Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. - On April 23, the National Contract Management Association Executive Director Michael P. Fischetti met with approximately 50 Army Contracting Command-Rock Island employees to discuss the state of government contracting and the role that NCMA has in advocating for the contracting profession.
"We are very excited that Mr. Fischetti could come speak," said NCMA Quad Cities Chapter President Gerry Haan. "We appreciate that a speaker of his caliber came to Rock Island."
Haan said Fischetti's 30 years of diverse acquisition experience, including leadership, management, policy, and contracting officer positions provides him with a unique perspective.
"In his new role as executive director of NCMA, he meets regularly with senior leaders in both government and industry which allows him to have great insight into the current happening of contracting. It was an honor that he shared many of those insights with us here at Rock Island."
During his speech, Fischetti discussed the challenges facing contracting professionals during austere times. He said he believes that there is an impression amongst contracting professionals that the effects drawdown of the wars in Southwest Asia and the sequester are impacting the budget situation much "faster and harder" than in the past.
However, Fischetti said that he would argue that government contracting has been through similar situations and that in the long-term, the need for high-quality government contracting will probably increase, particularly in the services area, due to fewer federal workers and increased reliance on contractors.
Creating and fostering professional relationships can be valuable not only for a person's career, but the profession at large and Fischetti said that the NCMA has a lot of interest and support from the entry-level employee up through the senior leader level, which is helping to enhance communications that lead to effective contracting solutions.
"We are the interface between the government and the contractors and almost nothing gets done in the government anymore that isn't done through contracting," said Fischetti. "We are the ones making those relationships effective … We can talk all day about our problems and difficulties, but at the end of the day, when we, as contracting professionals, act in concert on whatever issue it is that we are working, (it) will raise the stature of our profession."
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