From the Desk of the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Reg iona l Con fe rence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Purchasing Month at DMV .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4J. Brad Oakley Scholarship Winner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Tap In to You r Membersh ip Bene f i t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5U p c o m i n g VA G P E d u c a t i o n a l O f f e r i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

A Helping Hand for the Ci ty of Suffo lk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Commi t tee Repor ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7VAGP Board Schedu le 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9What Can I Do to He lp? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10VAGP Conference Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Published for Members of the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing, Inc.

June 2008

2008 Spring Conference - Richmond in March

By Deborah PowellConference Advisory Committee Chair

As most of you know the fi rst VAGP conference was held in Richmond, so it was only fi tting to return there for the 50th anniversary celebration.

Wednesday kicked off with speakers like John Rolfe (Dick Cheatwood) with details of procurement and survival in the 1600’s. Costume, accent, knowledge, passion and all, it was truly a lesson from the past. The afternoon was fi lled with meetings, workshops and a near record First Timers event recognizing 26 people. The Host event was spectacular, a tour of the newly renovated State Capitol Building followed by a reception at the Patrick Henry Building. If given the opportunity to tour the Capitol, go for it!

Thursday brought us more great speakers, workshops and

INSIDE THIS ISSUEINSIDE THIS ISSUE

Above: VAGP Past Presidents. Above right: Scenes from the tour of the Capitol. Right: Four VAGP Presidents - Curtis Walsh, Lisa Cumming, Ed Grant (NIGP President) and T. Gordon Sandridge.

a visit from the NIGP President, Mr. Ed Grant. VAGP conferences provide great opportunities to learn with an array of topics and this was no exception.

What an opportunity! VAGP has 46 past presidents, 21 of them were honored on this night for the accomplishments they made to the organization and getting VAGP where it is today. I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with several of the more recent past presidents. But what a delight it was to meet T. Gordon Sandridge (1967), Jim Waller (1988), Bob Fothergill (1991), Curtis Walsh (1977), John Grook (1993) - the list just keeps on going. This was truly the highlight of the conference.

Be sure and join us in Loudoun County, October 29-31, 2008 as we begin making history for the next 50 years.

PAGE 3 - June 2008

Kelly Okken VAGP Professional Development Chair

TO ALL VAGP MEMBERS: Don’t forget we have some great seminars in store at this year’s Regional Conference at James Madison University. Registration is only $50.00, so be sure to reserve your seating, today. This is what’s in store!

PAGE 4 - June 2008

March Purchasing Month at DMV

From: DAVID MITCHELLTo: ALL DMVDate: 3/4/2008 4:52:16 PMSubject: March is Purchasing Month

March is recognized as National Governmental Purchasing Month by entities all over the United States. To support that endeavor Commissioner Smit has declared March as Purchasing Month at the DMV.

Your Contracts and Procurement department works to support the needs and requirements of you, their internal clients, as well as external stakeholders, according to the rules and regulations of public procurement. They are responsible for spending over $200 million each year for goods and services to support the requirements of DMV.

Contracts and Procurement will be holding an Open House from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on March 20th in Room 319. Stop in, have some fun, meet the staff and register for some staff provided door prizes. Help them celebrate March as Purchasing Month!

Congratulations to Sharita Bryant2008 J. Brad Oakley Scholarship

Award Recipient

Sharita Bryant, VCA, was awarded the J. Brad Oakley Scholarship Award at the VAGP Spring Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Sharita is a Buyer at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Richmond.

Congratulations!

PAGE 6 - June 2008

On behalf of Cynthia Moore, VCO, Public Relations Committee member and Purchasing Agent for the City of Suffolk, Virginia, we would like to thank everyone for their assistance in getting donated items sent in for the clean up effort. It was amazing to see the speed and amount of assistance that poured into our city from VAGP and our purchasing community. As you all have probably heard, Suffolk was hit by one of the strongest tornados the state has ever seen. It caused damages to many homes and buildings, left families stranded without a place to live, and devastated a community unfamiliar with such a disaster into the millions of dollars. As a resident of Suffolk and fortunate survivor of a storm too close to home, I can tell you it was one of the scariest events we have experienced. If you can image being in the midst (within feet) of the type of storm shown in the pictures below, you undoubtedly can understand how thankful and grateful we are for the support and expedient efforts from all you.

We realize there were other areas of Virginia hit hard by these tornados; but we know, together, we will all make it through these diffi cult times with each others’ support.

Thanks, again.

