The Fine Print
The Newsletter of the Maryland Public Purchasing Association, Inc.
March/April 2007
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Mark A. Pemberton, CPPB, C.P.M.
Greetings fellow professionals, spring is here and its time to shake off those winter doldrums.
Like the weather, it is time to reinvigorate ourselves professionally. I have already challenged us all to become more active members in the Association. I now issue a second challenge, recruit a new member! I challenge us all to recruit a fellow public purchaser who is currently not a member. My challenge goal for 2007 is a 10% increase in the membership; this means approximately 35 new members for 2007. Now I know a lot of us possess “selling personalities,” an inherent skill that comes with the job. So let’s put that energy to work and bring in some new blood! I welcome any ideas or thoughts from the members that would help us realize this goal. A little more individual active participation and an intensive recruitment effort will do a lot to move the MPPA forward in the coming year.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge and congratulate the MPPA’s 2006 Distinguished Service Award winner, our friend George Dietsch. Also, congratulations to Richard Shelton on being named the prestigious Zemansky award winner for 2006. On behalf of the Association, I offer congratulations and our sincere thanks to both of these gentlemen for their efforts on behalf of MPPA.
Speaking of awards, it is time to submit your nominees for Manager and Buyer of the Year. Please step up and take the time to consider and submit your worthy nominee. And by all means, it is quite appropriate to nominate one’s self.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the membership meetings. Upcoming dates and locations are already on the website. You are asked to contact Brian Snyder with any questions or concerns relative to the upcoming membership meetings. Take care of yourselves and each other, take the time to say a kind word to someone. Take on the 2007 recruitment challenge! And as George Carlin said, “may the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.”
MARCH 2007 MPPA GENERAL MEMBERHSIP
WHEN: Thursday, March 8, 2007
11:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. (Lunch at 12:00 P.M.)
WHERE: Snyder’s Willow Grove
841 North Hammons Ferry Road
Linthicum, Maryland
COST: $25.00 - Payment may be forwarded directly to the Treasurer, Donita Hood, 3833 Arbutus Avenue, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207 or pay at the door.
MENU: Hot Buffet Lunch, Including Shrimp Creole
Maryland Fried Chicken with various fixings
R.S.V.P: Notify Facilities Chairperson Brain Snyder by telephone at 410-263-7944, email at or fax at 410-263-8120. Brian needs acount of attendees by Friday, March 2, 2007.
SPEAKER: To be announced
TOPIC: To be announced
RECOGNITION REPORT
Pam Jones, CPPB, MBA, CPM
Announcements
Please remember, if you’d like to forward information to be published (e.g., recent certification, promotion, etc.), please contact me at .
Awards:CALLING ALL MPPA PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONALS
Please begin gathering your documentation if you are interested in being considered for the Buyer or Manager of the Year Awards. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else deserving, an application for candidacy will need to be submitted. Applications will be due by APRIL 4, 2007, to my attention for submission to the Board. To get started, you can review the criteria, directions, and entry forms on NIGP’s website at http://www.nigp.org/awards/Individual.htm; look on the right table for the links to Buyer of the Year and Manager of the Year.
Kudos On Your Accomplishments:
(The last issue was not stated correctly. Please see correction below)
The Aberdeen Proving Ground - Directorate of Contracting has been selected as the award recipient of the 2006 Secretary of the Army Award for Excellence in Contracting, Outstanding Team Award for Installation Level Contracting Center. This prestigious award is presented to Army contracting professionals that excel in executing the contracting mission. Award was presented by the Secretary of the Army on February 23, 2007, at the Pentagon.
Cheryl McLaughlin, long-time MPPA member, is a senior staff person at Aberdeen Proving Ground - Directorate of Contracting.
New Certification/Recertification
If you have recertification information or other certification information you would like to share or recognize, please let me know.
