Month: October 2020

Multifamily Housing Regional Directors

Posted on by Eric Coffie

WASHINGTON, October 2, 2020 — Effective October 11, 2020, Becki Meyer, Byron Waters, Karissa Stiers, and Laurie Warzinski, will become the first Regional Directors of USDA Rural Development’s Multifamily Housing Field Operations Division

The Field Operations Division was created as part of the Multifamily Housing organizational realignment, which will improve customer service delivery, facilitate consistent program implementation and increase oversight of the portfolio through the use of modern-day risk-based servicing tools.

Becki, Byron, Karissa and Laurie will lead Field Operations staff in teams throughout the country, performing day to day servicing tasks, addressing owner, tenant, or other stakeholder needs, and monitoring property performance to ensure compliance with Multifamily Housing’s financial and physical requirements. The Regional Directors will provide asset management oversight and policy direction to their teams, with guidance from Jen Larson’s new Asset Management Division, and will also support our preservation and affordable housing production mission goals, led by Lauryn Enrico in our new Production and Preservation Division.

Our four new Regional Directors bring extensive yet diverse leadership experience and will apply those skills as they lead their teams through the standup of our new Field Operations Division and into the future of Multifamily Housing within Rural Development. Each Regional Director will report to Ernie Wetherbee, Director, Field Operation Division.

USDA Rural Development encourages Multifamily Housing stakeholders and partners to reach out to their Regional Director to build on existing partnerships and forge new ones. Below you will find their contact information along with the new MFH organizational chart.

Becki Meyer, Regional Director, Western Region, [email protected]

(AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY)

Byron Waters, Regional Director, Southern Region, [email protected]

(AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC,OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI)

Karissa Stiers, Regional Director, Midwest Region, [email protected]

(IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI)

Laurie Warzinski, Regional Director, Northeast Region, [email protected] 

(CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV)

Multi-Family Housing Regional Directors

For program information…

Denita Conway: How did this “C” student turn into a SUCCESSFUL CEO?

Posted on by Eric Coffie

A C-student turned award-winning minority business leader, Denita Conway shares how she started and how having a mature mindset helps her build her business and succeed in the marketplace. 

BACKGROUND

Denita R. Conway graduated with a business degree from the Fox School of Business and Management in Temple University. 

Then, she worked in the male-dominated industry of government contracting by working as an owner’s representative and move manager at the Pentagon, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and the Defense Media Activity of the US Department of Defense, respectively.

She also founded a  logistics management and project controls consulting firm in 2007 named PROVEN Management which has been providing services to 29 government agencies in 48 cities.

Due to all of these, Conway is considered as an award-winning strategic planning and risk mitigation executive and one of the Capital region’s leading African-American businesswomen. Some of her recent awards include the 2020 Washington Business Journal Minority Leadership Award and the 2020 Enterprising Women’s Award.

BUILDING A COMPANY OF HER OWN

Denita Conway didn’t expect herself to become an entrepreneur as she was a mischievous young girl and a C-student in college. 

“So as ironic, I have a business and I’m really good at accounting for the business, but I could not pass the County Institute. It was the hardest class. I think I took those classes three times a piece, I’m exaggerating, but I promise you, I took them more than once.”

But when she noticed how her past company was not training their employees fairly, she left her company and got a contract as a consultant, overseeing the company that she worked for. 

“One says that failure is in procrastination. So when I got the opportunity, I jumped right on it. It was a dream country because I never really believed that I can do it.”

Her company just started with her doing consulting jobs and learning about the industry, communicating with a bunch of government agencies, and putting the name of her company out there. 

“Just learning, learning, soaking it all in. Okay. And then you decided, okay, I’m ready to take the leap.”

Then, after three years of doing all of these, she got a call from the Defense Media Activity, and that’s where her company continued growing. 

What she hoped now for PROVEN Management is for her kids, who are currently in college, to join the company.

STRUGGLES AS A BUSINESS OWNER

In managing and getting huge wins for her company, Denita Conway also lost friends and families.

“I lost a lot of friends, family members over it, people because I made it. I was just going to help him out. And it wasn’t a bad thing. It’s just that I realized I couldn’t do everything. So it was very emotional for me through that time.”

Apart from that, she also struggles in making decisions as she doesn’t want to disappoint people.

“I remember what I wanted to accomplish versus what someone’s putting in front of me. That’s a tough— It’s a tough decision because, you know, I would rather have a company with some substance and have a company without, I always say, tell my team, we’re going to go a mile deep, right? Instead of a mile wide.”

BE A GOOD LEADER

As the head of PROVEN, Conway is not always on the site but she also aims to give her team a human dynamic because she wants them to feel that she’s a part of them and she wants them to know that they’re not the only ones who are sacrificing. 

“Before I started PROVEN, I was actually a contractor on site and I didn’t like the fact that I was working nights and weekends or late hours and I can never find leadership. So, one of the things that I wanted to do and why I started PROVEN was simply give them the human dynamic. It’s just the right thing to do. So, it’s not something I have to do. It’s not something that they mandate. It’s that I believe that if we all treat each other fairly and we balance the act, then, we’ll have happier employees or employees that are long longevity.”

RESOURCES

If you want to watch the full video of the interview with Denita R. Conway as she shares how she started and how having a mature mindset helps her build her business and succeed in the marketplace, then be sure to click the links below:

How did this “C” student turn into a SUCCESSFUL CEO?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDN-kryeaww

067: Denita R Conway – Award-winning Strategic Planning & Risk Mitigation Executive

https://govcongiants1.wpengine.com/podcast/067/

ARMY Awards Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz Inc $100M IDIQ Architect-Engineering Contract

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz Inc., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a maximum amount of $100,000,000 IDIQ architect-engineering contract for multi-discipline projects at various activities in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed includes, but is not limited to, providing architectural design and engineering services for preparation of design-build requests for proposals and design-bid-build construction documents for various project types within the NAVFAC Northwest AOR. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various government installations within the NAVFAC Northwest AOR including, but not limited to Washington (75%); Alaska (22%); Idaho (1%); Montana (1%); and Oregon (1%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of September 2025. Fiscal 2020 military construction (MILCON) (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $1,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by MILCON (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-20-D-0002).

Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz, Inc. (RLF) provides architecture, engineering, and interior designing services. The Company offers planning, site evaluations, contract administration, commissioning, dimensional visualization, and budgeting services. RLF serves healthcare, educational, and cultural projects in the United States.(bloomberg.com)

Request for Information: Troubleshooting Tools

Posted on by Eric Coffie

The Air Force is exploring market research for Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) troubleshooting tools that can assist in improving the efficiency of maintenance of weapon systems. This market research is intended to discover potential Interactive Electronic Technical Manuel – Level 4 (IETM-4) products that can help lifecycle and maintenance repair management by providing guided troubleshooting actions to drive ongoing and long-term maintenance actions. This troubleshooting tool will be required to operate and interact with many other active tools in a large-scale Computerized Maintenance Management System via Application Programing Interface (API) protocols.

  • Product Service Code: 7030 – INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE
  • NAICS Code: 541519 – Other Computer Related Services
  • Original Response Date: Oct 15, 2020 04:00 pm EDT

Full details via beta.sam.gov

GovCon Giants Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

Purcell Construction Corp. Awarded $47.2M Contract For The Construction of Advanced Individual Training Barracks

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Purcell Construction Corp., Richmond, Virginia, was awarded a $47,269,234 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of Advanced Individual Training barracks at Fort Eustis. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2016 and 2020 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $47,269,234 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91236-20-C-2027).

Purcell Construction Corporation provides construction services. The Company focuses on student housing, education, health care, senior living, federal, industrial, multi-family, and commercial projects. Purcell Construction serves customers in the States of New York and Virginia.(bloomberg.com)

Sources Sought For High Country Inn Full Food Service

Posted on by Eric Coffie

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) intends to award a competitively-sourced contract for full food services at the High Country Inn (HCI).  The HCI is the cafeteria serving the preparatory school (PS) on USAFA.  The Government anticipates an award of a firm-fixed price contract, to include a base period to start on or about 1 July 2021, with a contract term of approximately five years (base period and up to four option years) and an optional six-month extension of services.

  • Product Service Code: S203 – HOUSEKEEPING- FOOD
  • NAICS Code: 722310 – Food Service Contractors
  • Place of Performance: USAF Academy , CO 80840 USA
  • Original Response Date: Oct 15, 2020, 02:00 pm MDT

Full details via beta.sam.gov

GovCon Logo Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

A&K Construction Inc Awarded $56M Contract For School Construction

Posted on by Eric Coffie

A&K Construction Inc., Paducah, Kentucky, was awarded a $56,070,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a middle school at Fort Campbell. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed at Fort Campbell, Tennessee, with an estimated completion date of May 18, 2023. Fiscal 2019 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $56,070,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0054).

A&K Construction Inc of Idaho provides heavy construction services. The Company constructs highways, streets, roads, airport runways, sidewalks, and bridges.(bloomberg.com)

 

071 – Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner – the women behind the vision and mission of the VIB Network

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner had a crazy idea back in 2016 of how to connect with a veteran business owner easily. And from that idea was born the VIB network. The VIP network today has grown into a national organization, launching their own industry conference, the national veteran business conference, connecting veteran entrepreneurs to contracting opportunities. And fact, if you are listening to this episode, when it first comes out, you still have time to register for the 2020 event that takes place October 12th and 13th, visit the VIB network.org VIB that veterans and business network. What’s awesome about the VIP network is that it is totally free to join. So, there’s absolutely no excuse for someone not to participate. As we discussed in all of my teachings, the key to this industry is relationships, relationships, and of course, relationships. How do you build more relationships by being in the same room with people who are actively doing this every day?

Rebecca is proud to be one of the catalysts for the VIB Network and excited to help bring a streamlined and professional approach to connecting to the Veteran business community.

Rebecca Aguilera-Gardiner is Vice President and Co-Owner of Diego & Son Printing a successful SDVOSB/DVBE second-generation printing business in San Diego. She has over twenty-five years of experience in sales and marketing and has been essential to the growth of the 48-year-old family-owned business.

Request for Information for Commercially Available Radio Frequency (RF) Power Meter

Posted on by Eric Coffie

The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Command, Control, and Communications Engineering Center (C3CEN) requests information on commercially available Radio Frequency (RF) Power Meter.  The scope of this requirement is projected to impact approximately 134 NAIS sites.  This RF Power Meter requirement will place the device at every Coast Guard Electronics Support Detachment (ESD) that is responsible to support an NAIS Site, supporting Coast Guard missions throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

  • NAICS Code: 334220 – Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing
  • Place of Performance: USA
  • Original Response Date: Oct 15, 2020 02:00 pm EDT

Full details via beta.sam.gov

GovCon Giants Check out our RESOURCES page for a sample letter that we use in response to government market research.

ARMY Awards Radiance Technologies Inc. $120.7M Engineering and Technical Assistance Contract

Posted on by Eric Coffie

Radiance Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $120,784,794 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical assistance support to the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 29, 2023. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $2,794,694 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W50RAJ-20-F-0014).

Radiance Technologies, Inc. provides engineering services. The Company offers system engineering, technology applications, program support, technology development, testing and evaluation, and operational support services. Radiance Technologies serves media, automotive, aerospace, and defense industries.(bloomberg.com)