A Helping Hand for the City of SuffolkBy Angela Bright, CPPBPublic Relations Committee

Thank You,VAGP

Members

PAGE 7 - June 2008

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEEBy Patti Innocenti, CPPB, Legislative Committee Chair

The 2008 General Assembly session closed on March 13, 2008 with a total of 35 bills introduced that affected procurement and contract laws. By the end of the session, 15 bills passed and the remaining 20 either failed, were left in subcommittee, continued, or stricken. A summary of all 2008 bills is available on the VAGP Legislative Committee webpage at www.VAGP.org/commlegi.htm. The most notable legislation passed this session follows:

HB1066 Virginia Public Procurement Act; methods of procurement. Clarifi es that any public body may use competitive negotiation for the construction, alteration, repair, renovation, or demolition of structures (and not just buildings) when the contract is not expected to cost more than $1 million.

HB1298 Public body contracts; illegal alien employment. Requires that all public bodies provide in every written contract that the contractor does not, and shall not during the performance of the contract for goods and services in the Commonwealth, knowingly employ an unauthorized alien as defi ned in the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

HB677 Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002; public hearing prior to interim or comprehensive agreement. Provides that at least 30 days prior to entering into an interim or comprehensive agreement under the Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act, a responsible public entity must hold a public hearing on the proposals.

HB944 Virginia Public Procurement Act; procurement of professional services. Increases the monetary limits for architectural and professional engineering contracts relating to construction contracts that any locality and certain authorities and sanitation districts may enter into under the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The bill raises the amount for a single contract from $1 million to $5 million and increases the maximum amount for each task order from $200,000 to $1 million.

HB955 Public Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002; technology projects. The bill includes technology applications and any services designed to increase productivity or effi ciency through the direct or indirect use of technology in the defi nition of “qualifying project.”

We invite you to visit our webpage. The content has been categorized and organized to make it easier to fi nd what you are looking for. In addition, you will now fi nd three years of current and historical records on legislative issues. If you have any suggestions to make the webpage more useful, please feel free to contact any member of the VAGP Legislative Committee.

Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - - Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - -PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

COMMITTEEBy Kelly Okken, CPPB, Professional Development Committee Chair

Did you know…

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends using the • “CPI-U All Items U.S. City Average” when setting your indicator for price escalation/de-escalation for your contracts? The Bureau of Labor Statics advises broader categories be used, since narrower categories will be more volatile and should only be used if they are a good match.

When selecting the CPI for “Other Goods & Services” the • price index is based on the price of tobacco?

There are many other groups of the CPI, such as CPI-E • (Elderly) and CPI-C (College students)?

Interesting, isn’t it? You can learn this and many more relevant facts from the seminar entitled, “Understanding the PPI/CPI”. The fi rst seminar was held at the Prince William County Public Schools Administration Complex on April 18, 2008. We had a total of 40 seats available, all but one was fi lled. It was a great success! This seminar gives an overview of the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index and how they should and can be used.

Mr. Steve Reed from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics instructs the seminar and teaches us how to select the proper index for escalation/de-escalation of prices in various contexts, as well as how to calculate the escalation/de-escalation correctly and obtain price index data. Steve is very knowledgeable and was able to show us all new tips and tricks to use when applying the PPI and/or CPI to our contract pricing. Everyone seemed to walk away with a better understanding and a higher comfort level of the PPI and CPI concepts and practices. Due to the current federal budgetary restraints, Mr. Reed will only be able to hold one more seminar this year, which will be in Northern Virginia, again, at Prince William County Public Schools. If you missed out on the last seminar, you have one more chance to experience this educational enlightenment, so be sure to sign up for the next one, as soon as it is advertised. A notifi cation will be sent to all who receive the VAGP Listserv, as well as posted on the website.

The PPI/CPI seminar is just one of the many new seminars that the Professional Development Committee has rolled out this year. The Professional Development Committee would like to continue to add new low-fee seminars to our educational offerings, but we need the support and participation of all of you. The Professional Development Committee is seeking professionals interested in becoming involved in the development and instruction of new low-fee seminars. This opportunity offers a GREAT chance

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PAGE 8 - June 2008

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to expand your professional development, while sharing your wealth of knowledge and expertise with others; AMAZING travel adventures and a chance to see the various, beautiful cities and areas within Virginia; FLEXIBLE scheduling (you are your own boss); NETWORKING (a great way to meet new procurement professionals); and a ton of FUN! Where else can you fi nd an opportunity like this that accelerates your professional growth and the professional growth of so many others? If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact any member of the Professional Development Committee to get started.

low-fee seminars, as well as professionals like you to join our Pro D team. Becoming a low-fee seminar sponsor or host is a great way to earn a free seat and free credit hours towards certifi cation/re-certifi cation. Since most agencies are seeing budget cuts, this is a great way to earn credit hours for your certifi cation/re-certifi cation without the additional expense to your agency!

