CFO-ADMIN NEWS YOU CAN USE

A Monthly Newsletter from ITA Administration
Office of the Chief Financial Officer

April 16, 2009

 

Message from the CFO

 

In this issue of CFO-Admin News You Can Use we focus on a greener environment within ITA and at home.  Just as ITA is helping to shape the global business environment abroad, we can all make a difference by becoming more conscious of a greener environment focusing on ways to reduce costs and adopting best practices.

  

The Federal Government is one of the largest energy consumers in the world.  We continue to make great strides, but we can do more to lead by example when it comes to green Government.

 

Remember that recycling is a crucial part of saving the world we live in, and  making a few changes it is easy to start recycling.  Become an integral part of making ITA a greener environment!

 

I am very pleased that this issue of the CFO Admin newsletter also recognizes three long-serving ITA employees that collectively have over 100 years of public service who have some very insightful information on their careers and ITA.

 

 

EPA Aims to Recycle 100 Million Cell Phones

As part of its efforts to celebrate Earth Day the entire month of April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just launched a National Cell Phone Recycling Week. The week, which runs April 6 to 12, is a joint effort between EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling program and leading cell phone manufacturers, retailers and service providers to increase national awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling.  “With Earth Day approaching, people are thinking about what they can do to give back to our planet,” said Matt Hale, director of EPA’s Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. “Recycling your old cell phone is a great way to conserve resources and help make a greener world.”

To celebrate National Cell Phone Recycling Week, Plug-In partners across the country, including AT&T, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless, are introducing a series of in-store promotions, contests, and giveaways. The partners will provide in-store and online recycling opportunities for consumers. 

With only 10 percent of unwanted cell phones being recycled in 2007, EPA is encouraging consumers to increase the nation’s cell phone recycling rate. Recycling or reusing cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping reusable materials out of landfills. Cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are made of precious metals, copper, and plastics. Recycling or reusing them not only conserves these materials, it also prevents air and water pollution and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that occur during manufacturing and when extracting and processing virgin materials.

If Americans recycled the 100 million cell phones that are no longer being used, enough energy would be saved to power more than 18,500 homes for a year.  Donating cell phones or PDAs can also have social benefits for communities. In fact, many existing recycling programs donate cell phones that are in good working order to worthy charities, raise funds for charitable organizations, or provide them for discounted sale.

Simple Everyday Actions Can Reduce Climate Change

 

With Earth Day approaching, April might be the perfect time to start helping save the planet resources and contribute for a greener and healthier environment.  From changing you commute routine to unplugging the electronics to reusing and recycling office material, there are many ways to effectively contribute to reduce the use of energy and waste of material.  Below are a few easy actions suggested by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help make the air cleaner, not to mention that they will all help you and your office save money:

 

1. Manage office equipment energy use better
   Office equipment and electronics use energy even when idle or on stand-by. To save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at work, always activate the power management features on your computer and monitor, unplug laptop power cords when not in use and turn off equipment and lights at the end of the day. Consider using a power strip that can be turned off when you're done using your computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics.

 

2. Use less energy for your commute
   Switch to public transportation, carpooling, biking, telecommuting and other innovative ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on your way to and from work. Encourage your employer to offer commuter benefits that address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention and minimize the environmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting. If you do drive, find out the fuel efficiency of your vehicle using EPA's and DOE's fuel economy Web site, and make more environmentally-informed choices when purchasing your next vehicle by using EPA's Green Vehicle Guide.

 

3. Reduce, reuse, recycle
   Recycle office paper, newspapers, beverage containers, electronic equipment and batteries. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your office helps conserve energy, and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal. You can reduce, reuse and recycle at the office by using two-sided printing and copying; buying supplies made with recycled content; and recycling used printer cartridges. For your old electronics, investigate leasing programs to ensure reuse and recycling or donate used equipment to schools or other organizations.

 

 

Are You Going Green?

 

The March 18 issue of News You Can Use had an article entitled Saving Energy and Money. This article encouraged the Office of Financial Management to take action and get involved in efforts to recycle. Each of the 18 OFM Employees was encouraged to bring a coffee mug or cup from home to use for coffee or any other morning beverage of their choice each morning in an effort to reduce waste. Some coffee mugs were already donated by an outside source to support our efforts. One coffee cup saved each day by each of the 18 employees results in 90 cups per week, 360 cups per month and a whopping 4320 cups per year. If every one of the people in ITA were to do the same, 150,000 cups could be saved over a period of just over three months! This would save 1.7 million pounds of paper, 3.7 million pounds of solid waste and 150,000 trees over a period of 1 year. Since paper recycling in ITA has been very successful and is utilized by the majority, OFM has decided to take this a step further. While there are recycling containers located in the hallways and cafeteria, OFM has purchased receptacles to recycle glass, plastic and aluminum. These receptacles are located in our front office and make it easy and convenient for employees to recycle.

