ANSI ACCREDITATION AND THE LOCAL NCMA CHAPTER

As you may or may not know, NCMA is working to get the Contract Management Standard Publication™ (CMS™) accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

This is a big deal.

ANSI is a nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for various products, services, processes, and systems. ANSI accreditation of the CMS™ as a “standard” will establish it as the consensus standard that provides “rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities” (per ANSI language) related to contract management. With ANSI accreditation, the CMS™ establishes the baseline process expectations that define a properly oriented contract management acumen. The accreditation process that NCMA is currently undergoing provides opportunities for improvement, creates an objective measure for gap analysis between the individual contract manager and expected knowledge base, and sets the CMS™ as a standard by which other allied organizations can measure themselves.

If you’ve never reviewed it, the CMS™ (found at www.ncmahq.org) describes the major process or knowledge areas attributable to good contract (and by extension, supply chain) management. It identifies the key areas of activity, job tasks, and their relationships to one another. If you have never looked at the CMS™, it is well worth your time to become more familiar with it. The CMS™ is the basis for the more detailed Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK). The CMBOK reflects the detailed expectations for each process step established in the CMS™. All these documents work together to enhance individual competence and organizational capability to move toward a best-in-class contract management organization.

How does this impact the local NCMA chapter or member? As the CMS™ becomes the ANSI accredited standard for contract management, local chapters will want to orient their training to be in conformance with that standard. This is an important change, in my opinion. Having served as the Vice President of Programs for the Dallas Chapter, I know how difficult it can be to find good training topics. In the past, my fellow chapter leaders and I were on our own to find relevant training topics and presenters. Some trainers and training were better than others. But we never had a coherent theme by which to organize or inform our chapter training goals. With the establishment of an accredited CMS™, I would encourage chapter officers to consider orienting their training themes to be in conformance to the CMS™, even to the point of identifying the specific CMS™ elements tied to each training session. As an example, a chapter might state in its advertisement for upcoming training, “Jane Smith will be presenting on Contract Closure (CMS™ 4.2).” In this way, the training being developed ties directly to an element in the CMS™.

Almost the entirety of my experience in NCMA has been at the local chapter level in Dallas. It’s at the chapter level that I’ve learned more about what NCMA has to offer. It’s at the chapter level that I’ve developed a network of colleagues across businesses and industries that I can call upon when needed. And it’s at the chapter level that I’ve learned contract management and leadership skills from thought leaders in the area. I firmly believe that your local chapter, supported by the NCMA headquarters, informed by an ANSIaccredited CMS™, and guided by thoughtful local leadership, have the unique opportunity of developing the next generation of great contracts and supply chain managers!

06-2019

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER BUT DON'T MISS OUT IN THE FALL!

DON’T MISS OUT: OPPORTUNITIES WITH NCMA

NCMA chapters across the country are winding down their programs for this year.  Summertime is here and as they say, "...the livin' is easy...". Board members are busy with fun summer events: picnics, camping, relaxing, and preparing for the upcoming program year starting in September. Old board members are transitioning off. New board members are being put into place. All boards have already starting preparing for the upcoming program year. To give you an idea of the types of topics covered by NCMA chapters, listed below are a sampling of what chapters across the country have presented this year (so far):

NCMA South Bay (Los Angeles, CA):

• June: “Acquisition Innovation” by Lieutenant General John F. Thompson, USAF, Commander,

• May: “How to Do Price Cost Analysis on Contractors' Proposal & Justification" by Dr. Thomas P. Mahoney, Professor of Contract Management

• April: "DCMA Leadership Perspectives" by VADM David H. Lewis, USN, Director, DCMA,

• March: “The 21st Century Contracts & SCM Manager" by MR. KARL C. BIRD, MBA, JD, CPCM, Acquisition Division Manager, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MR. KURT M. KUTYLA, MBA, XLS, Vice President, Contracts, Raytheon Company, Space and Airborne Systems - SAS; and MS. MARIE SMITH, MS, Contracts Director, Civil and Commercial New Business, Aerospace Corporation,

