Tallahassee Area Chapter of NIGP

April 2010 Newsletter

Spring has sprung! Let’s all do a little spring cleaning. Scour your files and storage areas in search of any TACNIGP information or documents. If you have any thing that you feel belongs in the archives, please bring it to me at one of our meetings or give me a call at 606-1600 and I will arrange to pick it up. Along with pretty flowers and new beginnings, Spring is also the time for abundant pollen, taxes and Legislative Session. There are several bills this session that, if passed, will affect procurement. Take some time to read the bills and be informed - www.flsenate.gov. Some of the perceived inconveniences may provide opportunities for you to enhance your procedures. Keep an eye on where things are headed and be prepared. Be sure to pay close attention to the effective dates when you are planning and preparing. Here is a list of the bills: HB237, HB243, HB505, HB731, HB745, HB785, HB1161, HB1311, HB1343, HB1357, HB1421, HB5611, HB7151, SB376, SB1238, SB1524 In addition to the bills affecting procurement, there are a few bills regarding the Florida Retirement System (FRS). These are something to be aware of, especially if you are nearing retirement: HB1319, SB1902, HB1543 Our Scholarship Committee is hard at work defining requirements for Member Scholarships. This will enable our members to benefit from certification and professional development when agency budgets are not available. Look forward to a brief presentation of these opportunities at the May General Meeting.

We need to continue to spring forward in promoting our profession. The March meeting attendance was good, but let’s makes April great! I hope you can all join us!

"It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.” - B. C. Forbes

Message from the President

2010 OFFICERS

Wendi Sellers, President

Robert Threewitts, Vice-President

Don Tobin, Treasurer

Donna Smith, Secretary

Keith Roberts, Immediate Past President

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4

2010 TACNIGP President

Wendi Sellers, CPPB

Tallahassee Area Chapter of NIGP Post Office Box 922 Tallahassee, Florida 32302 Phone: (850) 414-6148 info@tacnigp.com https://www.tacnigp.com/

2010 BOARD MEMBERS

Vida Addison, City of Tallahassee

Susan Barr, Department of Corrections

Charles Day, Department of Management

Services

Gloria Dixon, Department of Transportation

Ed Valla. Department of Business &

Professional Regulation

Brenda Wells, Department of Management

Services

Bylaws Committee - Vacant

Communications Committee - Diana K. Trahan

Education & Professional Development

Committee – Robert Threewitts

Finance Committee– Mark Lovell

House Committee – Charles Day

Membership Committee – Susan Barr

Nominating Committee – Keith Roberts

Reverse Trade Show Committee – Charles Day

Scholarship Committee – Vida Addison

Tradeshow Committee – Mark Lovell

Volunteer Committee – Ed Valla

2010 COMMITTEE CHAIRS

April 2010 Newsletter

Message from the Vice-President

Well, Spring is finally coming! Warm weather, clear skies, good ole’ beach weather! Time to get the lawnmower tuned, go buy some flowering plants, get your hands dirty and spend time outdoors! Hiking, biking, walking, cooking, playing, just plain having fun. Goodbye to the cold winter, looking forward to the summer. Plan to do something-short trips to go somewhere for a day. Google Florida State Parks and choose your region; Northwest, Northeast, Central, Southwest and Southeast. Some have cabins you can rent. Have some fun!

Our speaker this month is Lane Green from Tall Timbers Research Station and here to tell us all about themselves and what they do. Sit back, listen and learn. Later, go to their website www.ttrs.org , look around and print off their newsletter.

