The Coalition is pleased to announce that registration is officially open for our 2021 Spring Training Conference – The Biden Administration’s Priorities and the Role of Acquisition. The virtual training conference will be held on May 19-20, 2021. Similar to our 2020 virtual Fall Training Conference, the Spring event will combine sessions from our general conference and our healthcare forum with only one registration necessary to attend.
As indicated by the title, this year’s conference offers multiple sessions that cover four of the Biden Administration’s top priorities, including the COVID-19 response, Sustainability, Made in America and Domestic Sourcing, and increased opportunities for Small Businesses to stimulate the economy. Popular sessions from past conferences will also make a return, including both the Legal and the “Healthcare Legal” panels. We are excited to confirm that the conference will feature a “one-on-one” discussion with the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner Sonny Hashmi, moderated by Federal News Network’s Executive Editor Jason Miller.
We have invited speakers from GSA, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Human and Health Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to participate in the conference. Procurement programs and initiatives like GSA’s BIC MAC, the partnership between the VA and the Defense Logistics Agency, IT Modernization and Cybersecurity requirements for all contractors will also be on the agenda.
We urge members to review the full draft agenda here. The registration link can be found here. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact Matt Cahill at mattcahill@thecgp.org.
Day One
To kick off the Spring Conference, we have invited Michael Parrish, Principal Executive Director and Chief Acquisition Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction (OALC) to discuss his vision for the VA’s acquisition operations and contracting programs during the Keynote Address for day one.
The Keynote Address will be followed by the Legal Panel, which will feature the team of Jonathan Aronie, Partner, Sheppard Mullin (invited); Lorraine Campos, Partner, Crowell & Moring (confirmed); David Dowd, Partner, Mayer Brown (confirmed); and Jason Workmaster, Member, Miller & Chevalier (confirmed) to discuss the latest Federal procurement related legal developments.
After a lunch break, we will be holding our first two concurrent afternoon sessions: The Cyber and Supply Chain Panel, and the VA and DLA Partnership Panel. The Cyber and Supply Chain Panel, moderated by Bob Metzger, Shareholder, Rogers Joseph O’Donnell (confirmed), includes John Tenaglia, Principal Director, DPC (confirmed); Katie Arrington, Chief Information Security Officer for Acquisition and Sustainment, DoD (confirmed); and Bob Kolasky, Director of the National Risk Management Center, DHS (confirmed).
Next on the agenda, we have invited Phil Christy, OALC Deputy Executive Director, VA; and Bill Kenny, Executive Director, Contracting and Acquisition Management, DLA to join the VA and DLA Partnership session. This panel will be followed by the concurrent VA Modernization Panel and the Systems and Consolidated MAS Panel. Phil Christy has also been invited to participate in the VA Modernization Panel, and he will be joined by Andrew Centineo, Executive Director, Procurement and Logistics, VHA (confirmed) to discuss VA’s plans to modernize its supply chain. At the same time, we have invited the GSA team of Judith Zawatsky, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Systems Management; Stephanie Shutt, Director, MAS PMO; and Steve Sizemore, Project Manager, MAS PMO to provide updates on GSA e-systems and Schedules consolidation during the Systems and Consolidated MAS Panel.
The final two concurrent afternoon panels for day one are the Sustainable Procurement Panel and the Services Marketplace Panel. For the Sustainable Procurement Panel, we have invited Sonal Larsen, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, Climate, GSA (confirmed); Holly Elwood, Senior Advisor, Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program, EPA; and Porter Glock, Procurement Analyst, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Federal Procurement Policy. This session will be moderated by Steve Schooner, Nash & Cibinic Professor of Government Procurement Law, George Washington University College of Law (confirmed). The Services Marketplace Panel features Tiffany Hixson, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Professional Services & Human Capital Categories, GSA (invited); Laura Stanton, Assistant Commissioner, Information Technology Category, GSA (invited); and Crystal Philcox, Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Strategy Management, GSA (invited).
