The Rocky Mountain Governmental Purchasing Association€¦ · City of Fort Collins speak about...

ISSUE I , YEAR 2013 ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH NOTES

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JAN-MAR 2013 Rocky Mountain High Notes

T h e R o c k y M o u n t a i n G o v e r n m e n t a l P u r c h a s i n g A s s o c i a t i o n

Letter from the President

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2012 Buyer/Manager of the Year Awards

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2012 Volunteer of the Year & Distinguished Services Awards

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NIGP Region 10 Update 4

Committee Reports 5-7

CPPB & CPPO Certifications

8

Spotlight on Member Shannon Sprague

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Specifications Library 9

Inside this issue:

Questions about the newsletter? Comments? Contact the editor at [email protected]

Spring is here!

I hope you were able to join us at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds for our RMGPA Spring Conference on March 14, 2013. We had a tremendous attendance of 111 people who came to network and listen to the panelists discuss the entire RFP process. We learned that there are many ways to evaluate a proposal, how many people should be on an evaluation committee, and how to rate your proposals, as well as many more tips for a successful evaluation. Our panel of seasoned veterans shared their knowledge with the members attending, and encouraged everyone to offer suggestions based on their experience and background.

We also had a presentation from Thea Rock, Manager of Communications and Public Outreach from the Jefferson County Open Space Parks Department, showcasing all of the beautiful opportunities to enjoy their parks and open lands. Kudos to the Programs Committee for putting together an information-packed and very enjoyable one day Spring Conference!

As we look forward to the Summer Conference, scheduled for June 6th and 7th, 2013 at the Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center in Breckenridge, I hope you will join us to hear Jim O’Neill from the City of Fort Collins speak about purchasing with Federal dollars. We will also have the pleasure of a presentation from a company named Spikes Cavell to discuss spend analysis.

On a final note, I am asking for your help, participation and commitment to RMGPA. I hope you will volunteer your time and talent to RMGPA in 2013 and beyond. We are all here to help each other in our profession. We can make a difference in our states, cities, counties, school districts, etc., by sharing our knowledge and experiences. Please volunteer to help on a committee, write an article for our newsletter, share bid/proposal specifications or anything else that you feel is important.

Thanks to all of you who already participate, and for those of you who are thinking about volunteering, please take a look at the list of committees on our web site under “Committees/Volunteers” to see what opportunities await you.

See you in Breckenridge! ~ Kathryn

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Submitted by Kathryn Rowe, CPPB

Future Newsletter Article Deadlines for 2013:

Jun 17

Sep 30

Dec 12


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2012 Buyer and Manager of the Year Awards Submitted by the 2013 Awards Committee

What a wonderful time of year! The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the sun is shining (and then it’s snowing! What else in Colorado?), and we are awarding the 2012 Buyer and Manager of the Year awards!

In February, a request went out from the Awards Committee for nominations for the Buyer and Manager of the Year for 2012. The Awards Committee received seven nominations for the Buyer of the Year. The nominees for Buyer of the Year were:

Cheryl Rea with the City of Colorado Springs

Diana Wilson with the City of Longmont

Mary Kirshmer with Aurora Public Schools

Mary O’Halloran with the City of Lakewood

Tim Wellmann with St. Vrain Valley School District

Tracy Kline with the City of Longmont

Traci Gorman with Arapahoe County

Congratulations to all nominees!

The 2012 Buyer of the Year award went to Tracy Kline!

The Awards Committee received four nominations for the Manager of the Year. The nominees for Manager of the Year were:

Jill Yellico with Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs

Jim O’Neill with the City of Fort Collins

Linda Meserve with Colorado State University

Liz Dunaway from the City of Centennial!

All of the nominees have done an amazing job!

The 2012 Manager of the Year award went to Jim O’Neill who has diligently worked as a contributing member of his agency, RMGPA, as well as NIGP!

The Buyer and Manager of the Year Awards are affirmation from our colleagues, managers, and coworkers of the contributions we make every day to advance our agency, chapter, and national organization. The recognition of our colleagues facilitates the benefits of the Procurement Professionals within our individual agencies. Nominations can be accepted from anyone who feels a person should be recognized for their contributions!

Please join us in congratulating the 2012 Buyer of the Year and Manager of the Year!


