December 2016

I was happy to see and

talk to many chapter

members at the

Presidents Reception

and Bingo on

Wednesday night. It

was wonderful to hear

stories from chapter

members about their

"Procurement Super

Hero’s". As stories were told about

mentors, managers, co-workers and other

procurement colleagues, members often

said that they had more than one

Procurement Super Hero and wanted to

acknowledge all of them!

All of the speakers at conference were

exceptional. Each one of them shared their

knowledge along with a wide array of

statistics, stories, humor and

emotion! Many, many thanks to Michael

Kolodisner, Michael Mathews, Toby

Giddings, Larissa Newman, Jennifer Boman

-Steagall, Brian Smith, Ed Flick and Jules

DeGiulio for speaking at the conference.

I believe everyone in attendance left the

conference with new tools for their

procurement tool box and "Strategies for

Success".

What a great event!

Gail L. Carter, OPPA President 2016-2017

2016 OPPA Fall Conference in Seaside was Phenomenal!

What’s Inside...

2016 Reverse Vendor Trade Show Page 2

The Percent for Art Program Page 3

2016 Fall Conference Photos Page 5

Bruce Lee Wants You Page 7

OPPA Scholarships Page8

Save the Date Page 9

2017 Diversity Essay Contest Page 10

Volume 8, Issue 1

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The 11th annual Joint Chapter RVTS was held on October 19th, 2016 at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport Columbia Conference Center, and by most accounts, it was one of the best events yet. Well over 350 suppliers came and met with representa-tives from over 40 public agencies from across the State and SW Washington. This year’s event raised approximately $35,000 after expenses, earmarked for member scholarships for both OPPA and Columbia Chapters- and that means more than $17,000 for each Chapter, an impressive number indeed! A record number of supplier sponsorships contributed to that increase, which I believe was the most ever shared by the two Chapters.

If you attended the event, you know that there was lively in-teraction between suppliers and the agencies, and although the quarters were a bit tight, the venue was largely well re-ceived. Survey responses cited the ample parking and easy access from the freeway, but felt the space was a bit crowded and the sound level was higher than it should have been.

The RVTS Steering Committee works extremely hard to stage this event each year, and the value they provide to the Chap-ter’s is tremendous. However, we can always improve and we could use your help to make next year’s event even better.

The jury is out on where the next RVTS will be held. One thought was that member agencies may have a venue large enough to hold the event, perhaps a large gymnasium, fair ground, or other facility with enough space to hold several hundred moving bodies at a time. Do you have such a facility? If so, please let us know. In the past the thought was the event would cycle back and forth from Salem to Portland, but the Salem Conference Center, while quite nice and an attrac-tive size, is expensive and therefore reduces the net proceeds.

Also, some suppliers lament the lack of agencies from down state and wonder why the event cannot be held more central-ly in the state, perhaps Albany, or even Eugene. Others feel it should always be in the Portland area. Still others love the Salem location, and have requested the event return there. Believe me; it is hard to make everyone happy!

Of course another issue that surfaces regularly is that many agency members are simply not represented at the event. How can the RVTS Committee increase the participation of agencies that don’t regularly attend? Why does your agency NOT attend? We need answers!

For those of you who do attend, do you bring along technical experts from your agency? IT, facilities, engineering, public works, and others should be sharing your table, not just pro-curement professionals. It makes a world of difference to the

suppliers if they can speak to end users, not just the procure-ment folks. Please, bring them with you, we’ll feed them too!

Finally, many of the Steering Committee members have been volunteering on this event for many years. For instance, I have been a Committee member since the first RVTS held in Oregon in 2006. I will be bowing out this year, and several other Steering Committee members will be looking to find replacements as well. If you have any interest at all in making next year’s event the best ever, we want to hear from you. There will be several Steering Committee seats available, as well as spots on many of the numerous committees that are required to make the RVTS happen.

I have asked several questions in this brief article, and I hope you will take a moment to consider them and respond. If you will, please respond to the Committee through the following two email addresses within the next few days: plthom-as@psu.edu, and julia.denton@cityofvancouver.us. Planning for next year’s 12th annual RVTS is already underway. Of vital importance would be any information on a possible venue (9,000 sq. ft. room minimum).

I will tell you through my own personal experience that work-ing on the Steering Committee for this event is extremely re-warding, interesting, and fun. It is also challenging and re-quires commitment. Everyone with whom I have served on the Steering Committees these past eleven years have been wonderful to work with, and I applaud all of their hard work and perseverance. Why don’t you join us?

2016 Reverse Vendor Trade Show, “Best Ever”?

By: Craig Johnsen, RVTS Steering Committee (Port of Portland)

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“Art has enabled people of all societies better to understand their community and individual lives.

~ORS 276.075

The Oregon Legislature recognized the responsibility of the state to foster culture and the arts and its interest in the develop-ment of artists and craftsmen. Further, they recognized that the visual arts contribute to and provide experiences which are con-ducive to the enrichment and betterment of the social and physical environment.