• January: “Agile Contract Operations for the 21st Century" by LTG (Ret) Larry D. James, Deputy Director, Chief Operating Officer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NCMA North Texas (Dallas, TX):

• June: “Government Acquisition: A DCMA Perspective” by Col. Lamont Hall, DCMA Central Command,

• May: “NCMA Unplugged” by Raj Daniels

• April: “The FAR As Your Friend” by Mr. Ron Blocker,

• March: NCMA North Texas Networking HotSpot,

• February: “Buy American Act+” by Mr. Hal Perloff with Husch Blackwell,

• January: “Twenty-First Century Contracts Manager” by Mr. David Wilkins

NCMA Tysons Corner (McLean, VA)

• June: “Hot Topic Informational And Educational Seminar” by Alan Chvotkin

• March: “Women In Leadership Seminar” by Deb Alderson and Major General Linda Singh

• February: “CPA Talk about DCAA, DCMA, CAS, and More” by David S. Black and Mike LaCorte

• January: “The Importance of Communication in Today's World of Government Contracting” by Donna Pearring

The above chapters and meeting topics are presented to give you an idea of the breadth and depth of topics covered at NCMA Chapter meetings across the country.  New boards are right now strategizing and working to prepare for the new program year which will start about September. 

So get involved! Reach out to the board and volunteer for a committee chair or special assignment.  Offer assistance to the degree you can. At least plan to attend a few of the monthly meetings starting in the fall. 

You will be amazed and surprised by the benefits you will receive by participating in the life of your local NCMA chapter. If you are not sure of where your local chapter is, click here for more information. Each of the above chapters, and the 73 other chapters around the country, have worked to come up with great material and topics that can help enrich your professional life.  These local chapters offer training, leadership, learning, and networking opportunities. All you have to do is invest a few hours of your month and participate! As we say at NCMA North Texas, participating with your local chapter will “Accelerate Your Career!”.  

See YOU at the next NCMA chapter meeting!

Letter to a Future NCMA North Texas Board Member or Committee Chair

“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.”

— Elizabeth Andrew

Dear Future NCMA North Texas Board Member or Committee Chair,

Thank you for joining the NCMA North Texas Board of Directors or becoming a Committee Chair in April 2018!  The chapter cannot function without people like you! It is people, just like you, with different backgrounds and experiences that provide the critical intellectual capital and strategic resources needed to power the NCMA North Texas chapter into the future!

Remember when you were considering being on the board back in February 2018? Do you remember we met for coffee to talk about it in advance? Though you were nervous, I answered most of your questions. Yep. I know. Even so, you were hesitant right? How much time will it demand? What are the benefits? Won’t someone else sign up to do it?

But after all the hesitancy, weighing the pros and cons, you did sign up.  You volunteered. I’m so glad that you did not let minor concerns keep you from taking a fulfilling role in the life of the NCMA North Texas Chapter in 2018-2019! 

Yes, I know you agree it does take a little time each month, about 4-6 hours (between board meetings, planning events, executing the events, etc.). But you will agree it is not as much as you initially thought.  And as they say, “…many hands makes the work lighter…” right?  Being part of a board means that you are not doing all the work yourself.  You have learned to take care of your responsibilities, delegate work, and hold the other members of the board accountable for their efforts, making the organization run better and the effort lighter.

But aren’t you surprised at the benefits! You discovered the little secret from serving on the NCMA North Texas board that you never expected:  serving is a powerful way to hone your own skills and expertise! To your surprise, you’ve increased your professional network ten-fold! You’ve developed friendships with members of the board and committee chairs. And though you had no plan for it, you’re finding these relationships might help you advance your own career.  You’ve learned how to read a financial report and understand chapter finances better (which are the life blood of the chapter). Also, you’ve also been exposed to thought leaders in the industry and, again, to your surprise, you’ve learned some new things!  Oh, and the discount on attending the monthly dinner, because you are a board member or committee chair, now that IS a nice little perk!