2010 TACNIGP Vice-President

Robert Threewitts, CPPB, FCPM

Upcoming Events for 2010

April 2, 2010 Good Friday

April 13, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

April 21, 2010 Administrative Professionals Day

May 9, 2010 Mother’s Day

May 11, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

May 31, 2010 Memorial Day

June 8, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

June 14, 2010 Flag Day

June 20, 2010 Father’s Day

June 21, 2010 First Day of Summer

July 4, 2010 Independence Day

July 13, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

August 10, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

September 3, 2010 Labor Day

September 14, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

October 12, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

October 31, 2010 Halloween

November 9, 2010 TACNIGP Meeting

November 18, 2010 Thanksgiving Day

December 14, 2010 TACNIGP Holiday Meeting

December 24, 2010 Christmas Eve

December 25, 2010 Christmas Day

April 2010 Newsletter

Did You Know? Facts & Figures about the Holiday of

Easter

Did you know that religion historians believe that the

holiday of Easter originated with the pagan festival of Eastre, a Saxon celebration of spring and fertility? The April holiday included a number of the same springtime rituals and symbols that today feature in Christianity's celebration of Easter. Included among these are the rabbit and the egg, both ancient Pagan symbols of fertility.

Did you know that thousands of Christian pilgrims

converge on Jerusalem every year to celebrate the Holy Week

of Easter? On Palm Sunday, pilgrims march through the Holy

City, waving palm branches and retracing the steps of Jesus as

he made his triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. Then, five days

later, pilgrims walk solemnly along the fourteen Stations of the

Cross, reenacting Jesus' procession toward his crucifixion.

Did you know that Ash Wednesday gets its name from the

practice of painting ashes on the forehead as a sign of

repentance? The movable holiday, which falls anytime between

February 4 and March 10, is the first day of the Lenten Period.

The ashes are saved from the burning of the previous year's

Palm Sunday palm branches.

Did you know that in Russia, Easter eggs are dyed on Holy

Thursday? The traditional method involves boiling the eggs in a

mixture of onion peels and silk scraps. Russian Easter eggs are

thoughts to possess magic powers, including bringing

prosperity and warding off evil spirits.

Did you know that in Greece, children and adults alike play

an egg cracking game called tsougrisma on Easter? Players

attempt to crack their eggs against their friend's egg; the last

person with an un-cracked egg is considered the lucky one. The

Greeks traditionally dye their eggs red, symbolizing the blood

and passion of Christ.

WELCOME TO MARCH 2010

Happy Easter

April 2010 Birthdays

Lisa Stokes 2-Apr

Susan Barr 7-Apr

Rhonda M. Mixon 7-Apr

Jeri Bailey 13-Apr

Charles Beall 13-Apr

Steven Hall 13-Apr

Lance Dyal 19-Apr

Sandy Holm 19-Apr

Debbie Bates 20-Apr

Charles Covington 24-Apr

Laura Jennings 25-Apr

Greg Bolden 27-Apr

Gwendolyn York 27-Apr

Did you know that in Greece, children and adults alike play an egg

cracking game called tsougrisma on Easter? Players attempt to crack

their eggs against their friend's egg; the last person with an un-cracked

egg is considered the lucky one. The Greeks traditionally dye their eggs

red, symbolizing the blood and passion of Christ.

Did you know that Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following

the full moon of the vernal equinox? In Western churches, this can occur

any Sunday between March 22nd and April 25th. In Orthodox Churches,

Easter falls a bit later -- between the beginning of April and the beginning

of May. The difference in dates is due to varying calculations of when the vernal equinox takes place. In 2009, Easter will be celebrated on Sunday April 12; Orthodox Easter will be celebrated on April 19.

Did you know that the trumpet shape of the Easter Lily is considered

symbolic of the heralding of Jesus on his triumphant entry into

Jerusalem? Biblical scholars also tell us that lilies may have grown in the

Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas betrayed Jesus.

Did you know that 95 percent of the world's Easter Lilies are

produced by just ten growers along the California-Oregon border? Known

as the Easter Lily Capital of the World, this area sees more than 15

million lily bulbs planted each year to meet the Easter demand.

Did you know that Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday in

many Orthodox churches? Palm Sunday celebrates the triumphant entry

of Jesus in Jerusalem, commemorated in many churches by processionals

of parishioners who hold palm leaves tied to crosses. The Orthodox

Church view this as a solemn day of reflection since it portents Jesus'

death just five days later. The term passion is used in Christian parlance

to refer to the suffering of Jesus on the Cross.