In 1975 the Legislative Assembly declared that it would be public policy to expend a portion of expenditures for capital purposes for the acquisition of works of art to be displayed in state buildings. They determined that one percent of moneys for construc-tion or alteration of state buildings would be used for acquisition of art works. Construction and alteration does not include pro-jects with an estimated cost of less than $100,000. This became known as Oregon’s Percent for Art legislation.

The Oregon Arts Commission coordinates the Percent for Art Program. All Oregon State agencies must notify the Commission if their construction project meets the requirements of the Percent for Art Program. The Commission staff will meet with the con-tracting agency to plan the art selection process.

Each project will have its own selection committee and will consist of up to nine members, as designated by the Oregon Arts Commission. They will be:

Project Architect;

Director of the Oregon Arts Commission or designee;

Up to three visual artists or other design professionals appointed by the Oregon Arts Commission after consultation with the resident agency. The Commission will strive to appoint members with varied perspectives, including multicultural repre-sentation.

Director of the contracting agency or designee. This is usually the construction project manager.

Chair of the Capitol Planning Advisory Board, or designee, if the project is in Marion or Polk County areas;

Up to one representative of each resident agency;

Such other people who qualify and are approved by the Designated Agency(s).

Up to 5 non-voting advisors may be appointed by the contracting agency and resident agency of the facility to serve on the screening committee, and may include students, museum director, curator, educator, art historian, collector, concerned mem-bers of the community, or other qualified individuals, such as procurement analysts.

The art pieces can be existing pieces purchased from an artist or a gallery, or artists may be asked to respond to a Request for Proposals. The RFP can be limited to specific artists, or it can be “open” where a broad call for proposals is issued and interested artists propose ideas.

The impact of the One Percent Program has been great. Over 160 state construction projects have qualified. There are now over 2,500 pieces in Oregon’s state art collection, including drawings, paintings, mixed media, photograph, sculpture, ceramics, glass, mosaics, murals, textiles, and both site specific and structurally integrated art installations. Over 1,000 artists have been involved and have earned over $6 million throughout the program’s history.

I recently interviewed Shirley Smith, CPPB, OPBC, from DAS Procurement Services. Shirley has a certificate of Mastery in Design-Build and certification as an Associate Design-Build Professional (Assoc. DBIA) from the Design-Build Institute of America. Shirley currently works on the Construction & Facilities Sourcing Team at DAS, but prior to this assignment, Shirley worked at the Oregon Military Department (OMD). It was at OMD where Shirley served as a non-voting member of four selection committees for the Percent for Art Program.

(Continued on the next page.)

The Percent for Art Program

By: Debbie Janke, CPPB, OPBC

4

The Percent for Art Program (Continued)

By: Debbie Janke, CPPB, OPBC

Here are some of the questions I asked Shirley about this program:

Q1. When you participated as a member of the selection committee, what was your role?

A1. I was a representative for my Agency, a non-voting member.

Q2. What role does DAS Procurement Services play in the selection process for the art works? Is there a procurement analyst on every Selection Committee?

A2. Agencies have the authority to do the One Percent Art contracts themselves. DAS PS would not be involved unless the Agency requests DAS PS to work with the Oregon Art Commission on their behalf. I highly recommend that a procurement person participate in the Selection Committee and typically they are a non-voting member. Agency may request several folks to be a part of the committee but at a minimum the project manager should be a voting member to ensure the Agency’s best interests are met. Currently Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) has requested me to do a One Percent Art project on their behalf. I have already contacted Megan to start the process.

Q3. What is the procurement process?

A3. The One Percent for Art Program, managed by Megan Atiyeh, does the solicitation, working with the Agency. Then the Agency processes the Award of Contract or Purchase Order (PO), working with Megan throughout the process. Award could be one or several methods. I have awarded one contract for a project, one PO, and a combination of contract and PO’s for a project. Agencies work with Megan to determine what is in the best interest for the agency.

Q4. Can you describe how the Selection Committee considers the cultural diversity of the works of art?

A4. Typically, the Committee looks at the location and environment of the project. Projects in eastern Oregon will have different cultural and diversity influences than a project located in Portland.

Q5. How does this process assist in the development of artists and craftsmen? Can you give an example?

A5. I can recall a project in eastern Oregon I worked on with Megan Atiyeh. The project was big enough to allow a contract and two purchase orders for art projects. The solicitation allowed for multiple awards so that a beginner in the art world could have their art selected as well as a more experienced craftsman. It was a great concept of Megan’s which worked out great for the State of Oregon and the Agency.

State Agencies have the Percent for Art Program. The Diversity Committee would like to hear what other entities do to promote cultural awareness through Art. Let us know.

