CFO-ADMIN NEWS YOU CAN
USE
- A Monthly Newsletter from
the
- Office of the Chief Financial Officer
and
- Director of
Administration
November 25, 2009
Message from the CFO
In this issue of CFO-Admin News You Can Use we focus on
giving back during the holiday season. The holiday season is a great time to
volunteer and reach out and help the needy. There are a lot of
charitable organizations that need volunteers to prepare and serve holiday
meals, collect and wrap gifts, visit the sick or elderly or just spread some
holiday cheer.
The Etiquette of
Holiday Regifting
Does
the thought of regifting make your palms sweat and your pulse beat a little
faster? If so, you can relax with the knowledge that it is gaining
popularity. According to a recent poll published in USA Today, 36% of adults
engage in this activity (versus 24% in 2007). Regifting need not be the
cause of anxiety. At a time when many are looking for ways to save, it
can be an avenue to curtail excess spending during the Holiday season.
With awareness and a little tact, you can rewrap, and tie a new bow on a gift
you’ve previously received, guilt-free.
- Here are some simple things to keep in mind
when regifting:
-
Don’t offend the original gift-giver.
- This
seems to be the first rule of regifting.
Do not regift to someone in the same social circle as the original
gift-giver.
-
Make
sure the gift is suitable for the recipient.
-
Before
you mention that you are regifting, think about whether it’s necessary.
- The “don’t ask and don’t tell” policy seems
to apply here. If you think you may be
the recipient of a recycled gift, don’t frown, just graciously
accept. If you are the giver, don’t feel
compelled to share the gift’s origin.
- Package your gift nicely. Just
as with any gift, make sure it looks attractive.
- Don’t
give hand-me-downs.
- Don’t
give products from defunct companies or things you have owned for a while.
- You may want to think twice about regifting
the following: candles, soap, random books or CDs, etc.
- Rather
than recyle, consider selling a gift you can’t use on e-Bay or donating it to
charity.
- Throw
a white elephant party.
Make regifting fun by inviting others to
bring along and exchange gifts they cannot use. You
may want to visit
www.regifting.net or
Google “regifting” for other ideas. For more information contact Helen
Eliassian at (202) 482-2262.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
"Other News"
__________________________________________________________________________________
How to Apply
for a $3K Purchase Card
The single purchase limit for cardholders who are not in an
acquisition position is generally the micro-purchase threshold of $3K with a
default monthly billing cycle limit of $10K (exception for overseas cardholders
- $20K). Prospective cardholders requesting a purchase limit up to the
micro-purchase threshold will need to document satisfactory completion of the
following training:
·
GSA SmartPay Online Training - http://apps.fss.gsa.gov/webtraining/
·
Section 508 Compliance Online Training –
www.Section508.gov
·
CLM 003 Ethics Training for Acquisition - http://www.dau.mil/default.aspx
Upon successful
completion of the above online training, prospective cardholders will need to
complete the ITA2061 – Cardholder Setup Form.
Submit the setup form and three training certificates of completion to Robin
Carpenter, Agency Program Coordinator for processing.
If you have questions,
please contact Robin Carpenter at
Robin.Carpenter@trade.gov or (202) 482-4989
Deposit of Checks
Drawn on Foreign Banks in other than U.S. Currency
Periodically, offices receive checks
for deposit which are drawn on foreign banks in other than U.S. currency. Whereas checks received for deposit in
U.S. currency will continue to be sent to our lockbox in Newark, DE, these
foreign currency checks are to be sent directly to National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST) for processing and deposit. As with all deposits,
a
Collections Transaction Record (CTR) form is to accompany the deposit.
The delivery address
for foreign currency checks sent either by mail, FedEx or other courier service
is as follows:
NIST
Receivables Group
100 Bureau Drive,
MD-1624
Gaithersburg, MD
20899-1624
The
information on the CTR is critical to successful posting and transactional
interfacing to our accounting system, Commerce Business System (CBS). As such, NIST has been given
instructions to send the check(s) to ITA OFM if all sections of the CTR form are
not completed. To avoid delays in depositing the funds received, please ensure
that the CTR is completed properly.
Please
note: The CTR form is available on the “OurPlace” website. When completing the
CTR form, please ensure that fields are completed
accurately. If you
have questions, please contact Cathy Roberts at (202)482-3153.
Changes in the Budget Office
As part of
her professional development, OFM Budget Analyst Peggy Fouts-White is on detail
to the Office of Management and Budget through mid- February supporting the
development of the FY 2011 President’s Budget. To ensure continuity of services
provided by the Budget Office, Peggy’s duties have been reassigned to other
analysts.
For
Market Access and Compliance, please
contact Tammy LaBrosse at (202)482-5603.
For
Import Administration, please contact
Eileen Schultz at (202)482-5343.
Childcare Options for Commerce Employees
Department
of Commerce and ITA employees have a number of great childcare options close to
the building. The most convenient is
Commerce Kids, which is located right in the HCHB Building. Commerce Kids currently has spaces available
for children 3-5 years old, but serves children from ages 3 months to 5 years. Having your children at Commerce Kids is a
great way to get to know many of your colleagues throughout the agency that
have children the same age as yours.
The
Bright Horizons company also runs several childcare centers near Commerce,
including the “Triangle Tots” center at the Ronald Reagan Building, “Covington
Kids” at the Shops at National Place, and another location at 11th
and Pennsylvania. Bright Horizons also
offers a kindergarten program at its Triangle Tots location.
The
Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC) also offers a wonderful museum-based
curriculum for children. Although
Smithsonian employees do receive preference for slots and it is challenging to
get in to the infant classrooms, it is worth getting on the wait list. There tend to be openings in the older
classes like 3s and 4s, and it is really a rare opportunity for children to
have access to all the Smithsonian resources for their toddler, pre-K and
kindergarten years. SEEC also offers a
kindergarten program.
If you
are currently planning to start a family, it makes sense to complete an
application and get on a waiting list as soon as you know your
due or adoption date. Application fees
vary from $25 - $75. Spaces for infants
are usually the most challenging to find, so the earlier you are on the wait
lists, the more options you will have.
You’ll want to consider several factors when making a decision on
childcare for your children, including the teacher to child ratios, cost,
convenience, and location. Some parents
find it easier to find a center closer to their home, while others like being
able to visit or nurse their infants throughout the work day (especially for
children under 12 months old).
For
additional information:
Commerce
Kids: http://www.commercekids.org or
(202)482-1587.
Triangle
Tots (and other Bright Horizons locations):
http://www.brighthorizons.com/
or (202)565-3018.
Smithsonian
Early Enrichment Center:
http://www.seec.si.edu/ or (202)633-1399
Security is Everyone's Responsibility!
-
The first
three people to submit a complete and correct puzzle by December 9,
-
to the ITA Security
Office
-
Room 4109, x1205
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