Did you know that in many Catholic churches, Good Friday services

begin at precisely 3 o'clock? This is the time that Jesus is believed to

have died on the Cross. Good Friday is a solemn day of prayer,

repentance and, in some churches, fasting in commemoration of Jesus'

death. Catholics, Greek and Russian Orthodox, and many Protestants

celebrate Good Friday.

Did you know that Americans eat more candy at Easter than at any

other holiday besides Halloween? An average of seven billion pounds of

candy is consumed over Easter weekend. Sales of Easter candy top

nearly $2 billion; in contrast, just over $1 billion of candy is sold for

Valentine's Day.

Did you know that the most popular Easter confection is

Marshmallow Peeps? More than 700 million of these chick, bunny and

egg-shaped marshmallows are purchased every year. A meager 90

million chocolate bunnies are consumed. At peak production, over four

million Marshmallow Peeps can be made each day.

Did you know that eating Easter candy is a relatively modern

tradition? The first chocolate eggs, for example, were made in Europe in

the 1800s. And Marshmallow Peeps, produced by the Russian-born U.S.

confectioner Sam Born, didn't get their start until the 1950s in the

United States.

Did you know that the most popular treat to hide inside an Easter

egg is jellybeans? Americans consume more than 16 billion of them at

Easter -- enough to circle the circumference of the globe three times!

Did you know that over one billion Easter eggs are hunted every

year in America? The most popular (or at least the most televised)

Easter egg hunt is the one held at the White House. President Hayes

hosted the first White House egg hunt in 1878, launching a tradition

that has continued to this day. President and First Lady Obama will

sponsor their first Easter egg hunt on April 13, 2009. The event --

themed as "Let's Go Play" -- is intended to encourage America's

youngsters to lead active, healthy lives. Tickets can be downloaded

from the White House website beginning Thursday, March 26, 2009.

Did you know that ham is the most commonly served meat at

Easter dinners in America? The tradition has its roots in Northern

Europe, where, in the days before refrigeration, hogs were slaughtered

in the fall. They were then cured for seven months and ready to eat just

in time for Easter. If you aren't a fan of the other white meat, turkey

and lamb are also popular choices for Easter dinner.

Speaker for April

Lane Green is a native of the Red Hills area. He lives on an old family home place dating back to the 1860’s. He is the Executive Director for the Tall Timbers Research State and Land Conservancy. He has held this position since 1991. It’s an organization dedicated to wildlife research and conservation activities that promotes ecological understanding and good stewardship of our natural resources. Mr. Green has also been the Director of the Red Hills Conservation Association and the Executive Director of the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science. He spent eight years in public education as a Teacher, Principal and Assistance Superintendent for Instruction. He has 24 years experience in charitable, non-profit Conservation Organization Management. Attended Florida State University - Education Administration - B.S. & M.S and Valdosta State University - Education Administration- Ed.S.

Money market - $107,331.49 Checking - $19,273.96 Total - $126,605.45

Newsletter Articles Needed!

Do you have something you would like to add to the newsletter? Is

there a writer in you just itching to get out? Please consider preparing

an article for the newsletter! You may choose any topic you wish

(almost!). Writing an article for a professional association newsletter

brings many great returns; among them are personal satisfaction and

recognition, but most of all you have an opportunity to share your

accumulated experience, knowledge and wisdom with other TACNIGP

members. CPPO’s and CPPB’s may even be eligible for a

recertification point from NIGP for published articles. Please e-mail me

at newsletter@tacnigp.com before the first Thursday of the month.

Thank you.

Diana K. Trahan, Communications Committee Chair

TACNIGP BUDGET

Please join us in congratulating

Ms. Chuvala Snell-Brown on

her successful recertification for the

Certified Professional Public Buyer

designation.