Link to Oregon Arts Commission: http://www.oregonartscommission.org/

5

2016 OPPA FALL

CONFERENCE

SEASIDE, OR

6

2016 OPPA FALL

CONFERENCE

SEASIDE, OR

7

Recently, I was speaking with one of public procurement’s

rising young professionals, and I was secretly marveling at

his energy and optimism. On several topics, his perspective

was that large, positive changes are not only possible, but

that he was going to help drive them. Right in front of me

was the embodiment of one of my favorite Bruce Lee

quotes: “To hell with circumstance, I create opportunities.” I

was reminded that so often we deal with the specific

situation at hand in our daily work, and we forget- or have

forgotten- that sense of personal power that we have to

influence the rules of the game. As public procurement

professionals, one of the ways we can influence the rules of

the game is to add our voice to the legislative process and

influence the rules for public procurement. OPPA has a

Legislative Committee to help members become the go-to

person in their agency for public procurement policy and to

help make positive changes happen.

The role of the OPPA Legislative Committee is to provide to

its membership relevant and educational information with

regards to proposed and enacted legislation. As a non-profit,

OPPA is specifically prohibited from lobbying or even taking

positions on legislation. One of the things you’ll notice about

the legislative updates that are sent out when the legislature

is in session is that no positions are taken; it’s simply

information. In the past, we’ve called attention to specific

bills or hearings that have potentially significant impacts on

Oregon public agencies, but we have been silent regarding

whether or not agencies should take any specific action and

what that might be.

OPPA members work in different agencies with different

approaches (and sensitivities) to participating in the State

legislative process. While it’s important to respect that

context and work within your agency’s process, it’s also

important to value your procurement expertise and the

impact you can have as a professional in the legislative

process. We are most effective when we play our role and

let others play theirs. You are not a lobbyist. You are a

subject matter expert. Lobbyists advocate for particular

positions on bills. They are masters of strategy and legislative

technique and have to work across many areas of public

policy. We are procurement

professionals. We are masters of the

public procurement process and

understanding its impacts. In the State

of Oregon, there are lobbyists who work for State agencies,

Cities, Counties, Special Districts, Schools, and Universities. If

you work for any of these types of agencies, you have a

lobbyist who would love to hear your input.

I would like to make a specific call out to those who work for

a State Agency, as there are specific agency channels you

should work through. During legislative sessions, DAS has

weekly calls which are open to all Designated Procurement

Officers (DPOs) or their designees. At these calls, they

discuss key legislative bills to get agency feedback and

information about impacts, implementation, and agency

positions. If you work for the State and have input about a

specific bill, you should definitely reach out to your DPO to

help them work more collaboratively with the other DPOs

and Sate agency legislative coordinators.

So how can you participate? This fall is a great time to ask

around at your agency to figure out how it sets legislative

priorities, gathers information about bills, takes positions,

and works with others to advocate in the legislature. You

may be surprised that many agencies welcome the

participation of informed professionals in the creation of

policy. During the 2017 legislative session, OPPA will be

providing regular updates (usually weekly) to keep you up to

date regarding the bills that may impact your agency.

At whatever level of government you serve, your unique

expertise can be an important contribution to shaping better

public policy. You can look at a specific piece of legislation

and understand how it would impact your agency and the

citizens it serves in a way that others cannot. This coming

legislative session provides a perfect opportunity to join me,

your other colleagues in OPPA, and Bruce Lee to change the

circumstances.

Bruce Lee Wants You By: Brian R. Smith

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The OPPA Scholarship Program provides scholarships to

members, who have a desire to further their knowledge and

expertise in public procurement through continuing education,

are in good standing, and have made contributions to OPPA

through serving on various committees to helping with

workshops/events and promoting the value of membership in

OPPA to public purchasers in the state.

The Program provides scholarships for the following OPPA

events: Spring Conference, Fall Conference, workshops; and

NIGP sponsored workshops and National Forum. To apply for

a scholarship go to the OPPA website, Scholarship Committee

page and complete an application. Scholarships can only be

requested once within a 12-month time period. A commitment

is required from the award recipient to assist OPPA as a

volunteer within the next 6-months.

This past year the Scholarship Committee awarded one

scholarship to the 2016 NIGP Forum in National Harbor,

Maryland, held August 21-24, 2016, to Sarah Roth, Secretary

of State. The scholarship provided for 100% of the costs of

registration, lodging, and travel (capped at $500).

OPPA’s Spring Conference 2016 scholarship winners were:

Jayne McMahan, City of Springfield and Melissa Wade,

Secretary of State. Both awardees received a scholarship to

cover 75% of the total cost of registration, lodging and

transportation.

Fall Conference 2016 winners were: Barry Zimmerman,

Multnomah County and Debbie Janke, Department of Energy.

As with Spring Conference both awardees received a

scholarship to cover 75% of the total cost of registration,

lodging and transportation.

For our membership base outside of the metro areas we have

reserved one scholarship award to go to an employee of a

rural entity during each award season. We are hoping to

award our first one to the upcoming 1st Annual Regional

Conference scheduled for May 17-19, 2017 in Pendleton,

Oregon. The Scholarship Committee will announce the

deadline for those applications in the first quarter of 2017. The

Scholarship application is available and we welcome all OPPA

members to review it. If you have questions contact Erika

Lopez, Scholarship Chair at erika.lopez@hillsboro-oregon.gov.

OPPA Scholarships

By: Diane M. Murzynski, CPPO, CPPB, OPBC

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