CONGRATULATIONS to the following individuals:
New CPPB/CPPO (report from NIGP)
1. Tony Reed, CPPO, Assistant Secretary, Maryland Department of General Services (New CPPO-Dec. 2006)
2. Janet Regester, CPPO, Associate Director, Maryland Department Of Health & Mental Hygiene (New CPPO-Jan. 2007)
3. Helen Ashley, CPPB, Senior Buyer, Howard County Purchasing (New CPPB, Dec. 2006)
Recertification News
1. None reported.
Take Advantage of Educational Aide Opportunities:
Currently, there are two types of educational aid available to members, as follows:
1. The Stanley D. Zemansky Scholarship Program—The new procedure captures the required information in an application format. We hope this will make applying for the scholarship more user-friendly and encourage more eligible MPPA members to apply. The instruction and application are on the MPPA website.
2. The Certification Exam Reimbursement Program—This is a new educational tool, which started in 2006, to benefit MPPA members. MPPA has established educational aide to reimburse eligible MPPA members that pass their certification exam, and whose agencies do not pay for their certification exam, the cost of the exam fee. We hope this will encourage and aide more members in becoming certified in the Profession. Please visit the MPPA website to view the instructions and application.
MEMBERSHIP
Darla H. Herbold, CPPO
Please join me in welcoming the following professional purchasing practitioners who were accepted into membership at the February 22, 2007 Executive Board meeting.
Ruby Coley
Purchasing Agent
Procurement and Material
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
P.O. Box 3361
Capitol Heights, MD 20791
Phone: (202) 962-5514
Fax: (202) 962-5548
Email:
Leena Maccado
Purchasing Agent
Procurement and Material
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
8600 Augusta Farm Lane
Laytonsville, MD 20878
Phone: (202) 962-5556
Fax: (202) 962-5548
Email:
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
You have to be old enough toremember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, tofully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by ourcomputers, please read on.
If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alivetoday, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:
COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?
COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in myden and I'm thinking about buying a computer.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: No, the name'sLou.
ABBOTT: Your computer?
COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.
ABBOTT: Mac?
COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.
ABBOTT: What about Windows?
COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?
ABBOTT: Do you want a computer withWindows?
COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when Ilook at the windows?
ABBOTT: Wallpaper.
COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need acomputer and software.
ABBOTT: Software forWindows?
COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something Ican use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do youhave?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommendanything?
ABBOTT: I just did.
COSTELLO: You just did what?
ABBOTT: Recommend something.
COSTELLO: You recommendedsomething?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: For my office?
ABBOTT: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for myoffice?
ABBOTT: Office.
COSTELLO: Yes, for myoffice!
ABBOTT: I recommend Office withWindows.
COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?
ABBOTT: Word.
COSTELLO: What word?
ABBOTT: Word in Office.
COSTELLO: The only word in office isoffice.
ABBOTT: The Word in Office forWindows.
COSTELLO: Which word in office forwindows?
ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".
COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if youdon't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? Youhave anything I can track my money with?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: That's right. What do youhave?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: I need money to track mymoney?
ABBOTT: It comes bundled with yourcomputer.
COSTELLO: What's bundled with mycomputer?
ABBOTT: Money.
COSTELLO: Money comes with mycomputer?
ABBOTT: Yes. No extracharge.
COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with mycomputer? How can you do that?
ABBOTT: We just make a copy of Money and give itto you.
COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copymoney?
ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.
COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copymoney?
ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWNIT!
(A few days later)
ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I helpyou?
COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?
ABBOTT: Click on "START"
DATES OF FUTURE ISSUES: May, July, September, and November 2007
DEADLINE DATES FOR PUBLICATION SUBMITTALS:
Friday, April 20, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Please send all contributions to:
THE FINE PRINT
c/o William (Bill) Davis, CPPB – Administrator (Editor)
Maryland Department of General Services -
General Professional Services Selection Board
301 West Preston Street, Room M-6B
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-767-4296
or