Anyway, thanks for stepping up and becoming a member of the Board or Committee Chair by clicking on the board recruitment page on the NCMA North Texas website and filling out the on-line application. Do you remember, it only took 2 minutes to complete? And it was so effortless!

It is because of people like you, in the future, that the NCMA North Texas Chapter will continue strong for another year!

Best regards, call me at 469-630-1050 if you have any questions, and thanks again for taking that first step to becoming a NCMA NORTH TEXAS Board Member or Committee Chair,

Daniel B. Forbes                                                                                                                             President                                                                                                                                       NCMA North Texas '17-'18

“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”

— Unknown

Happy New YOU 2018!

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs of the NCMA North Texas, please let us be one of the first to wish you "Happy New You" for 2018!  Wait, you say, don't you mean "Happy New Year" for 2018?  No.  We meant what we said. We want to help to make 2018 the year you start again to Accelerate Your Career.  Our passion, the thing that drives everything we do, is to offer you, the North Texas Contracts and Supply  Chain managers, opportunities to Accelerate Your Career, in whatever way that is important to you.  Do you want to make a job change this year? Do you want to get certified by NCMA in one of their several certifications this year? Do you want to expand your network of professional colleagues and friends? Do you want to learn something new to help you be better in your current role? Do you want to be a mentor? Do you want to find a mentor? 

In whatever capacity you want to Accelerate Your Career, we are here to help.  Growing careers in acquisition, and maturing the North Texas acquisition workforce, is what we are striving for.

So, again, I personally offer you "Happy New You" for 2018.  Let us be a part of your career growth. I can't wait to see the remarkable things you are going to accomplish this year!

If we can be of any assistance, of if there something we could be doing better, simply drop us a line at info@ncmadallas.org or call us at 469-630-1050.

See you soon at one of our upcoming meetings! 

We've Come A Long Way So FAR!

View fullsize

(Left to Right, Front to Back)

Shannon Bailey, Karl Weis, Harald Mallwitz, Chuck Maggio, Brandon Harris, Ruby Wilson, Daniel Forbes, & Paul Harris

NCMA North Texas has wrapped up the first half of this program year, and what a year it was! Let’s take a minute and look over our shoulders at what we accomplished this year…

TIMES 10 CELLARS

In September, we hosted a kick-off networking event at the Times 10 Cellars in the Lakewood area Dallas.  This was a well-attended event and received positive feedback from the members that they enjoyed these kinds of relaxed, networking events and nice venues across the city.  At this event members got to know each other a bit better and hear about the exciting year we have planned.  We also passed out a couple of door prizes. Friends, colleagues, free stuff, and wine…it does not get much better than that!

Dr. Leanne Young

In October, we hosted Dr. Leanne Young, from the UTD Brain Health Center, who taught us about the current findings and research on brain health.  We learned some techniques to keep focused on the tasks we are working on, the dangers of too much stress on the brain, and better coping mechanisms when we have too much going on at the same time.  I can relate to that.  As president of the chapter, it is an ongoing series of issues to contend with: which program will we present next, where will it be, how many will come, etc., etc., etc.

Mr. Bill Abston

In November, we hosted Mr. Bill Abston, with Mustang Technologies, who spoke on nuances of the Truthful Cost and Pricing Act (also known by its more sinister name, the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA)).  Bill came to us with deep experience dealing with all kinds of TINA related issues from his long career in aerospace / defense.  I believe all who were in attendance received benefit from his experience.  We continued our practice of giving awesome door prizes including NCMA NTX branded mugs and an NCMA FAR Clause reference book (something everyone should have who is in the field!).

MESSINA HOFF WINERY

In December, we hosted our second “HotSpot” Holiday networking event at the Messina Hoff Winery in Grapevine, TX.  We co-hosted this event with NCMA Ft. Worth.  It was a wonderful time and a great chance for contracts and subcontracts managers across north Texas to mix, mingle and kick in the holidays.  We participated in the Toys-for-Tots campaign and collected over 30+ toys valued at $400! Some kids across north Texas will be happy Christmas day by getting some new toys from NCMA!  We also had our sponsor, John Loving, of KLCC consulting speak as well.

