President's Article Initiating Supply Management Excellence By Beatrice S. Wiest, C.P.M., President NAPM-Orange County, Inc.

For this month’s article, the result of the much contested voting held by National, and a hodgepodge of thoughts, reminders and new information.

NATIONAL

• Much to our dismay, the results of the voting that concluded on January 17, 2002 did not have the outcome we were hoping for. The elections of proven board members (one year in training) at the National level were excellent choices, unfortunately the passing of Proposal No. 2, “Proposal to Amend the By-Laws Regarding Removal of the Specific Dollar Amount for Direct National Member dues” might sound the death knoll for many affiliates that depend on local membership for their continued survival.

  A total of 6,653 votes by proxy were received, (enough to constitute a quorum) of a possible 40,000 membership available. The results were as follows:

We, in Orange County will have to wait and see what effect this will have on our membership renewal, we trust that, as an affiliate we have enough educational and networking opportunities to encourage all members to re-up.¨

• The Supply Management definition shown below is from “Supply Management: An Analysis of the Expansion of the Purchasing field into New Value-Added Roles in Organizations” authored by Joseph L. Cavinato, Ph.D., C.P.M. as:

  Supply management: the identification, acquisition, access, positioning, and management of resources the organization needs or potentially needs in the attainment of its strategic objectives.

  Where are you in preparing yourself for this growing professional field that includes:

  • A leadership role
  • A management role
  • A creator role
  • A needs enabler role

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS & AFFILIATE BUSINESS

• The Forum (previously known as the June Forum) will focus on Supply Management Excellence. This “exceptional educational event” will be held at the Coastline Community College Center located in Garden Grove. The major presentations will be geared to enhance our knowledge of supply management traits and attributes. Please note the date for The Forum has been changed from May 10, 2002 to May 17, 2002 due to a conflict with another educational offering.
  
  
• A special request to those individuals attending the dinner meetings. Please complete the dinner surveys whether you are interested in the CEU or not. The purpose of the survey is to help the Educational Resources Committee plan for future presentations, and is also used to gauge the effectiveness of the presentations we are currently offering. At the last dinner meeting we only received 45 responses out of a possible 130, this is again a case of the few deciding the future for all. Please comment and provide us with your valuable input.
  
  
• During the last two months we have had “recruiters” attend our dinner meetings. The “service” has been provided to assist members that are in “transition” so they can bring their resumes and vie for any openings that may be available or might be occurring. Remember, most job openings are not advertised, but are filled from known purchasing professionals. We will continue to invite “recruiters” to our dinner meetings to help our members in their search for opportunities. At the next dinner meeting we are planning on having representatives from the “Coastal One Stop Centers”. The little known “Coastal One Stop Centers” are agencies funded by the government, and administered by local colleges to help us acquire all the right tools to find a new position quickly!
  
  
• At the January dinner meeting we bid a fond farewell to Judith Smith (nee Serner), C.P.M. as she departed California to relocate temporarily to Oklahoma for a much needed rest and convalescence.
  
  Judith’s departure left major openings in our affiliate. She served not only as a Board Director, but also as Past President and Supply Chain Showcase Chairperson. The Showcase event that was to be held on Friday, March 22, 2002 was in effect a reverse trade show where purchasing professionals would sit at the tables and suppliers would vie for the best way to solve any purchasing/supply challenges or problems. With the departure of Judith, and in the absence of another enthusiastic and committed individual to take the reins, this event has been canceled.

LIFE IN ORANGE COUNTY

• The Orange County Business Journal lists their Economic Indicators as mixed both in the OC apartment market and the employment field:
  
  
  • The OC apartment market in the fourth quarter, according to M/PF Research, with the vacancy rate rising to 5.6% from 4.8% in the third quarter while the average monthly rent rose a fraction of a percent to $1,222. Yikes!
    
    
  • The OC jobs picture in December, with total non-farm employment at 1,446,700, up 1.5% from December 2000, but the unemployment rate at 3.2%, compared with 2% in December 2000. Makes no sense to me!
    
    
  • AND, the pundit of all pundits, Greenspan, indicates he might have been mistaken two weeks ago when he indicated the recession was ending.

PASSINGS -

January brought heartbreak to Susan Odstrchel, C.P.M., CPIM our affiliate Treasurer with the passing of her husband, Dr. Gerry Odstrchel after a long battle with cancer. Gerry’s wit and sense of humor will be missed by all who were acquainted with him. Condolences to the family have been expressed both in floral tributes and our presence at the funeral services.

NAPM-Orange County faces many challenges as we strive to survive as an affiliate, and we cannot do it without the continued support of the membership. Please help us construct the future you want.