meeting on Google Hangouts with RMGPA members who did not attend the conference. At the 2015 Winter Conference, we took the general business meeting across an ocean. In addition to RMGPA members, we had three out-of-state guests join the Winter Conference general business meeting: Sue Ownby, CPPB, CPPO, President of the Washington Chapter of NIGP; Victor Leamer, CPPB, of Juneau, Alaska and the new AlaskaHawaii Chapter; and Lisa Mendoza of Honolulu, Hawaii and the Alaska-Hawaii Chapter. Google Hangout participants were able to watch as President Molly McLoughlin conducted the business meeting at the conference; Past President Kristen Spicola delivered her Past President report from an airport; and we all followed along with the meeting agenda as Programs CoChair Beth Hewes shared her computer screen with the agenda displayed. The innovation and collaboration displayed during the Winter Conference is a significant step toward working more closely and efficiently with one another within the RMGPA family and beyond. We look to the future with great anticipation of what is yet to come!
5
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
RMGPA 2015 Winter Conference Recap
Submitted by Amy Risley, Colorado State Purchasing
As people are hustling to meet end of year deadlines and holiday needs, a group of public purchasers took time out of our schedules to attend the RMGPA Winter Conference in Colorado Springs in December. Everyone who helped did a superb job with a successful conference. It took many hands to pull this off and everything came together. First we heard from Judy Giovanni, Sherri Gibson, and Challon Winer, on the RFP Evaluation methods they use at their agencies and how they differ from a typical standard numbered score review. It challenged us to think outside the box and see positives for using other evaluation methods. It was suggested that using different methods of evaluation may lower the number of protests with RFPs. Judy trained us on how she uses color at OIT for evaluations of RFPs. Sherri explained PMIQ (Plus, Minus, Interesting, Questions) and how this is a good format to use for some solicitations that have many requirements or a large amount of technical requirements. Sherri also explained the advantages of this system, such as it being defensible and helping with debriefs. Challon explained Value Analysis and how it clearly outlines the rationale for choosing a vendor by evaluators making notes on the pros and cons of each vendor’s proposal. Challon explained how it is not subject to “nit-picking” by vendors, as can happen with a number method. The in-depth discussion with the evaluation committee may take more time but, in his experience, has shown extremely positive results in fewer protests. During the morning business meeting, RMGPA continued to break new ground! Through the power of technology and continued ingenuity, we brought together Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, and RMGPA members not able to attend the meeting, with those of us in Colorado Springs. We showed public purchasers from Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington how Google Hangouts works during the meeting. We also celebrated membership milestones with many members. In the afternoon, we had extra time with the RFP Evaluation Panel for additional information about protests and extra time for questions and answers. The rest of the afternoon, we networked with vendors and each other. The Vendor Tradeshow was a success. We had about 35 vendors show up to tell us about their products and services. After the tradeshow, we had a chance to relax and to network with each other. Of course, we also had the traditional ugly sweater contest. Lighted sweaters and very unique designs were the winners. Friday morning we welcomed the newly elected Executive Board Members, President Skeet McCracken; Vice President Valerie Scott, Secretary Mary Kirschmer; and Treasurer Vivan Harvell. The Executive Board and Committee Chairs were sworn in by Keith Ashby. Linda Meserve, RMGPA Elections Chair, also encouraged us to consider volunteering on a committee. This is a great way to network outside of the conference and helps bring in different experiences and expertise to the group. Later Friday morning we had an energetic speaker, David Rabiner, telling us how to be leaders in purchasing. He gave us steps on how to become a leader with tips on how to be better than average. David showed us how the best leadership qualities are known by all groups and individuals, no matter your age or experience level. He reminded us that great leaders are always working on something to improve themselves. David continued with providing us with information about how to turn desired qualities into personal practice and tips on how to develop expertise in what you want to become to be a better leader. This Conference rewarded us on our accomplishments and provided tips on how to see where we can improve ourselves to make us better public servants and leaders. We were given many tools to reach for the stars. Now it’s time we grab hold and take public procurement to the next level! 6
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
RMGPA 2015 Winter Conference
Awards Committee Chair Curt Decapite presents the 2015 Distinguished Service Award to Keith Ashby and 2015 Volunteer of the Year Award to Kathleen Budd.
RMGPA 2016 Board of Directors members in attendance
Winter Conference Attendees
7
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
RMGPA 2015 Winter Conference
Panel of Experts
David Rabiner
Oh, the weather outside was delightful, while the sweaters inside were frightful...
Winner Diana Wilson (with Sherri Gibson)!!