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2012 Volunteer of the Year and Distinguished Service Awards Submitted by the 2013 Awards Committee

2012 Volunteer of the Year Award

The RMGPA Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding contributions that volunteers make to promote, enhance, and support the activities and programs of RMGPA, NIGP and their community. This year’s recipient, Diana Wilson, CPPB, Buyer II at the City of Longmont, has a long history of volunteerism within our organization and NIGP, serving on various committees, helping out at conferences, and reformatting forms for easier use. She has assisted the Pro-D Committee in arranging an NIGP course for RMGPA members. She also has served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Colorado MAPO organization and has been instrumental in opening lines of communication between the State offices, MAPO, and various entities while revitalizing membership.

We are so pleased to honor her for her tremendous spirit of volunteerism! Congratulations, Diana Wilson!

The 2012 Board voted to award this year’s Distinguished Service Award to John Stephen, CPPO, CPPB, Senior Buyer for the City of Fort Collins. John began his career with the City of Fort Collins as a buyer in 1993, was promoted to Senior Buyer in 2001, and has been with the City of Fort Collins for 19 years. John has dealt with some very exciting projects and challenging situations for their organization beginning back in 1997 with the flood recovery efforts and the Bus Rapid Transit Project, the largest construction project in the City of Fort Collins’ history. John’s behind the scenes work can be recognized every day as people go about their work and enjoy the outdoors, through roadways, parks, nature areas, and buildings throughout his community.

John has been an active member of the Rocky Mountain Governmental Purchasing Association serving on various Board positions such as the Public Relations Chair, and as the RMGPA Vice President, President and Past President. The Rocky Mountain Governmental Purchasing Association has benefited from John’s knowledge, leadership, and service every year with his continued support of Colorado MAPO, RMGPA, and NIGP.

Thank you John for your perseverance, professionalism and service to our organization and to our profession.

Please extend your CONGRATULATIONS to John on receipt of this well-deserved award!

2012 Distinguished Service Award

The nominees for the Distinguished Service Award are put forth and voted on by the RMGPA Board at the end of each year and the award is presented annually to a current active RMGPA member who exemplifies extraordinary leadership, outstanding integrity, and consistent, excellent service within their entity, their community, RMGPA, NIGP and the Procurement Profession.


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NIGP Region 10 Board Update Submitted by Keith Ashby, CPPO

The NIGP Board of Directors held its annual fall board meeting in Toronto, Canada in November 2012, which included, among other topics, a strategic planning session. As a result of the strategic planning session, a vote was held and a decision was reached by the Board to focus on the following topics:

Governance, Technology, Education, Sales/Advocacy

The topics were discussed by the Board during rotational table discussions with the goal of drafting an initiative for each topic. Afterward each group reviewed and edited the drafts and agreed upon the following wording for each initiative:

Governance: Ensure that NIGP is structured to address the dynamic global marketplace.

Technology: Build a robust technology framework in order to deliver services more effectively.

Education: Develop and deliver a world-class education and training curriculum by increasing technology-based delivery, partnering strategically, and mixing traditional and distance learning delivery.

Sales Force and Advocacy: Increase awareness of NIGP by developing a marketing strategy that promotes products and services in new and existing markets and advocates for the profession.

In addition, the Board looked at the strengths, challenges, opportunities, and pressures to the Institute. The strengths are the education & training programs offered by NIGP, the UPPCC partnership, the Governance model, support of the Regional Chapters, our members, and our instructors. Our challenges are the lack of advocacy for the profession, the traditional delivery of training, and updated tools for Chapters and members. Our opportunities include strategic partnering, generating revenue through a consulting program, and strengthening the relationships with the Regional Chapters. Our pressures include how to engage Generation X & Y as long-term employees rather than short-term employees, as well as the lack of a succession plan/mentoring plan.

The lack of a succession plan/mentoring plan is a very relevant point. As we look at the current membership demographic by age group, 27% of our current members are in the age range of 40-49, 42% of our current members are in the age range of 50-59, and 19% of our current membership is over 60. This means 88% of our current members are 40 and over. The Board understands that the Institute needs to work with its member agencies on succession planning/mentoring planning.

