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Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin C. Conaton presents awards during the Air Force Small Business Fall Training Conference Nov. 15, 2010, in Arlington, Va. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Varhegyi)
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Air Force undersecretary presents Air Force small business achievement awards
Posted 11/16/2010
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11/16/2010 - ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- Undersecretary of the Air Force Erin C. Conaton presented the 2010 Small Business Program Awards Nov. 16 at the Air Force Small Business Fall Training Conference here.
The awards recognize Air Force individuals and activities that have exhibited outstanding performance toward employing small businesses to make key contributions to the Air Force mission.
Ms. Conaton expressed her appreciation to award recipients for making the Air Force more capable through partnerships with small business.
She lauded their exceptional performance, praising them as small business professionals who "have stood out among the crowd."
She also emphasized the importance of the entire Air Force small business professional community to the Air Force mission.
"You all put the Air Force mission first everyday and I know you use a great deal of skill and creativity in finding small business solutions to meet mission challenges," she said.
During the conference, Air Force officials also took the opportunity to update attendees on the Air Force Office of Small Business Programs' Beyond Goals strategy, which is designed to tap into the innovation, agility and efficiency of small businesses to meet Air Force mission requirements.
"We developed the Beyond Goals strategy to strengthen the acquisition process surrounding small business," said John Caporal, the acting director of Air Force Office of Small Business. "By placing the emphasis of the acquisitions on what they bring to the fight, as opposed to merely striving to meet percentage goals, we're able to simultaneously deliver greater support to the warfighter as well as greater value to the taxpayer."
According to Air Force officials, the strategy considers small business percentage goals and contracts as tools or a means to an end - not the end itself. The ultimate goal is to ensure that Airmen have access to a comprehensive set of capabilities in support of Air Force priorities.
"I applaud the strategy of 'Beyond Goals' as a way to push beyond the traditional method of measuring success by percentages," Ms. Conaton said. "Looking at numbers to measure the success of our small business programs fails to take into account whether the work is meaningful or the successful performance of the contract after the award is made.
"Instead, we must look at a more comprehensive way to measure the merit of small business solutions in meeting Air Force needs," she said.
Recipients of the fiscal year 2010 awards are:
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Special Achievement - Small Business Specialist: Lidija Erazo, a small business specialist with the 87th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Special Achievement - Unit:
628th Contracting Squadron, Air Mobility Command, Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Special Achievement - Small Business Champion: Col. John H. "Jack" Franz, the commander of the 677th Aeronautical Systems Group, 77th Aeronautical Systems Wing, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs MAJCOM Director's Award: Brenda W. Dillard, the acting small business director of the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, Texas.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Market Research Award: The ASC/XR Simulation and Analysis Facility (SIMAF) Acquisition Team, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio -Melvin Boykins, ASC/WNWK, Arthur Daum, ASC/XRA, Heather Krolikowski, ASC/FMPF, Randyll L. Levine, ASC/XRA, Evelyn Mazzae, ASC/XRA, Robin C. Stankoff, ASC/WNW, Patricia Stiles, ASC/XRAO and Gerald J. Zollars, ASC/XRA.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Denise Stice Memorial Award: Linda S. Greaves, the deputy small business director, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Tandy Weaver Memorial Award:
Neil L. Cole, the director of business operations & small business specialist with the 14th Contracting Squadron, Air Education and Training Command, Columbus AFB, Miss.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Director's "Beyond Goals" Award - Individual: Nelson Escribano, a small business specialist with the 6th Air Mobility Wing, Air Mobility Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.
--Secretary of the Air Force Small Business Programs Director's "Beyond Goals" Award - Unit: AETC Contracting Squadron, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas.
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