The Spring Training Conference is less than two weeks away, and we hope that you are as excited as we are for the experience that the event offers. The conference marks the first opportunity in over two years for Coalition members to gather in person to engage with both Government officials and industry partners. Those joining us virtually will be able to attend all sessions of their choosing, as they will be livestreamed through our conference site. Through both the in person and virtual experience, we aim to deliver highly informative content in a variety of sessions that will be of value to our members across all sectors.
Day 1, June 15
The conference kicks off on June 15 with the day focused on Healthcare topics. The keynote address will be delivered by Guy Kiyokawa, Assistant Secretary for Enterprise Integration at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). During his remarks, Mr. Kiyokawa will discuss his priorities and initiatives, as well as the VA’s efforts to enhance the Federal healthcare customer experience. Following the keynote address, there will be a full day of sessions that cover several critical topics including VA leadership’s perspective on the Customer Experience, Federal cybersecurity requirements, and Medical Supply Chain Resiliency. This year’s conference includes a breakout session focused on the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) TPharm5 contract. Captain Edward Norton, DHA’s new Chief of Pharmacy Operations, will be accompanying Henry Gibbs, DHA’s Branch Chief for Purchased Care, who will discuss the contract’s latest developments and how companies can prepare for implementation.. In addition, the popular MSPV breakout session returns with speakers from the VA’s Strategic Acquisition Center, as well as the Veterans Health Administration, to address both the prime vendor distribution contract and Supply Blanket Purchase Agreements/Distribution and Pricing Agreements. The full agenda for the first day can be found here.
Day 2, June 16
On the second day, Sonny Hashmi, the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner, will provide keynote remarks detailing the agency’s customer experience efforts and vision for the Federal Marketplace Strategy. We will then move into the morning sessions, which include panels on FAS’ role in meeting agency missions, followed by cyber security requirements. The Cyber Security Requirements Panel, moderated by Rogers Joseph O’Donnell’s Bob Metzger, features Stacy Bostjanick, Director of the Cyber Security Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program, and John Ellis, Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Software Division. During lunch we are excited to have John Tenaglia, Principal Director of Defense Pricing and Contracting, give another keynote address on a number of subjects such as e-commerce, inflation, and the defense industrial base. The afternoon is packed with sessions for our members to choose from, including panels on other transaction authorities, Buy American and supply chain resilience, and GSA’s cloud marketplace. The full agenda for the second day can be found here.
GSA and VA FSS “Ask the PMO” Tables
New to this year’s conference is the GSA and VA FSS “Ask the PMO” Table. The Ask the PMO Table will be present on both days of the conference and gives attendees the chance to engage in dialogue with VA’s Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) leadership on day one, and GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program Management Office (PMO) on day two. Attendees will be able to stop by the table throughout the conference to ask their questions or to schedule a time for a one-on-one meeting. On June 15, you will have the chance to meet with FSS Director Dan Shearer and Supervisory Contract Specialist Lydia McKay to have any questions related to the VA’s FSS Program and contracts answered. On June 16, several of GSA’s MAS PMO personnel will be available at the table, including MAS PMO Director Stephanie Shutt.
If you have not done so yet, you can register for the Spring Training Conference here. Thank you to all of our sponsors. Exciting sponsorship opportunities and benefits for each day can be reviewed here. Please contact Matt Cahill at 202-315-1054 or mcahill@thecgp.org for commitments or questions. As always, we appreciate your support and hope to see you at the conference.