In addition, the Board approved a recommendation from the Forum and Products Exposition Committee to select Salt Lake City, UT as the host city for NIGP’s 72nd Annual Forum and Products Exposition in 2017.


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Membership Committee Report Submitted by Molly McLoughlin, CPPB, Membership Committee Chair

The Membership Committee has had some recent changes. In March, Jim Walker stepped down and passed the committee over to the new Chair, Molly McLoughlin. At the Spring Conference, Molly advertised for a Co-Chair and committee volunteers. If you are interested please email Molly by April 30th at [email protected] . The Membership Committee is promoting a membership drive that will take place over the next year. We are encouraging all members to think of individuals who can share or gain valuable knowledge, skills, and new ideas by joining RMGPA.

The goal of the drive is to increase the number of members participating in RMGPA. This will enhance the collaborative group of members that share their procurement experience with the entire RMGPA member group in various formats, be that in conferences, mentorship, volunteering, newsletter articles, simple one-on-one interactions, or through the MemberConnect listserv with purchasing peers. For this new effort, the Membership Committee is asking all current members to think of peers, coworkers or agencies that may benefit in joining RMGPA. In appreciation of your work with the membership drive, members will be rewarded with a “Thank you” gift if you bring a new member to one of our 2-Day conferences (Summer Conference in June or Winter Conference in December).

So start thinking now about who might be membership candidates for your agency, peers or region and bring them to Summer Conference in June!

Remember to get onto the listserv to send and receive emails to your peers: http://www.rmgpa.org/insidepages/connect/index.cfm


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Legislative Committee Report Submitted by Cindy Lombardi, CPPB, Legislative Committee Chair

HOUSE BILL 13-1010

CONCERNING THE ELIMINATION OF RESTRICTIONS FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF STATIONERY SUPPLIES BY BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.

Bill Summary

Current law enacted in 1893 requires the board of county commissioners of each county in the state to advertise annually in the official newspaper of the county for bids for supplying stationery supplies. In addition, counties are required to enter into a new contract for the provisions of stationery supplies annually and county officers are prohibited from purchasing stationery supplies. The bill repeals these requirements. STATUS—Passed and signed by the Governor 3/8/13 HOUSE BILL 13-1026

CONCERNING THE ACCOUNTING OF THE EQUIPMENT AND RENOVATION FEE ASSESSED AS A PART OF THE WESTERN INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COMPACT.

Bill Summary

Legislation was enacted in 2009 to simplify the approval process for capital construction projects initiated by a state institution of higher education if the project is funded from cash funds held by the institution. Consequently, an appropriation from a cash fund is no longer necessary in the annual general appropriation act for a capital construction project funded in such a way.

Existing statute related to the equipment and renovation fee assessed as a part of the western interstate commission for higher education compact still requires an appropriation to Colorado state university from such a fund. The bill seeks to modernize this statute in accordance with the simplification process adopted in 2009.

STATUS—Passed and signed by the Governor 3/8/13 HOUSE BILL 13-1093

CONCERNING THE REQUIREMENT THAT A LOCAL GOVERNMENT USE COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDDING FOR PROCUREMENT CONTRACTS OVER A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT.

STATUS—02/06/2013 Postponed Indefinitely

SENATE BILL 13-034

CONCERNING THE REQUIREMENT THAT A GOVERNMENTAL BODY THAT RECEIVES A PROPOSAL ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN RESPONSE TO ITS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RETURN THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE TO THE OFFEROR AFTER THE CONTRACT AWARD.

STATUS—01/30/2013 Postponed Indefinitely

The Colorado General Assembly Home Page can be found at:

http://www.leg.state.co.us.

This site provides information regarding the current or upcoming legislative session, including bill information (status, content, votes), calendars, committees, legislative directory, etc.


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Education & Professional Development Report Submitted by Kristen Spicola, Education & Professional Development Committee Chair

CPPO and CPPB Exam Dates for 2013

May 6 – 18, 2013 Exam October 14-26, 2013 Application deadline passed Apply by July 15, 2013 Register for Exam by April 01, 2013 Register for Exam by Sept. 02, 2013

2013 Class Schedule - Confirmed Courses, Dates & Locations

Although webinars are convenient, they do not provide any revenue to our organization. Let’s continue to show our support for RMGPA and register for an upcoming Pro D Event today! Scholarships Trudi Peepgrass, of Douglas County School District, has been awarded a scholarship for registration to the Fundamentals of Leadership and Management Course, scheduled for May 16-17, 2013. Congratulations, Trudi!

