JANUARY
NEW SLETTER
San Gabriel
Valley Chapter
news
2013 | JUNE | NEW SLETTER
Inside this issue...

M ESSAGE FROM
THE P RESIDENT
…………………... 2

“W HAT HAS NCMA
DONE FOR YOU?”
…………………... 3


M ENTORING
CONNECTION
…………………... 4

M ESSAGE FROM
VP, S TUDENT
O UTREACH
…………………... 6

NEW
CERTIFICANTS &
G RADUATES
…………………... 7

NEW B OARD
M EMBERS
…………………... 7
P HOTO B OOTH
…………………... 8
CONTACT
I NFORMATION
……………..……. 10
Marisa Gamboa, VP, Communications
President
Message from the
Greetings SGV Chapter Members and Friends,
I have good news and some not so good news. The not so good news is another fantastic program year has come
to a end– too fast! The good news is the newly elected board members are already making plans for the upcoming program
year (2013-14) and based on my sneak peak it’s going to be bigger, better and more exciting than anything we have seen
to date!
Before we wrap up the year and say good-bye for the summer please allow me to give thanks to several people for
making 2012-2013 a successful and fun program year. First and foremost my thanks to the chapter membership. Without
your outstanding support there is no SGV chapter. Your participation, ideas, feedback, and membership are what makes it
all work. Second, my thanks and appreciation to the wonderful volunteers that gave their time and effort throughout the
year. Thank you to Carmen Dycus and Gloria Cerda (photographers), Alicia Dangerfield-Benn (registration), Allen Funk
(Employment Program), and Hugh Harper (NES). The key ingredient to the success of any non-profit are its volunteers.
Our volunteers are the best! Third, my heartfelt thanks to all of our speakers, moderators, and panel members who
graciously and unselfishly took time from their busy schedules to spend it with us. Our speaker/panel list is long and
distinguished and includes the following events and people:
2012
September– Inside Scoop on Career Transitions; Dr. Tod Oliver, JPL
October– Bridging the Generation Gap; Paul Butler, New Leaf Training and
Development; Matt Gonzales, Toyota; Nate Apodaca, Lockheed-Martin; Natalie
Bazarevitsch, CBRE; Mary Ellen Derro, JPL
November– Mentoring Program
December– The Honorable Congresswoman Judy Chu, U.S. House of Representatives
2013
January – National Education Seminar; Dr. Rene Rendon, Naval Postgraduate School
February– Entrepreneurship; Bill Townsend
March – Balance of Success; Dr. Margaret Weber, Dean, Pepperdine University; Nancy Wilhite, CBRE; Dr. Ilene
Smith-Bezjian, Dean, APU; Liana Brown, V.P., Vacco Industries; Dr. Mary Ashford, Kaiser
May – Recruiting the Next Generation; Tiffany Smith, Cal Poly; Mary Brooks, APU; Alan Bossano, Cal Poly;
Max Reyes, Cal Poly; Ryan Powell, APU
Last, but definitely not least, a very special thank you and standing ovation to the wonderful members of the SGV
chapter board: Beth Baron, Vice-President; Santor Nishizaki, VP of Programs; Marisa Gamboa, VP of Communications;
Stanley Neves, VP of Education; Sean Carpenter, VP of Membership; Barbara Hesselgesser, VP of Awards; Jenny Felix,
VP of Hospitality; Steve Woo, VP of Student Outreach; Debbie Lee and Nancy Neilan, Co-Treasurers; Debbie Cloud,
Secretary. This outstanding group of talented professionals exceeded all expectations in their quest to put forward the
best program year for the chapter. Their dedication, energy, creativity and unselfish commitment to the chapter cannot
be understated and will never be forgotten. I am forever grateful and fortunate to have served alongside such wonderful
people.
Good luck to Beth Baron, our incoming President, and her board members and all the best to the SGV chapter in
2013-14 program year!
—
Dale Wright
President, NCMA San Gabriel Valley Chapter
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What has NCMA done
for you?
“NCMA National, the San Gabriel Valley Chapter, and the Student Chapter at Cal
Poly Pomona – SLCP (Society of Law, Contracts & Procurement) have been vital in my
professional development. Throughout my college years, participating in NCMA events
as a student allowed me the opportunity to have
an inside perspective into what contract
management is; the role it plays in both
industry and government organizations, and
create a network of professional individuals
that have aided in my growth at an early age
in my career. I feel that my involvement in NCMA has contributed in giving me an upper edge in
learning more about the profession, having mentors and peers that I could reach out to for advice
and also aiding in starting my career in contract management. Now that I have entered the
profession, by being given the chance to continue to progress and develop my career at JPL, as a
recent hire, I can attest that NCMA involvement was one of the contributing factors that aided me
to acquire this role and I continue to look forward to my involvement in this association.”
- Alan Bossano,
NCMA Member
“NCMA bettered my life! For me, NCMA started out as a networking opportunity. It offered the chance to meet contract professionals as
well as professionals in the industry I aimed to work in. Though I had little knowledge of contract management as a profession when I