NCMA North Texas exists to help contracts and supply chain mangers in north Texas “Accelerate Their Careers”. It is our mission, our passion, to provide you, are members, with training, mentoring, internships, and networking opportunities that help YOU grow and advance YOUR careers, in whatever capacity YOU think best!

So, stay tuned, watch your emails, check our website, and follow our tweets, and messages on Facebook. The second half of this program year is going to be even better!

But for now, go relax, and enjoy time with family and friends! 

From the Board of Directors and Committee Chairs of NCMA North Texas, we wish you and yours a Happy and Joy Filled holiday Season and Wonderful New Year!

MY WHAT A YEAR WE HAD IN 2016-2017!

In the 2016 - 2017 Program Year, NCMA North Texas Chapter Leadership (Chapter Leadership) focused on a strategy for recruiting volunteers, diversifying content, increasing member involvement in chapter life, and adding value for members. The Chapter Leadership focused on several initiatives for the year to accomplish this strategy:

1. Increasing attendance at the monthly meetings by providing compelling content and lowering costs;

2. Increasing sponsorship funding of events to defray costs and increase corporate participation;

3. Increasing networking opportunities for our members; and

4. Increasing communications and services to members

INCREASING ATTENDANCE EFFORTS

The first priority of chapter leadership this year has been to increase attendance at the monthly meetings by doing two things:  1) Providing interesting content, and  2) Working to defray participant costs (via corporate sponsorships). Examples of interesting content provided this past program year include:

• Jim Hogan, University of Texas at Dallas, speaking on Contract Management Best Practices,

• A panel discussion with Bobby Smith (Raytheon), Chuck Maggio (L3 Technologies), Sandy Schwan (Evolving Strategies, LLC), and Greg Novalen (Raytheon), speaking on Contract Change Management,

• Rick Walters (Expressworks Int’l), speaking on Lean/Agile as it pertains to contract management,

• Sgt. Rodriguez and Officer Roddy (City of McKinney Police Department), speaking on tactics of SWAT negotiators in stressful situations,

• Nydia Rosado (L3 Technologies), speaking negotiations preparations, and

• Michele Stoudt-Wright (Airbus/Eurocopter), speaking on FAR Part 12 commercial item sales in the Federal domain space

INCREASING SPONSORSHIP FUNDING EFFORTS

Chapter leadership firmly believes that corporate sponsorship of monthly events provides two key benefits: 1) To lower the cost of participation of the members, and  2) To increase corporate participation in the life of the chapter. Chapter leadership took tentative steps towards increasing support of the chapter by asking for, and receiving, several sponsorships.

Examples of sponsorship funding and its impact include:

• The chapter received sponsorships this past program year from Raytheon Company, Space and Airborne Systems, Contracts Management and Supply Chain Management Departments. These sponsorships allowed up to eight (8) members of each department to attend each meeting at no cost. This effort resulted in an uptick in participation from Raytheon chapter members, over the course of the year, as a result of this initiative.

• The chapter also received a sponsorship from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), which allowed the March 2017 networking event to be free of charge to all who attended. This also gave DART leadership an opportunity to meet local members and to present information about the advantages of working at DART.

INCREASING NETWORKING EFFORTS

Beyond the normal networking that occurs at the more traditional dinner meetings, this past year, chapter leadership implemented three (3) networking events, called "Hotspots". The intent of these events was to provide a casual, relaxed opportunity for chapter members to meet and get to know each other better. These “Hotspots” were strategically positioned around the city to enable members, who might not otherwise attend a traditional dinner meeting, to attend the "Hotspot". The venues were specifically chosen to appeal to a broad range of ages and interests. The three networking events consisted of:

• The program-year kick-off, which was held in September at the Times 10 Cellars in Dallas. It was well-attended and provided chapter leadership with the opportunity to present our upcoming program-year to a large number of members.