Course Title Date Location

Contracting for Public Sector Services April 11-12 Fort Collins, Larimer County

Introduction to Public Procurement May 8-10 Golden, Jefferson County

Fundamentals of Leadership & Mgmt May 16-17 Castle Rock, Douglas County

Ethics: A Survival Kit for Procurement June 5 Breckenridge w/Summer Conf.

Developing & Managing RFPs August 7-9 Denver Water

Contracting for Construction Services October 10-11 Englewood, Arapahoe Sheriff’s Office

On The Move!

In case you’ve lost track of a colleague or two in the recent past, following is a list of a few members who have moved from one place to another or retired.

(If you know of others , you are encouraged to forward that information to the editor for publication in future newsletters.)

Member From To

Danielle Hinz Univ. of CO Procurement Service Center City of Longmont


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Education & Professional Development Report Submitted by Karen Herman, Education & Professional Development Committee Chair

CPPB/CPPO Certifications

Congratulations to the following members who passed the CPPO or CPPB Exam

in October 2012!

Bryn A. Fillinger, CPPB—City of Aurora

Douglas T. Greenberg, CPPB—El Paso County

James S. Walker, CPPB, CCAS—Denver Water

Mary J. Jantz, CPPB—University of Northern Colorado

Left to right: Naomi Heddon, CPPO; Douglas Greenberg, CPPB; James Walker, CPPB, CCAS; Mary Jantz, CPPB

Naomi C. Hedden, CPPO—City of Pueblo

The coveted Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) credentials, recognized throughout the public procurement profession, demonstrate an individual’s

comprehensive knowledge of public procurement.

Obtaining either UPPCC certification requires the candidate to demonstrate, through an application process, that they meet specific requisites which include education, procurement related

coursework/training and public procurement employment experience.


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RMGPA Specifications Library! Submitted by Tim Wellmann, CPPB, Communications Committee Chair

NIGP Webinars

Webinars are a great training opportunity without the travel expense! The cost is $59 for NIGP members and $180 for non-members (includes a one-year

complimentary NIGP membership for eligible individuals).

Register for the above webinars by going to www.NIGP.org. Paid registrants receive a certificate of completion and one contact hour for attending.

Attendees of complimentary or informational webinars receive no contact hours credit.

April 11 – Technology in Public Procurement (Based on Technology in Public Procurement Practice)

April 16 – To Lease or Purchase, That is the Question

April 25 – Basics of Contract Law

May 9 – Contract Administration: A Plan for Success

June 6 – Contract Administration: Closing the Deal!

June 27 – Ethics - A Survival Kit for the Purchasing Professional

July 25 – Personal Program for Professional Success

After we load these specifications into the library, all members of RMGPA will be able to go into the website and select a category for help in finding specifications whether it be for a common procurement or a new and unusual procurement. This is another helpful tool for our members to share their knowledge and hopefully make our jobs easier. We ask that you take a few moments of your time and contribute specifications to help make this launch a success.

For those of you who attended the RMGPA conference in March, you will recall that we announced the launch of the **NEW**Specification Library.

In order for this to be a success we need input from YOU, RMGPA members. We are accepting specifications in ANY format to be loaded into the system. Please send them to [email protected].


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SPOTLIGHT ON... Shannon Sprague, CPPB

Marketing Committee Co-Chair

Submitted by Kelly Wooden, Newsletter Committee Co-Chair

In 2003, her career in Purchasing officially began when she decided to go back to work after her young-est son was born, so that her husband could pursue his music career. She had some exposure to public purchasing and accounting previously during her tenure at the City of Westminster, six years prior. Shannon became a member of RMGPA when she entered the Purchasing field in 2003 and has been a member ever since.

One of Shannon’s most interesting and unusual purchasing projects came about while she was employed with the City of Thornton. She was responsible for the procurement of fish for all of the lakes and ponds within the City. Throughout the process, she quickly learned about the food chain of fish and how to maintain a healthy balance within the chain. This knowledge helped ensure that the City would not be constantly buying a certain variety of fish that was low on the food chain because they were continually consumed by other fish that were higher up. In addition, Shannon also learned all about the physical changes that fish experience during the various seasons of the year (e.g. Fall into Winter). One example she became familiar with is the process of dormancy, when the metabolic and oxygen rates of fish become very low during colder months. If anyone is ever tasked with a similar type of project, Shannon is definitely a very knowledgeable resource.