8
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBER... KERRY SHEAHAN—2016 Newsletter Committee Chair Submitted by Kelly Wooden, Newsletter Committee Co-Chair Kerry Sheahan will be taking over the reins as RMGPA’s Newsletter Committee Chairperson after the first part of January 2016. She states, “Marcia’s shoes are going to be difficult to fill, but I will do my best.” Kerry is looking forward to being able to channel her creativity into something more productive than baking and she is pretty sure her fourteen year old son will appreciate her editing work that isn’t his. Kerry is currently a Procurement Specialist with the City of Longmont and has been in that position for about one year. The people and relationships she has developed at the City are what makes the job so enjoyable. Kerry says, “The folks here are easy going, welcoming and supportive, which makes me look forward to coming in every day.” Just after starting with the City, Kerry joined RMGPA. She enjoys the collaboration and camaraderie among our membership and is continually impressed with the wealth of resources we have to offer, both intellectually and experientially. After graduating from college, she opened up an Irish imports store in New York, which was her first foray into purchasing. After a stint teaching elementary school, she went back into the business world. She managed operations for a motorcycle luggage manufacturer, which again put her back into purchasing, although this time it was webbing, buckles and fabric instead of china, crystal and sweaters. Kerry then landed in the construction industry where she worked for twenty years prior to coming to the City of Longmont. Between purchasing building materials for multifamily construction, negotiating telecommunications and utility contracts, and performing project management, Kerry could probably build her next home. Being in the construction industry for many years gave Kerry the opportunity to help fulfill people’s dreams. Whether it was new home ownership or someone’s first apartment, it was a huge sense of satisfaction handing someone keys to the place they would call home. Having worked most of her professional life in the private world, Kerry is looking forward to being able to obtain her CPPB in the near future. Outside of work Kerry spends most of her free time (if that is what you call it) at baseball, lacrosse or wrestling practices and games. When she gets the chance to do anything else, you can find her on the ski slopes, in her kitchen baking, or spending time with family and friends. She is also an avid DIY’er and always has some kind of project in the works. Kerry will be sticking around town for the holidays and will be entertaining family coming in from New York. We thank Marcia for many years of wonderful newsletters, and we welcome and thank Kerry for taking on the role as Newsletter Committee Chairperson.
9
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
10
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ASSOCIATION
THE LAST WORD
Visit us on the web at www.rmgpa.org
Dedicated to Excellence in Public Purchasing Rocky Mountain Regional Chapter of
Winner of NIGP’s Large Chapter of the Year in 2006, 2009 and 2015!
11
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
2015 RMGPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS POSITION
OFFICER
E-Mail
PHONE
President
Molly McLoughlin, CPPB
[email protected]
(720) 561-5132
Vice President
[email protected]
(970) 490-3428
Secretary
Skeet McCracken, CPPO, CPPB Mary Kirschmer, CPPB
[email protected]
Treasurer
Vivian Harvell
[email protected]
(303) 326-1988 x28234 (719) 579-2034
Past President
Kristen Spicola, CPPB
[email protected]
(719) 584-0319
STANDING COMMITTEES COMMITTEE
CHAIR
E-Mail
PHONE
Awards
Curt DeCapite, CPPB
[email protected]
(719) 331-0319
Business Advisory Community Chapter Enhancement
Pete Toth
[email protected]
(720) 898-7091
Roman Hernandez
[email protected]
(303) 757-9236
Communications
Tim Wellmann, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 702-7734
Education & Pro-D
Diana Cantu, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 702-7715
Elections
Linda Meserve, CPPB
Historian
Vera Kennedy, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 987-4603
Legislative
Karen Picariello, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 205-2345
Marketing
Farrah Bustamante, CPPB
[email protected]
(970) 491-1992
Membership
Patricia O’Neal
patricia.o’
[email protected]
(303) 757-9399
Newsletter
Marcia Sieben, CPPO, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 271-8591
Programs
Valerie Scott, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 744-4887
[email protected]
(970) 491-6611
12
IS SUE IV, YE AR 20 15
R OCK Y MOU NTAIN HIG H NOTES
2015 COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIR NAME
E-Mail
Awards
Mary Jablonski, CPPB
[email protected]
Business Advisory Community
(Vacant)
Chapter Enhancement
Traci Burtnett, CPPO,
[email protected] CPPB
(303) 682-7309
Education & Pro-D
Sherri Gibson, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 866-5732
Historian
(Vacant)
Legislative
Cindy Lombardi, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 866-6212
Marketing
Shannon E. Sprague,
[email protected] CPPB
(303) 556-3280
Membership
Barbara Hauptli, CPPB
(970) 384-4861
Newsletter
Kelly Wooden, CPPO,
[email protected]
[email protected]
PHONE (970) 613-5149
(720) 972-4208
CPPB Programs
Beth Hewes, CPPB
[email protected]
(303) 866-3080
13
