President's Update # 2

President's Update #2
 
Greetings NACS members!  This past month, I had the opportunity to attend and speak at the NASCOE National Convention in Milwaukee, WI.  Mark VanHoose, previous NASCOE President, invited the NACS, NASE, and NADD Presidents to speak to the NASCOE members.  NADD also held its National Convention with NASCOE, so I had the opportunity to speak with its members one-on-one.  I presented recent events at our National Convention in St. Louis, MO and discussed common areas of concern and current happenings in NACS with both NASCOE and NADD.
 
NASCOE had a large showing of National Office leadership as speakers, including Val Dolcini, Administrator; Chris Beyerhelm, Associate Administrator for Management & Operations; Greg Diephouse, DAM; Mike Schmidt, DAFP; Jonathan Alboum, USDA CIO; and Tony Cossa, Director of ACRSI Program.  The Q&A panel consisted of National Office speakers, Tom Mulhern, HR Director; Lawrence Gross, CIO; Radha Sekar, CFO; and Brenda Carlson, GovDelivery.
 
Val reflected on this past year by noting Agency accomplishments and program successes.  He also encouraged employees in attendance to propose solutions and suggestions for change, rather than complaints.  Some highlights from Chris's presentation included an update on the OPM Security Data Breach, tips & tricks for hiring, workforce engagement, and investing in employees.  A new item of interest from Greg's presentation was the "Aspiring Leaders" program, which is in the very early stages of development.  The program will be geared towards GS & CO PTs and possibly FLOs. Employees will apply to participate in the program.  Mike Schmidt announced he will be the new Associate Administrator for Programs & Policy.
 
In other news, the NACS Membership Committee will be getting geared up soon with Jill Colgan from McAllister & Quinn on developing more resources and tools for States to use in recruiting new members.  Look for new things to come in the near future.  If you have any successful methods or ideas for recruiting members, please be sure to contact Kaiti Steckman, Membership Committee Chairperson.
 
As I said in my previous update, keep telling our story to others.  One way to do so is to ask your District Director for a chance to speak at employee meetings about our association and our successes.  NACS brings the solution to both State and National Office leadership, and we can only continue to do so with your help!  Keep the resolutions' process going strong, and remember to submit a resolution when you think of something we should change in the delivery of FSA programs!
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!
 
  
Lisa A. Liska
NACS President
 
 
Thought for Today: "If you focus on results, you will never change.  If you focus on change, you will get results.  -Jack Dixon