At the conclusion of day one, we will be holding eight breakout sessions. These breakouts include Office Products; Industrial Products/Update from the SSAC; Services; IT; VA Pharmaceuticals; VA FSS; DLA MSPV; and Small Business Opportunities. Be sure to check the agenda to see which government speakers we have invited to participate.
Day Two
Day 2 will be another day of informative sessions, where we will begin with Katy Kale, GSA’s Deputy Administrator, whom we have invited to deliver the second Keynote Address. At this time, we hope to hear her vision for how GSA’s governmentwide acquisition programs are working to support the Administration’s priorities.
After the Keynote Address, members will have the option to choose between attending the COVID Logistics and Acquisition Panel and the FAS Panel. The COVID Logistics and Acquisition Panel will be joined by Jeff Koses, Senior Procurement Executive, GSA (invited); Brig. Gen. David Sanford, Director, Supply Chain Advisory Group, United States Air Force (confirmed); and Joe Hamel, Strategic Innovation and Emerging Technology Manager, HHS (confirmed). For the FAS panel, we have invited a number of GSA executives, including Tom Howder, Deputy Commissioner; Charlotte Phelan, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Travel, Transportation, and Logistics; Erv Koehler, Assistant Commissioner, Customer Accounts and Stakeholder Engagement, GSA; and Mark Lee, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Policy and Compliance.
Members will then choose to attend either the View from the Senate Panel or the Oversight Panel. Tim Cook, Executive Director of the Center for Procurement Advocacy, will moderate the View from the Senate Panel, where we have invited David Weinberg, Staff Director, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Arun Seraphin, Professional Staff Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services to participate. Oversight experts Michael Missal, Inspector General, VA (confirmed); and Shelby Oakley, Director, GAO (invited) will speak during the Oversight Panel.
After a lunch break, we will resume with the Healthcare Legal Panel, and the previously mentioned Discussion with FAS Commissioner Sonny Hashmi. The Healthcare Legal Panel consists of James Kim, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery (confirmed); Joy Sturm, Partner, Hogan Lovells (confirmed); Stephen Ruscus, Partner, Morgan Lewis (confirmed); and Jonathan Aronie, Partner, Sheppard Mullin (invited), who will discuss recent healthcare-related policies and legal developments. The confirmed Discussion with FAS Commissioner Sonny Hashmi, moderated by Jason Miller with Federal News Network, will cover the Commissioner’s vision for FAS operations in delivering best value mission support to customer agencies, as well as how FAS is supporting the Administration’s priorities.
Our final two panels are the IT Modernization Panel and the Buy American and Domestic Sourcing Panel. We have invited Dave Zvenyach, Director, Technology Transformation Services, GSA; Keith Nakasone, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition, Office of IT Category, GSA; and Nick West, Deputy Director, Office of Policy, Integrity & Workforce, GSA to provide their expertise during the IT Modernization Panel. The Buy American and Domestic Sourcing Panel consists of the diverse team of Kim Herrington, Principal Director/Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Industrial Policy, DoD (confirmed); Dr. Gary Disbow, Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, HHS (invited); Jean Heilman Grier, Principal and Manager, Trade Practice, Djaghe LLC (confirmed); and Scott Calisti, Director, Contract Policy, DPC (invited). The session will be moderated by Moshe Schwartz, President, Etherton and Associates (confirmed).
Six more breakout sessions will be offered during the second day. These breakouts include VA MSPV Program; DLA/DHA Pharmaceuticals; GWAC/MAC; Global Supply/4PL; BIC MAC; and Furniture. Once again, the invited speakers for these sessions can be found in the agenda.
The Coalition is thrilled to be hosting this comprehensive two-day conference featuring experts across Government and industry. If you have any questions about the agenda, please contact Michael Hanafin at mhanafin@thecgp.org. In the meantime, we sincerely hope you will plan to attend this important event.