The Personal Value of NCMA Membership, one person's story.

My Start in Contracting

I started my career in Government Contracting in the early 90s when I was assigned to DCMAO Cleveland. I was a Naval Supply officer now working at DLA as a 'Purple Suiter', a reference to military officers working in a DoD command. It was here that I was formally introduced to Government Contracting, more specifically Contract Administration DCMAO Cleveland supported the local NCMA Chapters and it was there I joined, why not back then my membership was covered. I went to a few NES' but really not much of an engagement, I really didn't value my membership. Of course, the old axiom rang true, "You receive what you put in," which for me was ZERO.

Reimagining the Profession

And so a decade later, now working for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Cleveland, I started to rethink my position. I thought, what would it look like if I did engage with NCMA? I started out by pursuing the CFCM, which I passed, then stopped any further movement. I did ponder my professional future for a couple more years though and by this time I took another position with VA in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Now seemed to be the right time.

A major turning point was attending an NES written and hosted by Gregg Garrett. I liked what he did and felt I could do that. I attended a couple more of his NES', which just strengthened my resolve to continue. After the last one, I was firm on making my NCMA membership work for me, but how do I do that?

Do or do not, there is no try!

My first action was to attend a local NCMA Chapter meeting, I found it enlightening and intimidating! I was the only non-DoD in the room (Govie or Contractor). I quickly reassessed my value was my diversity of experience, so that is how I worked. I joined the chapter, and became a board member and then the President. Of course over time, not that night! Seeing the prospects for myself and the Chapter, I attended GCMS and other NCMA-hosted events to build my confidence and network with other great professionals.

It was here I met Dr. John Wilkinson. John is a consummate professional and a kind soul! He pointed me in directions that helped me. Early on I offered to facilitate an NES. What better way to build confidence than to do this!!! Later I saw a need to create an NES on the NEW COR program in 2011! So I wrote the COR Book used initially by NCMA for the COR NES, with the assistance of co-authors Scottie Paramoure and Dr. Michael Jennings. Great Guys and esteemed colleagues!!!

All the while I started writing articles for Contract Management, almost 30 over the course of my career, some of which were headliners! This added to the value NCMA brought to me professionally. This doesn't include the articles I wrote for Defense Acquisition (DAU Pub) and the Federal Manager.

As with many things, success breeds success. It is here that I was invited and participated in other meaningful areas of the profession:

• worked on and contributed to CMBOK Rev 6,
• became an NCMA Fellow,
• participated in the ANSI work in Contract Management led by Dr. John Wilkinson,
• facilitated the NCMA CFCM prep groups,
• contributing author to a Rutledge Handbook of Risk Management and the Law,
• mentored 6 acquisition professionals in the CFCM program, and
• assisted with the revision of the COR book and the CFCM Prep book.

Additionally, I started to work with the local PTACs as part of a market research strategy. Here I participated as a guest lecturer and then actually presented a day-long workshop for them on Understanding Solicitations and Preparing Proposals (USPP), which later on became a book by the same name. The book was the fruit of what I had learned from facilitating the workshops!

Over the course of my 30 years of membership, the first 15 years were as a magazine member, i.e., I got my magazine! Yet, it was the last 15 years that supercharged and enriched my professional life. It was the last 15 years when I said yes to myself and invested in my career with NCMA. This investment has paid dividends, dividends that are not reported on a 1099!

Two Meaningful Stories

I already shared that writing is important. My first story is when I was looking for another opportunity and was asked a question about a particular subject, a subject I had written on and published in CM, I sent them the article. Nothing cries authority and expertise than writing about it. BOOM! By the way, I was offered the position but turned it down.

The second story occurred when I was at a GCMS and a person came up to me and asked if I were the James N. Phillips Jr that wrote the article, published in CM? Humbled at her approach I said, "Yes", and she continued by sharing with me that the college program she was in used that article in one of her classes.

Take a-ways (my preferred order)

If you choose to be a member, make it work for you, by

• Volunteer to help NCMA at the Chapter level
• Write articles, no one knows your perspective, better than YOU, so write!
• Attend NCMA Events to network,
• Volunteer to Present an NES,
• Volunteer to present at a regional or conference,
• Volunteer to present at an allied organization's chapter such as PMI, or ASQ,
• Mentor someone, help them along, like with the CMLDP,
• Accept mentoring from others in the profession, and
• Network with many!

In gratitude, I have had many folks provide me with leadership and build my confidence along the way, and whether they knew it they helped me. They are Jan McCrone (who got me started to love the Profession), Gregg Garrett (who showed me a way to make it work), John Wilkinson (who cheer-led and sustained me), my brother Dr. Mark S. Philips (currently at DAU South), with whom I bounced off ideas, and Sue Phillips (my beloved wife-enough said). There are many others with whom I am grateful as well, you know who you are!

Final Note!

You will not find a better place and professional association to extend yourself and than NCMA. By the time you say yes, you have already lost the opportunity. If you are a member make your membership work for you! If not a member of the world's best acquisition professional community, why not?

#thecontractingguy #NCMA #leadership