first began attending NCMA events, I was warmly welcomed into the organization and was able to gain a good idea of what the contract
management profession was. The new knowledge and connections gave me a desire to become a contract professional. When a subcontracts
manager position opened at JPL, the connections I made through NCMA helped me understand the position and what a day at JPL would
be like. I believe that being a member of NCMA and networking with fellow members helped get my resume in the door at JPL. These
connections also served me well in that both prior to and after being hired at JPL, I knew several familiar faces of people with whom I felt
comfortable asking for guidance, and they knew my face as well. The NCMA mentorship
program helped me connect with my new leaders and colleagues at JPL and that benefited me
tremendously in my first few months on the job. NCMA paired me with a valuable match;
someone who could guide me on both technical aspects of my new job as well as understanding
the structure of my new organization. JPL helped me maximize NCMA opportunities by giving
me access to webinars and seminars that helped me quickly increase my knowledge and
understanding of several topics within contract management. NCMA offers an infinite amount
of networking opportunities and knowledge development, and that is what is making all the
difference in my career.
Since starting at JPL, I have continued membership with NCMA and am excited to participate on the Board of Directors as VP of Student
Outreach in the coming year. I look forward to the continued professional growth and learning opportunities offered through NCMA,
and hope that I am able to give back to others through NCMA in gratitude for the difference this organization can make in driven
professionals’ careers.”
- Deanna Smith
NCMA Member
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THE MENTORING
CONNECTION:
s!
s
e
c
c
u
S
A True
Hello NCMA Members of the San Gabriel Valley Chapter!
I want to say “thank you” to all the wonderful mentors and
mentees who participated in our Chapter’s first mentoring program!
The program had a total of twelve mentors and seventeen
mentees, ranging from companies such as: Northrup Grumman, JPL,
Vacco , Columbus Technologies to the young students from Cal Poly
Pomona. I heard many good things from the participants of how well the
mentoring program worked for them. These young professionals were engaged and fully interested in being mentored by Contract Management
professionals. Moreover, its helped many of these young professionals begin their journey in Contract
Management. We heard it directly from, Beatriz Acevedo:
“As a recent graduate from Cal Poly Pomona, participating in the NCMA San Gabriel Valley Chapter ‘s
Mentoring Program was a very positive experience, I do not regret. This was the first time I have ever worked
with a mentor and having Martin Ramirez from the inception of my career was definitely a blessing. Having
so many questions and doubts as I transitioned from being a college student onto becoming a professional,
Martin was always willing to make time, from his busy schedule, to answer my questions and address any
doubts. I never imagined a mentor being someone that actually cared about an individual and his/her success.
From this experience, I have come to realize a mentor can actually care and help someone maintain focus in
their career path. This is exactly the type of mentor Martin is. I thank him very much for it as well as Santor
and Marissa for choosing such a great mentor for me. Although, this mentoring program has come to an end,
I’m fully aware I can count on Martin to answer any questions I will have in the future regarding my
profession or any feedback that will improve me as a professional in my career path. —Beatriz Acevedo
As the Mentor Chair, I plan to conduct a survey of what worked and what did not work to get ready for the
next mentoring cycle – which should start in the September/October timeframe. All mentors and mentees who
participated in this year’s mentoring program may have the option to continue working with their current mentor/
mentee, but will also have the option to participate in the upcoming 2013-2014 mentoring program!
Things to look forward to for the next year:
 Women in Leadership and Mentoring Workshop
 Success stories from successful mentors/mentees
Once again, thank you to all of those who participated and please
sign up for the Fall 2013 Mentoring Program!!!!!
- Santor Nishizaki,
VP, Programs & Mentoring Chair
“Mentoring is a brain to
pick, an ear to listen, and a
push in the right direction.”
- John Crosby
Please email me if you have any good ideas of workshops or if you would
like to host one yourself at santor.nishizaki@pepperdine.edu.
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Thank You…
A Message fromVP, Student Outreach
“As the VP of Student Outreach, it was more than just a
position ...it was about helping students…”
Dear Students,
It’s difficult to imagine the past two years as VP Student Outreach has come and gone. Of all of the positions