• A holiday event in December, which was jointly sponsored by NCMA North Texas and NCMA Ft. Worth in Grapevine, TX. This joint networking event allowed members from both chapters to meet and network with each other at Messina Hoff Winery and participate in the Toys-for-Tots Charity.

• A final networking event was held in March at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson, TX. This event was sponsored by DART and was well attended.

INCREASING COMMUNICATIONS AND SERVICES EFFORTS

Chapter Leadership continues to improve communications with membership regarding upcoming events and meetings. This is possible because of the chapter’s intentional use and growth of our Internet and social media infrastructure. We are using available analytics from our email tool (MailChimp) and website (www.ncmadallas.org) to better understand member behavior and usage to position the chapter for growth. We are using Geographic Information System (GIS) to better understand the distribution of our membership across the city to better position “Hotspots”.  We are using the Google Environment, such as Google Drive, for the chapter data repository and Google Voice to provide automated phone capability. Lastly, we have integrated our email, website, Twitter, and Facebook accounts so that a common and consistent message is being provided to our members every month. Our task in the coming year is to document how these tools work together to ensure future chapter IT volunteers can easily navigate in this space.  

In an effort to increase member volunteer rates on the NCMA North Texas board, Chapter Leadership announced upcoming board and committee chair positions early in the new year, via a planned email and communication campaign. At each meeting, and via internet and social media presence, Chapter Leadership worked to generate interest in volunteering. As a result of the volunteer marketing campaign, the chapter was able to fill all board positions, and have five (5) committee chairs set, by the reporting deadline for the new program year!

Chapter Leadership continued to pursue the establishment of an Executive Advisory Board. The goal is to have an executive advisory board, made up of Directors, and Top Executives, from various industries, as well as, State, and Federal Government. This Executive Advisory Board is intended to act in an advisory capacity to the North Texas Chapter NCMA Board in the area of increasing membership, Corporate Sponsorships, Leadership and other areas. The communications and engagement for this initiative is very positive. For the first time the chapter has a chair on the Executive Advisory Committee.

Chapter Leadership has worked to increase our reach into local Colleges and Universities. We have a College Outreach Chair who is actively working to make inroads into the local colleges. To encourage students to participate in chapter life, the board voted to decrease the cost of student involvement in the monthly meetings to $10, with the chapter picking up any remaining cost. Members of the board have made a presentation to Southern Methodist University (SMU) law school on the subject of who NCMA is and what it can do for them.

Chapter Leadership has also initiated a mentoring program for college aged and young professionals. The College outreach chair is also heading up this activity in partnership with the VP-Membership. In this capacity, the board is working to be a "match maker" between interested students, or young professionals, and seasoned professionals who want to be mentors. At the end of this program year, we have five (5) pairs of mentors-mentees set up. In ongoing support, the VP-Membership and the College Chair will contact each pair quarterly to determine how the mentoring relationship is working and what can be done to improve it.

The NCMA North Texas chapter has a broadly diverse membership spread across a wide geographic area. Chapter Leadership this past year has been intentional at locating general meetings in a relatively central location (in the city) and providing interesting content. Additionally, the board has worked to move networking events around the city to be near where membership clusters are located. The board has worked to reach out to younger professionals via the networking events and mentoring programs. And we've worked to defray costs by increasing corporate sponsorships when available. The chapter is in a rebuilding period, it is re-establishing its brand, and is working diligently to be of value to its members and sponsoring organizations. The work continues into the new program year with a solid board and committee chairs!

OUR STRATEGIC PLAN 2017-2018

NCMA NORTH TEXAS

STRATEGIC PLAN

PROGRAM YEAR 2017-2018

This Strategic Plan (SP) addresses the chapter’s Vision, Mission, Goals and Values as of this program year. The SP is subject to updates and revisions as the chapter leadership deem necessary to keep the SP relevant and applicable.