Also, new this year…The ProD Committee will be hosting the last CPPB/CPPO certifi cation examinations at the VAGP Spring Conference in Richmond. We will continue to offer the review sessions, but the examinations will be conducted through test sites authorized by UPPCC. For more information on the specifi cs of these changes or to locate a test site, please refer to the UPPCC website at www.uppcc.org.

For more information on any of the topics mentioned in this section, please contact one of the Pro D members.

UPCOMING LOW-FEE SEMINARS SCHEDULED

Date Seminar Host Location

6/10/08 Methods of Procurement Richmond DMV

8/21/08 How to Award to the Best Vendor City of Suffolk

8/22/08 SOX & Bagels/Be a Pro James Madison University

TBD Understanding the PPI/CPI PWCPS If you are interested in registering to attend any of the above low-fee seminars or need information about other low-fee seminars offered by Pro D, visit www.VAGP.org. Advertisements for scheduled seminars are e-mailed to the membership and posted on the VAGP website with online registration information. Look for additional seminar offerings throughout 2008!

NEW CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS

Dustin Baker, CPPB; Upper Occoquan Sewage Authority Jimmy Bowden, CPPB; Fairfax County Public Schools

Philip Butterfass, CPPB; Loudoun County Nevador Evans, CPPB; City of Hampton Humaira Hassan, CPPB; Northern Virginia Community College Patricia Hilliard, CPPB; City of HarrisonburgMichael Legge, CPPB; Clarke County Govt/Public SchoolsSarah McRae, CPPB; Montgomery County Bradley Quann, VCO, CPPB; Spotsylvania County Schools Kevin Steinbrecher, A.P.P., CPPB; Henrico County Crystal Weller, VCO, CPPB; City of Charlottesville

IMPORTANT CERTIFICATION NEWS

Dates to Remember: July 21, 2008: Application deadline for new exams (October 2008 testing).July 31, 2008: Last day to take the current CPPB or CPPO written examinations.September 15, 2008: Exam registration deadline for new exams (October 2008 testing).September 30, 2008: Application deadline for the C.P.M. to UPPCC Bridge.December 31, 2008: Last day to take the written CPPB Bridge Exam; Last day to take the CPPO Bridge Exam; Last day to take the CPPO Oral Panel Exam.

*Source: NIGP Buy Weekly. Visit www.uppcc.org for more information.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS

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

Bryant, Sharita, VCA, Division of Motor Vehicles, 804-367-0268, sharita.bryant@dmv.virginia.gov

Burtner, Brian, CPPB, Prince William County Public Schools, 703-791-8736, burtneba@pwcs.edu

Dixon, Kelly, CPPB, King George County, 540-775-9181, kdixon@co.kinggeorge.state.va.us

Moore, Cindy, VCO, City of Suffolk, 757-514-7521, cmoore@city.suffolk.va.us

Okken, Kelly, CPPB, VCO - Chairperson, James Madison University, 540-568-3130, okkenkj@jmu.edu

Parr, Joe, CPPB, CPPO, VCO, VITA, 804-416-6062, joe.parr@vita.virginia.gov

Purkett, Michelle, CPPB, VCO, Tidewater Community College, 757-822-1768, mpurkett@tcc.edu

(continued on page 9...)

Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - - Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - -

PAGE 9 - June 2008

(continued from page 8...)

Weller, Crystal, CPPB, VCO, City of Charlottesville, 434-970-3860, weller@charlottesville.org

ProD exists exclusively to serve the VAGP membership. Please contact any of the above committee members near you 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 the low-fee seminars and certifi cation review sessions.

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEEBy Angela Bright, Public Relations Committee Chair

This quarter has been busy for your Public Relations Committee. We had a great time at the 2008 Spring Conference in Richmond.

We are well on our way to expanding our visibility with groups we have only slightly familiarized ourselves with, in the past. We will be partnering with several local non-profi t organizations this year (such as VaCo and VML), to increase the promotion of VAGP and its activities to a larger audience of potential constituents for the organization.

PR is currently working on refi ning our sponsorship program that may, potentially, result in the expansion of additional scholarships for VAGP. Stay tuned for these developments.