 

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Did you know?

 

Earth Day is observed in two different dates:  The United Nations celebrates it on the Vernal Equinox (first day of Spring in the North Hemisphere), which usually falls on March 20.  And since 1970, April 22 is deemed Earth Day, as founded  by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental tech-in aimed to raise awareness on environmental issues.

 

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A Great Opportunity to Broaden Your ITA Experience!

As part of his participation in the Department’s Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP), OOMS Senior Management Analyst Jeff Scherr will be on detail to OS’ American Recovery and Reinvestment Act office beginning Tuesday, August 14, and continuing into mid-August (120 days).   If you need assistance during his absence, please contact:

Telecommunications and Telephone Services:  Kelli Walters, 202-482-3265, Kelli.Walters@mail.doc.gov

Safety:  Curtis Oja, 202-482-6123, Curtis.Oja@mail.doc.gov

Personal Property:  Policy Assistance: Curtis Oja, 202-482-6123, Curtis.Oja@mail.doc.gov;

Technical Assistance: Sunflower Help Desk, 202-482-4110, SunflowerHelpDesk@doc.gov

To fill the gap in services, CFO-Admin is offering a detail assignment position to interested and qualified ITA employees who want to diversify their ITA job experience and see what the support services organization is all about.   The portfolio for this position includes taking on the following responsibilities: 

• ITA Personal Property Officer 

• Telecommunications Liaison 

• ITA Safety Officer 

• CFO-Admin Process Improvement Team Lead, and 

• Providing back up support on a diverse set of other office functions.

Candidates for this detail do not need specialized knowledge or skill in the areas list above as training will be provided... but they should have strong analytical skills, leadership capacity and the ability to solve problems.   The preference would be for someone at the GS-13 level, but strong GS-12’s who have shown initiative and progressive accomplishments in their career development will be considered.  The ideal candidate will have: 

Well-developed analytical abilities

• A high level of enthusiasm 

• A strong sense of commitment 

• A good capacity for learning quickly 

• Excellent written and oral communications skills and public speaking experience 

• Working knowledge of the ITA organizational structure 

• Thorough knowledge and experience with Microsoft Excel 

• A strong background in customer service

If you are qualified and interested in this detail and have your supervisor's support, please contact Curtis Oja, Management Services Team Leader in OOMS, at 202-482-6123 or via email at Curtis.Oja@mail.doc.gov.  We hope that you will consider this opportunity to be a part of helping CFO-Admin become your "trusted business partner." 

Speedy Processing of Travel Claims

 

Why didn’t I get paid?  We’re not hearing that much anymore .  This used to be a common question among those of us who travel for ITA.  Records will show that after getting through the growing pains of converting to the Commerce Business System (CBS), ITA has been exceeding the standard of paying all TDY travel vouchers within 5 days of submission.  However, this success rate does little for the occasional person who has their travel payment delayed because of common and easy to correct errors.  So before you submit your next TDY travel voucher give it a double look to ensure that none of these common errors that could delay payment have been made:  Missing or invalid documents numbers (in Ourplace start and submit a new form for each travel event); Missing or invalid Accounting Classification Codes (refer to Ourplace/financial codes/accounting codes); Arithmetic Errors; Missing Signatures for traveler and/or approving official; Erasures/alterations without proper initialing; Missing supporting documentation and/or receipts; and Using improper names instead of legal name.  If you have questions please contact Eileen Schultz 202-482-5343.

 

Interview with some of Long-Serving ITA Employees

From left to right:  Walter Bastian, Cherie Loustaunau and Larry Brill

 

As a follow up to an earlier newsletter article on the length of service awards, we interviewed three of long-serving ITA employees who, combined, have more than 100 years of public service with ITA.  They are Walter Bastian (WB), Market Access and Compliance, Larry Brill (LB), Import Administration, and Cherie Loustaunau (CL), Market Access and Compliance.  They were each asked five questions and the information below reflects the roundtable discussion:

 

What was one of your most interesting experiences within ITA?

CL:  While traveling with Ron Brown (the late Secretary of Commerce) to Israel in 1994, Secretary Brown wanted to go to Gaza and Israeli and Embassy officials said it would not be a good idea.  The Secretary and those accompanying him went anyway and the Palestinians were appreciative.  We met with Yasser Arafat.  On the way out of Gaza, a tire blew on one of our vehicles and everyone was concerned that it was a bomb.  That showed the tenseness of the situation.

WB:  Every day is an adventure.  I have had a run of good luck with the people I have worked for at ITA.  A number of experiences stand out as particularly important: 1) Having had the ability to establish a new office in the late 80s. I was carrying out something I wanted to and was given the resources to do so; 2) Creating the American Competitiveness Forum during the past two years, which received the Secretary’s support and is now well-recognized; 3) Representing the United States is the coolest part of the job, which makes one proud of what one does; 4) Working with young people who are better prepared, work harder and are more diverse than when we came into the government.