I. Our Vision for the Chapter

Our vision is to be viewed by Dallas academic, private, and public organizations and companies as the local leader in contract and supply chain career development in the Dallas area. We will impact our community by providing, and being,   an important resource for education, mentoring, certification, learning, and professional development. We will be an organization that provides value for its members and creates a “compelling reason” to want to participate in chapter life. And we will be a resource to members who are working to improve their knowledge of contract and supply chain management.

II. Our Mission for the Chapter

The mission of NCMA North Texas Chapter is to create “Accelerate Your Career” opportunities for Contracts and Supply Chain professionals in the Dallas area.  This career growth mindset facilitates an environment that meets the needs of its members. We will provide resources, learning opportunities, networking events, leadership, mentoring, and other growth opportunities that aid in career development and advancement.

III. Our Chapter Goals for the Chapter

NCMA North Texas has developed near-term and mid-term goals to create value for our members.

Near-Term Goals (1-2 Years)

• Implement “NCMA Unplugged” at each dinner meeting where members can pose questions to the audience in attendance to solve real problems;
• Develop relationships with between NCMA NTX and 2 local colleges or universities;
• Increase monthly participation in chapter meetings & events by 50%from current levels (avg. 45 per meeting);
• Increase the percentage of college and young professionals who regularly attend by 25% from current levels;
• Conduct at least 8 meetings or events in each program year;
• Ensure dinner meetings have a consistent theme running thru all the presentations provided;
• Ensure networking events are appealing, competitively priced, at venues that are near members;
• Conduct at two (2) CFCM / CPCM certification study groups in geographically distributed locations in Dallas;
• Ensure that a full slate of officer candidates is in place by April of each year;
• Ensure full integration of all IT infrastructure and develop a robust OJT process to hand down knowledge on how to maintain systems from board-to-board;
• Receive at least $6,000 per program year in sponsorship donations from corporations to support chapter activities; and
• Partner with NCMA chapters, or allied organizations, in Dallas and adjoining states twice a year

Mid-Term Goals (3-5 Year

• Double monthly participation in chapter meetings & events to at least 60 persons per meeting or event;
• Increase the percentage of college and young professionals who regularly attend by 50% from current levels, to develop the next generation of contracts / subcontracts professionals; 
• Develop deep partnerships with at least 5 local colleges or universities;
• Develop an Executive Advisory Board of executives in diverse businesses, government, and academia to provide advice and counsel to the Board of Directors;
• Conduct at least 8 meetings or events in each program year, and 1 major seminar (i.e., NES) per year;
• Continue and grow dinner meetings and networking events that are appealing, competitively priced, at venues that are near members;
• Conduct more than two (2) CFCM / CPCM certification study groups in geographically distributed locations in Dallas;
• Ensure that a full slate of officer candidates, and at least 5 committee chairs, is in place by April of each year;
• Deepen integration of all IT infrastructure, developing live streaming and video-on-demand content, and developing a robust OJT process to hand down IT knowledge on how to maintain systems from board-to-board; and
• Receive at least $20,000 per program-year in sponsorship donations from corporations to support chapter activities, subsidize event pricing, provide 5 CFCM/CPCM test fee sponsorships, and 1 $1,000 scholarship to a chapter member who is accepted into the CMLDP program.

NCMA North Texas will accomplish this Vision, Mission, and Goals, in helping members to “Accelerate Your Career” by:

• Being professional, enthusiastic, and fun;
• Being mindful of the resources we have will be used responsibly to further our goals;
• Being above reproach and following the NCMA Code of Ethics,
• Being open to new ideas and ways of doing things and challenging old assumptions, 
• Being welcoming to all people who want to partner with us, regardless of professional background or experience;
• Being the go-to volunteer leadership-development opportunity for members in contracts and supply chain; and
• Being an organization that members and leadership can be proud of.

DISPATCH FROM THE 2017 NCMA WORLD CONGRESS

DISPATCH FROM THE 2017 NCMA WORLD CONGRESS

CHICAGO, IL

(L-to-R) Corey Crawford, John Kredeweis, Daniel Forbes, and Chuck Maggio

“Life is like an ever-shifting kaleidoscope - a slight change, and all patterns alter.”