We are looking to begin advertising our events, seminars, and ceremonies in the local papers of area sponsoring such events, as well as in other media markets, such as universities. We may need to call upon you for your help in disseminating this information near your organizations and on campus. I am sure we will be able to count on all of your support.

We are also in the process of working on revamping our website and the links associated with it. This is a work in progress, which will take a little time. Be patient, and you will see some great things happening within our organization in the “not-so-distant” future.

If you have any information you would like to share with the Public Relations Committee or are interested in becoming a member, please contact me directly or Cynthia Moore.

Keep in mind: You may qualify to earn certifi cation/re-certifi cation points if you submit an article that is posted in the News & Views. We welcome your views, knowledge, and experience for this newsletter.

VAGP 2008 BOD ScheduleDate Place/Purpose Time

June 13 Teleconference - Complete Board 9:30 am Approval of 2009 Action Plan

July 26-30 NIGP Forum (No Meeting)

August 15 Executive Management Firm – OMG 9:30 am 638 Independence Parkway, #100 Chesapeake, VA 23320 Approval of 2009 Budget

September 19 Teleconference – Complete Board 9:30 am

October 29 Pre-Conference Board Meeting TBD Fall Conference Business Meeting TBD

October 29-31 Fall Conference – Loudoun County National Conference Center, Lansdowne

November 14 Teleconference – Complete Board 9:30 am

December 12 TBD / Outgoing ’08 & incoming ’09 BOD 9:30 am

Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - - Committee Reports - - - - - - - - - -

PAGE 10 - June 2008

Sometime last fall Nancy Davis contacted me, asking if I would consider serving as a session facilitator for localities at the Spring Conference in Richmond. After careful consideration and a bit of prayer, I agreed, though somewhat apprehensively. I am still not sure why I was hesitant as I have done a small amount of public speaking and teach the adult Sunday school class at my church. Those that know me very well know that shyness has never been a problem for me; actually the opposite is quite the case.

I spoke with her several times in getting an idea for a topic and how to conduct the session and came up with what we agreed would be a workable concept. In the weeks leading up to the conference I went over what I would say several times so as to make the best possible presentation. I was prepared, or so I thought.

The conference arrived and with it the day of the session. I looked around thru the hotel to make sure that I knew where the session was to be held and to insure that I would be on time and found myself looking at a rather large ballroom. “This can’t be right! There is no way I’m dealing with a crowd that large!” I thought. After another quick trip around the facility to be sure, the realization began to set in that I was indeed “playing the palace”. The butterfl ies in my stomach soon grew to vulture size as I watched people continue to fi le into the room and sit down. For a moment I calculated how long it would take me to reach my car and make it to the interstate before anyone missed me, much like a movie prison break.

Gathering my nerve, I strode into the room, asked for an easel and a large pad and marker to write notes with, the gentleman introduced me, and there I was, the apparent focus of a rather large crowd, when something happened. The vultures turned to gnats, reason returned, and things came into focus. These people were my friends and colleagues, with needs, interests, and goals similar to my own. I was not addressing a gathering; I was carrying on a conversation.

I asked the question, “what are your biggest concerns today, and how can the rest of us help you?” Informing them that, just as in my Sunday school class at home, if you don’t speak up and take part, I will call on you to participate, no quarter asked for, none given.

We discussed a variety of topics common to us all, rising fuel costs, understaffi ng, computer headaches, eVa, etc. as I watched folks offer suggestions, ask questions, and reach out to try and help. What started out as borderline panic turned into watching a great snapshot of the purchasing profession and the talents and abilities that we have to offer, we simply have to fi nd them and be willing to use them.

What Can I Do to Help?By Jeffrey Moyer, CPPBWarehouse Manager, City of Harrisonburg

Too often we say ‘no’ without considering our abilities. We think that we have nothing of value to offer to our entity or our association, that we just cannot do what is asked of us. To badly paraphrase John Kennedy, perhaps instead of asking “what can you do for me?” we should be asking “how can I help?” We all have something to offer if we’re willing to try.

2008 CONFERENCES

FALL October 29-31, at the National Conference Center at Lansdowne Host: County of Loudoun Contact: Cheryl L. Middleton, CPPB

2009 CONFERENCES

SPRING Dates TBD, Location TBD Host: City of Staunton and Augusta County Contact: Cindy Steed

FALL Dates TBD, Location: Norfolk Area Host: City of Norfolk Contact: Steve Patterson

2010 CONFERENCES

SPRING Dates TBD, Location TBD (Roanoke, pending decision from City of Roanoke) Host: TBD

VAGP Conference Schedule

PAGE 11 - June 2008

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