Born and raised in Colorado, Shannon is proud to be a Colorado Native. Her family continues to reside in Thornton and their children are even attending the same high school that Shannon and her husband attended. Very impressive! Shannon is looking forward to her birthday in June when she will head to “Sin City” for a fun filled getaway. Happy early Birthday Shannon and remember what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! (or perhaps gets published in the RMGPA Newsletter?)

Thank you Shannon for your involvement and contributions to RMGPA! We appreciate all that you do!

Shannon Sprague, CPPB, is the Marketing Co-Chairperson for RMGPA. This position is a great fit for Shannon as she is very passionate about getting our “Next Genera-tion” interested and involved in the Purchasing profession. She also enjoys explor-ing new ways of promoting RMGPA as a valuable professional resource.

Shannon is currently employed with the Denver Water Utility and has been there just over 6 months. She loves working on complex professional service RFPs and is looking forward to applying her experience and expertise to their Contracts and Purchasing Department as they become more centralized.

Colorado Springs, Colorado


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THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN

GOVERNMENTAL PURCHASING ASSOCIATION

Dedicated to Excellence in Public Purchasing

Rocky Mountain

Regional

Chapter of

THE LAST WORDTHE LAST WORDTHE LAST WORD

Visit us on the web at www.rmgpa.org

Winner of NIGP’s Large Chapter of the Year in 2006 and 2009!

Attendees at the RMGPA Past Presidents’ Reception in December 2012, clockwise from upper left: Joe Pucci, Jim O’Neill; Dirk Banks; John Stephens; Jerel Nielsen, Kathryn Rowe (current President); Jill Yellico; Eileen Gonzales; Terri Kindsfather; Danielle Hinz

Printed by permission


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2012 RMGPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STANDING COMMITTEES

POSITION OFFICER E-Mail PHONE

President Kathryn Rowe, CPPB [email protected] (970) 498-5956

Vice President Kristen Spicola [email protected] (719) 584-0201

Secretary Linda Kammerer, CPPB [email protected] (720) 423-3330

Treasurer Diana Cantu [email protected] (303) 702-7715

Past President Jill Yellico, CPPO, CPPB [email protected] (719) 234-1272

COMMITTEE CHAIR E-Mail PHONE

Awards Traci Gorman, CPPB

[email protected] (303) 734-5448

Business Advisory Community

Pete Toth [email protected] (720) 898-7091

Chapter Enhancement

Mary Kirschmer, CPPB

[email protected] (303) 326-1988 x28234

Communications Tim Wellmann, CPPB


Education & Pro-D Karen Herman [email protected] (970) 375-4994

Elections Linda Meserve, CPPB


Historian Vera Kennedy [email protected] (303) 239-5875

Legislative Cindy Lombardi, CPPB


Marketing Farrah Bustamante, CPPB


Membership Molly McLoughlin, [email protected] (720) 561-5132

Newsletter Marcia Sieben, CPPO, CPPB


Programs Skeet McCracken, CPPB



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2012 COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS

COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR NAME E-Mail PHONE

Awards Mary Jablonski, CPPB [email protected] (970) 613-5149

Business Advisory Community

Terri Kindsfather, CPPO, CPPB


Chapter Enhancement

Traci Burtnett, CPPO, CPPB


Communications Jim Walker, CPPB, CCAS


Education & Pro-D

Sherri Gibson, CPPB [email protected] (303) 866-5877

Historian Carol Wills [email protected] (719) 234-1274

Legislative Karen Picariello [email protected] (303) 205-5687

Marketing Shannon Sprague [email protected] (303) 342-2184

Membership Ed Bonnette, C.P.M. —Student Membership


Newsletter Kelly Wooden, CPPB [email protected] (720) 972-4208

Programs Cheryl Dye [email protected] (303) 987-7885

The Rocky Mountain Governmental Purchasing Association€¦ · City of Fort Collins speak about...

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