— Sharon Salzber

NCMA World Congress is like a kaleidoscope. Do you remember those from your youth? Usually you find them in the toy store, in the back, where the less exciting toys are located.  The toys with no batteries or electronic gizmos.  It’s there you pick up a tube, rattle it to hear something lose inside, then, putting the end to your eye, you point it at a light. And an amazing thing happens, random, broken pieces of glass, and mirrors create exquisite colors and patterns. And best part is, as you turn the tube, those colors and prisms, and patterns change.

NCMA World Congress is the same way. 2000 people attended this year’s WC and 2000 people saw different patterns, colors, and experiences. Same event – completely different and unique experience. Let me share a little of my kaleidoscope experience called NCMA World Congress.

“Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.”

— Dale Carnegie

There were several notable key note speakers at the WC that lasted from Monday to Wednesday noon. The first speaker of note was Ms. Omer Kahn, a professor of operations and supply chain management from Aalborg University, Copenhagen.  She discussed issues related to transformation (of economy and personal growth). She emphasized that, “…we’re in a radical state of uncertainty – a single key supplier can take out an entire supply chain.” She discussed how it is important how we view, and take action on, these new challenges that exist today and see them as opportunities for growth, not something to hide away from, or try to mitigate out.

The other keynote speaker who picked my interest on Wednesday morning was Mr. Jason Schenker, President of Prestige Economics.  Mr. Schenker bills himself as financial market futurist. Basically, he takes current trends, extrapolates them, and attempts to figure out in advance the impact on the economy (and how to profit from said trends).  His key theme was robopolypse or robotopia? The trends appear to be moving in both directions. But a key takeaway is, if current trends continue, 20% of jobs done by humans will be outsourced to automation by 2020. This will cause serious disruptions in the employment economy.  Business operate via incentives and penalties.  Public officials can help direct these trends by finding the right balance of incentives and penalties to mitigate the disruption that automation and robotics will cause.

“If the highest aim of a captain were to preserve his ship, he would keep it in port forever.”

— Thomas Aquinas

One definitition of leadership is, “…as an art that is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.” There were several showcases of positive leadership examples on display at the WC this year!

First were the individuals who received Fellows Awards. These awards were given to nine people who have made significant contributions to the field of contracting and to NCMA. The Fellows Award is the second highest award given by the Association. The first NCMA Fellows Award was given in 1967. Although the specific criteria have evolved over time, the broad categories of service required for selection as an NCMA Fellow have remained the same: continuous support in a leadership role for NCMA, participation as a member of the Council of Fellows and as an active member of thelocal chapter, contributes to efforts to enhance and expand the professional acceptance of NCMAmembership and certification, and mentors new NCMA leaders.  The Fellows Award is a worth aspiration. If you think you have what it takes to be an NCMA Fellow, click here for more information!

Another example of leadership was the graduation of the Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) class of 2017.  These 20 individuals committed a full year of time and effort to honing their skillsin contract management.  They traveled to offsite meetings, worked on academic projects together (as one example one team developed an IT tool kit to help chapters better communicate with their members), took courses, and wrote papers on various topics related to contract and subcontract management.  The CMLDP program is designed to develop the next generation of NCMA and acquisition leaders.  If you are new to the contract or subcontract management field, and are ready to grow your leadership and acquisition skill-set, this is an outstanding program to apply for. For more information about the CMLDP program, click here.

One last example of leadership was the Leadership Master Class which was held on the Sunday prior to the official beginning of the WC.  This was a daylong program designed to give NCMA chapter leadership ideas and recommendations on how to improve their respective chapters.  Over 50 chapter leaders from across the country gave up their time on a Sunday to hear discussions related to emotional intelligence and how it can facilitate chapter growth. The program was organized around the leadership competencies discuss in the 5th edition of the Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK).  Attendees worked thru real-world situations and case studies.  And it was all in an effort to give chapter leaders new tools and ideas to better serve their members back at home.