LB:  I have had a great run.  I began as a Management Intern and have had a great career, wonderful colleagues, and have loved working with young people.  I have had many interesting experiences, including: 1) In the 1970s, I was part of the staff that was charged with evaluating and selecting the site for the 1976 Bicentennial; 2) In 2002, I helped persuade the Department to accept the honorary designation of “Partnerland” for the Heim textile trade show, which is the largest textile home furnishing trade show in the world.  This was carried out with support of the Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary and the resources of ITA and other Federal agencies.  Over 80 countries participated in the trade show. 

 

What was one of your best lessons learned?

LB:  It is important to always operate within in your programs’ authority and budget.   Always ensure that staff is sensitive to this. Management does not like surprises.

WB:  Good ideas can sell any product.  Foster creativity in your staff and reward them as much as you can.  I encourage my staff to complete core duties and then focus on trade-related work that they want to do.  It is important to learn how to sell your work and to make your own breaks.

CL:  The best boss I ever had told the staff that she expected competence and looked for excellence.  I have found that you generally get what you expect from your employees.   I have hired all of my staff that I have now and that is very satisfying.

 

Why did you decide to make a career in the Federal government in general and in ITA in particular?

CL:  I wanted to go into international affairs and in college I became interested in economics.  I learned of a vacancy in the Bureau of International Commerce in 1967, and have been here since.

WB:  I worked in Latin America and grew up there because my father was in the Foreign Service.  In fact, several generations of my family were involved in public service.  I spent five years in the Air Force and one year at a commercial bank, which I did not like.  In 1974, I started in ITA (and never left).

LB:  I did not intend to work for the Federal government after graduating from the University School of Management, now the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.  I had accepted a job at Sears but received a call from Commerce offering me a Management Intern position in ITA’s predecessor organization and it sounded interesting.  As a fourth generation Washingtonian and for personal reasons, I wanted to stay in DC.  Over a four year period, there were a series of six-month rotational assignments.  In the fourth year, Commerce paid for graduate school and I was assigned to the Office of Legislative Affairs in ITA where my boss suggested I go to law school, which I did at night.  Commerce paid for many, but not all of the courses that led to my JD degree, thus creating an obligation to work at Commerce for about eight years after graduation.  By that time, I had so much time invested that a government career became a very good option. This decision was easy to make since I liked my job and my colleagues. What advice can you offer those just starting out their career in the Federal government?

CL:  If you like your job and you are doing what you want, you work through the negatives.  If you are not doing what you like, then go toward something you want.  Don’t run away from something.

 

WB: Take advantage of the opportunities your job offers.  The jobs in ITA afford you the opportunity to represent your country in bilateral and multilateral environments.  These opportunities frequently come during the early stages of your career.  Many private sector officials have told me that they simply don't get the same level of responsibility at commensurate points in their careers.  Don't forget who you are working for.  Remember that if you do your job well, you can walk away from an initiative or a project knowing that you have helped set the stage for increased economic growth and job creation. Also, don't be afraid of change.  It is inherent in the system. Changes in programs, changes in personnel, changes in policy are some of the challenges we face. They are not insurmountable and should not hinder our ability to perform. LB: In the Federal government, you can grow with your responsibilities and what you can achieve. Starting out in a Federal career, you can receive far more responsibility than in the private sector because skill sets and objectives are different. Be sure you like your job or you should leave. Employees should always be trying to achieve their potential. The Federal government provides the opportunity for a good career. WB: As an aside, I have several friends whom I have known for years: one is in real estate and successful, one is a senior vice president for an insurance company, another is a senior vice president for a bank, and yet another is a writer. I would not trade my experiences with any of them. Working for a Cabinet Officer is a big deal. What is your favorite lunch spot around Commerce and how do you spend your lunch period? WB: I have lunch almost every day with 10 to 12 members of the staff in the cafeteria. One rule is that you cannot talk about work and the conversation is off the record. My staff gets along very well. I often read cables at lunch time.  There is an Indian vegetarian take out place in the Post Office Pavilion that I go to a couple of times a week. I encourage people, whenever your workload and schedule permit, to get out of the office for 30 minutes every day. There are museums and art galleries and lots of other things to see in this area. The break helps to clear your mind and re-energize yourself. Each interviewee noted that there are many more restaurant choices in the area than when they first started at Commerce.  Some of the local restaurant options mentioned were Old Ebbitt Grill, Avenue Grill in the Marriott, and Market to Market, Fine Foods near the Woodrow Wilson Plaza.

 

If you have 38 years or more of federal services and are in ITA, we would like to hear from you.  For more information contact Marcia Tyler at 202-482-2850 or via email Marcia.Tyler@mail.doc.gov.

 

 

 Send your suggestions or comments about this newsletter to Nina.Harris@mail.doc.gov