available for volunteering, this position was my number one selection because it was an opportunity to work with young
people. Having two daughters of my own, ages 18 and 21, also played a role in this decision. At the end of the day, I want
my daughters to be successful in their personal and work lives. In the same way, I care for these students like extended
family.
I remember words spoken to Pat Haden (Pat is the Athletic Director at USC) from his mother Helen. Helen Haden, inspired
her children to "Live your life so that you have standing room only at your funeral.” Helen’s words to her children have
challenged me. Specifically, what I am doing to help and support the next generation?
As VP Student Outreach, I met many special individuals. For instance, meeting Dr. John Wyatt, Contract Management
& Business Law Professor at Cal Poly Pomona. Shortly after meeting Dr. Wyatt I was swept up in his enthusiasm and
passion for his students and school’s Society of Law, Contracts & Procurement (SLCP) program. Consequently, I was
invited to be a guest speaker at a SLCP Chapter meeting and had the pleasure of meeting up-and-coming students such as
Tiffany Smith, Alan Bossano, Beatriz Acevedo, Jerry Aguilar, Marcus May and many others. These relationships led to a Cal
Poly Pomona day at JPL in which SLCP students were paired up with contracting officers in a one-on-one setting. At the
end of the day, the students received a glimpse of the roles and responsibilities of a contracting professional. Due to the
success of this event, a similar day was coordinated for students at Azusa Pacific University (APU).
In 2007, I met Dr. Ilene Smith-Bezjian, Dean School of Business and Management APU, and her outstanding staff, Heidi
Anderson Butler and others. Because of these past relationships it led to discussions about a career in procurement/
acquisition with the university. These discussions also resulted in an APU day at JPL with some of the same topics carried
over from Cal Poly’s visit. Additionally, when the chapter was finalizing the “Balance of Success” event in May, Dr.
Smith-Bezjian came to mind immediately to be one of the five panel members. In case you missed it, the topic and
personal experiences from the panel members was invaluable.
Lastly, our last event, “Recruiting the Next Generation,” was an idea from a former student, Tiffany Smith. My role as VP
Student Outreach was to come alongside her and provide the resources and assistance to ensure it was successful. Once
again, the responses and thoughts from the five recent graduates was insightful.
In Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” he writes in Chapter One “It’s not about you.” This position, VP Student
Outreach, was not about me but about helping students to be successful in their personal and work lives.
Thank you,
Steve Woo,
VP, Student Outreach
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Congratulations
NEW CERTIFICANTS & GRADUATES!
Congratulations to ANDREW PROVENZANO, who received his CFCM (December 17, 2012)!
Congratulations to BETH BARON, who received her CPCM (March 15, 2013)!
Congratulations to the CLASS OF 2012-2013 from
CAL POLY POMONA & AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY!!!
“Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.”
—Napoleon Hill
Congratulations to the newly elect
NCMA San Gabriel Valley Chapter
Board Members:
BETH BARON, President
NANCY NEILAN, VP/ 2014-2015 President Elect
DEBBIE CLOUD, Treasurer
KIN HONG, Secretary
SEAN CARPENTER, VP Awards/ Hospitality
MARISA GAMBOA, VP Communications
STEPHEN GILBERT, VP Education
DELLA BORLUND, VP Membership
RENE BARRIOS, Co-VP Programs
JAY CHHUGANI, Co-VP Programs
DEANNA SMITH, VP Student Outreach
A SPECIAL thank you-
Dale ,
Thank you for your leadership, support,
and your commitment to the San
Gabriel Valley Chapter. You made this
2013-2014 year a success!!!
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Photo Booth
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Photo Booth
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AMAZON SHOPPERS!!
HERE IS A WAY TO SUPPORT OUT CHAPTER!!
The Amazon Associates program will return 4- 6% of your purchases to
NCMA SGV for any orders placed through our dedicated Amazon link.
Go to our homepage at: http://resources.ncmahq.org/chapters/sangabriel_valley/default.aspx links section a
t the right and click on the link labeled “Click here to fundraise for our chapter on Amazon.com.”
By clicking on the link, you will automatically be directed to the chapter’s Amazon page.
You will not see any reference to the chapter name when you check out, but be assured that if you start
shopping at that link, your purchases will be credited for the SGV chapter’s rebate.
If you have questions about the program, please feel free to e-mail
Nancy Neilan at ncnoodle@aol.com.
INTERESTED IN
SUBMITTING ARTICLE?
We want to hear from you!
Contact Marisa Gamboa,
VP Communications
Ncma.sgvc@gmail.com
(818) 354-4898 PH
FIND US ON:
www.facebook.com/NCMASanGabriel
www.linkedin.com/groups/NCMA-San-GabrielValley-Chapter
WEBSITE: http://resources.ncmahq.org/chapters/sangabriel_valley/default.aspx
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