““Final thoughts are so, you know, final. Let’s call them closing words.””

— Craig Armstrong

The WC was held at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Il. If you have not been there, it is a nice place with lots of activity. The venue for the event worked well with a large ballroom for the key note speakers and a ton of breakout rooms for individual, separate training sessions.

Speaking of training sessions, I attended several but the one that most caught my attention is the Section 809 Panel. The purposes of the Section 809 panel, headed up by Deidre Lee, is, “…tasked with finding ways to streamline and improve defense acquisition.” This session was well attended (to the point people were standing in the doorways). Their motto is “Go Bold” and recommend to Congress serious reforms to defense acquisition.  Some of their tasks are:

Review the acquisition regulations applicable to the Department of Defense with a view toward streamlining and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the defense acquisition process and maintaining defense technology advantage.

• Establish and administer appropriate buyer and seller relationships in the procurement system.
• Improve the functioning of the acquisition system.
• Ensure the continuing financial and ethical integrity of defense procurement programs.
• Protect the best interests of the Department of Defense.
• Eliminate any regulations that are unnecessary for the purposes described.

If you have any ideas on how to improve defense acquisition, I highly recommend you forward them to the panel. You just never know where a good idea might get implemented!

If you are able, you should plan to attend NCMA World Congress 2018 in Cleveland and make time to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! It will be well worth your while!

WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS!

The success of your NCMA NORTH TEXAS Chapter would not have happened had it not been for the behind-the-scenes work of your Board of Directors (BoD) and Committee Chairs this past year. We owe them a great big Texas THANK YOU for all their work and labor to make the year such a success. If you happened to see any of them, please pat them on the back or shake their hand and thank them for their efforts.

Your board for 2016-2017 was:

• VP-Programs - Maryori Venero Ugarte
• VP-Membership - Chuck Maggio
• VP-Finance, Front End - Shannon Bailey
• VP-Finance, Back End - Corey Crawford
• VP-Secretary, Alex Thomas
• College Outreach and Mentoring Chair - Harald Mallwitz
• Programs Chair - Brenda Patton
• Photographer Chair - Mike Cooks

Thank You to You'all for working so diligently last year!

THANKS FOR A GREAT 2016-2017 PROGRAM YEAR!

So the NCMA NORTH TEXAS Chapter program year has concluded.

And what a year it was!

We had great speakers and networking events this past year. Some of the subjects we covered in the past year include: Contract Best Practices, Preparing for Negotiations, Life of a SWAT Negotiator, Commercial Procurement with DoD, and Lean/Agile Contract Management.

Your NCMA North Texas Chapter also hosed 4 networking events. These networking events are provided to give you the opportunity to network with contracts and subcontracts professionals in the Dallas area. The best networking event was the one we co-hosted with NCMA Fort Worth Chapter. It was great meeting with them in Grapevine during the holidays!

Also this past year, your NCMA NORTH TEXAS Chapter initiated a Mentoring Program. To date, we've paired up 5 mentees with mentors. Our hope is that this facilitates two way dialogue between younger and more seasoned professionals and helps both grow in their careers.

Everything we do, all the plans we make, each meeting we hold, each program we start, is all for one purpose...that's to help you Accelerate Your Career in whatever way we can! if you have ideas on how we can be more successful...if there are topics you'd like to hear more about...if there are speakers you'd like to see...if there are other events you'd like us to sponsor...if there are study groups you'd like to see...please let us know!

If you'd like to see changes, or have suggestions, you can:

• Email us at info@ncmadallas.org
• Call us at 469-630-1050
• Fill out the Survey on our Homepage
• Or schedule one of the board members to meet you at a Starbucks to talk face-to-face.

We've started planning for a great 2017-2018 program year. Stay tuned..hang on ... watch your email...check our website...follow us on Twitter...and friend us on Facebook. Big things are coming! See you soon!

Daniel Forbes, President, NCMA North Texas Chapter