March Monthly Chapter Meeting

Date: March 9, 2010 Location: Tallahassee/Leon County Civic Center Number in Attendance: 77 Call to Order: President Wendi Sellers called the meeting to order at 11:53 AM. Pledge: Loretta McClendon, Dept. of Environmental Protection Invocation: Jason Ouzts, Citizens Property Minutes: A motion was made and seconded to approve the February Chapter minutes. Motion passed. New Members and Guests: There were no new members or guests. Job Opportunities: No new job opportunities were announced. Laura Jennings announced that Fran Shewan is now working for Agency for Workforce Innovation. Reports: President: President Wendi Sellers reported that she received information from National that unsolicited faxes were prohibited as a means of communication. The memo from National will be posted on the website. The Chapter will continue to use e-mails to invite suppliers to participate in the annual Products Expo. Treasurer: Treasurer Don Tobin - Checking - $24,932.15; Money market - $107,184.21; Total - $132,116.36

Introduction of Speaker: Vice President Robert Threewitts introduced Mr. Kenneth D. Hayslette, CPPO, C.P.M., and CPCM. Mr. Hayslette is trainer, writer, and independent consultant seeking to assist others in achieving success in their careers and lives. He has served more than 20 years in public and 18 years in private sector procurement and contracting.

Mr. Hayslette’s program was energetic and interactive, addressing risk in procurement

Scavenger Hunt Winner: Claudia Cooper, Dept. of Management Services

Monthly Drawing: Sasha Breland won the regular free lunch drawing. In recognition of Purchasing Month, the Chapter gave away items that start with the letter “P”. Two members each won a box of Flipz® “Pretzels”, four members each won a “Plant” – African Violets donated by Keith Roberts, other prizes included “Pink” Cookbooks and “Pink” Flamingo “Pins”. Adjourn Respectfully submitted – Donna Smith TACNIGP 2010 Secretary

MARCH MINUTES BOARD MEETING

TALLAHASSEE AREA CHAPTER OF NIGP, INC.

Date: March 16, 2010 Location: Leon County Purchasing Bid Room, 2284 Miccosukee Road Members Present: Wendi Sellers, President; Robert Threewitts, Vice President; Keith Roberts, Immediate Past President; Don Tobin, Treasurer; Donna Smith, Secretary; Board Members: Vida Addison, Brenda Wells, Charles Day, Susan Barr, Gloria Dixon and Ed Valla. Members Absent: None President Wendi Sellers called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM. Minutes for the February Board meeting were approved. Board Member Valla motioned and Vice President Threewitts seconded. Officers Reports:

a. President – Reminded members of the Board that discounted registration for the National Forum ends on April 30.

b. Vice President - Will e-mail the Board the course offerings of Mr. Ken Hayslette and Ms. Marcheta Gillespie, for the Purchasing Forum in August. Robert asked the Board to select two from each speaker.

c. Treasurer – Provided the P & L statement for 2/10 through 3/16. d. Secretary -no report

Old Business: Camera Purchase: The Board has purchased a digital camera. Committee Reports: There were no Committee Reports this month. New Business: Reverse Trade Show: President Sellers reminded the Board members to encourage Agencies to register for the Reverse Trade Show. Scholarship Committee: The Board had an extensive discussion on scholarships. Historically, the Chapter offered the John J. Hittinger Scholarship for FSU students and the Ed Judge Scholarship for NIGP members to take courses hosted by the Chapter. Since DMS contracted with NIGP to offer courses in 2007 (and pay for them), the Chapter stopped offering courses; hence the Ed Judge Scholarship was not needed. Now DMS no longer has the funds to pay for classes and that responsibility falls to the member. It’s time to reconsider reinstatement of the Ed Judge Scholarship. Committee Chair Addison will work with the Committee to draft policies for both scholarship funds and once approved by the Board will be placed on the web site Library.

Documenting Chapter Events: Vice President Threewitts donated a poster sized frame with openings for photographs. Board member Wells will install photos of meetings/events and display the frame at Chapter meetings. Adjourn Respectfully submitted by Donna Smith, 2010 Secretary – Tallahassee Area Chapter of NIGP