Liaisons
AbilityOne® Liaisons (federal employees designated by their agency's Procurement Executive or other senior official to promote AbilityOne agency-wide) and AbilityOne Associate Liaisons (AbilityOne supporters in field offices or other divisions who volunteer to help promote AbilityOne within their areas) provide a crucial backbone of support for the Program. This diverse group of individuals plays a key role in generating AbilityOne employment opportunities nationwide. Federal acquisition professionals, purchase card holders and others responsible for purchasing decisions, as well as federal employees who simply have an interest in disability issues and a willingness to help spread the word about AbilityOne to their co-workers, are welcome to join the AbilityOne Liaison Network.
A list of AbilityOne Liaisons and Associate Liaisons appears below.
To help reduce the 70% unemployment rate that exists among Americans with disabilities by becoming a liaison, please contact your agency-wide AbilityOne Liaison (see Liaison List below) or Eric Beale of the Commission staff.
Agriculture
Vacant
Air Force
Mr. William Sproule
Tel: 571-256-2419
eMail: william.sproule@pentagon.af.mil
Army
Ms. Felicia Harvey
Procurement Analyst
DASA (P), Business Operations & Enterprise Systems
1700 N. Moore Street, Suite 1775
Arlington, VA 22209
Tel: 703-696-7505
eMail: Felicia.Harvey@us.army.mil
Commerce
Ms. Leslie Andrecs
Tel: 202-482-4721
eMail: landrecs@doc.gov
Ms. LaJuene Desmukes
Director, Office of SADBU
U.S. Department of Commerce
14th & Constitution Ave. NW, Room 6411
Washington, DC 20230
Tel: 202.482.1472
eMail: ladesmukes@doc.gov
Defense
Ms. Pat Cleveland
Small Business Specialist, Office of Small Business Programs
Defense Logistics Agency
U.S. Department of Defense
8725 John J. Kingman Road, MS 2533/Attn: DB
Fort Belvoir, Virginia 22060-6221
Tel: 703.767.1652
eMail: patricia.cleveland@dla.mil
Ms. Susan Pollack
Senior Procurement Analyst
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
Tel: 703-697-8336
eMail: susan.pollack@osd.mil
Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Kevin Boshears
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Department of Homeland Security
7th and D Streets, SW, Room 3514-1
Washington, DC 20528
Tel: 202. 692.4215
eMail: kevin.boshears@dhs.gov
Education
Ms. DeShonjla Peterson
Contracting Specialist
Department of Education
550 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Tel: 202.245.6919
eMail: Deshonjla.Peterson@ed.gov
Energy
Vacant
Environmental Protection Agency
Ms. Corinne Sisneros
Competition Advocate, Office of Acquisition Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, 3801R
Washington, DC 20460
Tel: 202.564.4321
eMail: sisneros.corinne@epa.gov
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Mr. Jeffrey Smith
Chief Financial Officer/Procurement Executive
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
1801 L Street, NW Room 2003
Washington, DC 20224
Tel: 202.663.4201
eMail: Jeffrey.smith@eeoc.gov
Federal Communications Commission
Mr. Dennis Dorsey
Manager, Contracts & Purchasing Center
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Tel: 202.418.1952
eMail: ddorsey@fcc.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Ms. Paula Lyons
Management Analyst, Financial and Acquisition Management Div.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street, SW, Room 350
Washington, DC 20472
Tel: 202.646.4201
eMail: paula.lyons@fema.gov
Federal Reserve Board
Mr. Mike Kelly
Manager of Procurement
Federal Reserve Board
20th & C Street, NW, Room 561
Washington, DC 20551
Tel: 202.728.5862
eMail: kellym2@frb.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Mr. Eston Howard
Office of Procurement
Federal Trade Commission
6th and Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room 701
Washington, DC 20580
Tel: 202.326.2580
eMail: ehoward@ftc.gov
General Services Administration
Ms. Lucy J. Jenkins
Program Analyst, Office of Small Business Utilization
U.S. General Services Administration
1800 F St., NW, Room 6033
Washington, DC 20405
Tel: 202.501.1445
eMail: Lucy.jenkins@gsa.gov
Government Printing Office
Ms. Sally Good
Tel: 202-512-2010
eMail: sgood@gpo.gov
Health and Human Services
Ms. Debbie Ridgely
Director, Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, SW, Room 360G
Washington, DC 20201
Tel: 202-690-7300
eMail: debbie.ridgely@hhs.gov
Associate Liaison
Ms. Linda M. Purnell
Program Analyst, OSDBU
Tel: 202-690-7302
eMail: linda.purnell@hhs.gov
House of Representatives
Mr. Ronnie L. Vinson
Procurement Analyst, CAO/Office of Procurement
U.S. House of Representatives
359 Ford House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515-9940
Tel: 202. 226.0149
eMail: Ronnie.Vinson@mail.house.gov
Housing and Urban Development
Vacant
Interior
Mr. Mark Oliver
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW, MS 2252 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
Tel: 202.208.3493
eMail: mark_oliver@ios.doi.gov
Justice
Mr. Harold Belcher
Justice Management Division
U.S. Department of Justice
1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20530
Tel:. 202.616.3756
eMail: harold.belcher2@usdoj.gov
Associate Liaison
Mr. Todd Baldau
Executive Assistant
(202) 305-3582
eMail: tbaldau@central.unicor.gov
National Labor Relations Board
Ms. Angela Crawford
Chief, Procurement and Facilities Branch
National Labor Relations Board
1099 14th St., NW
Washington, DC 20570
Tel: 202.273.4040
eMail: angela.crawford@nlrb.gov
Associate Liaison
Talisa Spottswood
Procurement and Facilities Branch
National Labor Relations Board
1099 14th St., NW
Washington, DC 20570
Tel: 202.273.4040
eMail: talisaspottswood@nlrb.gov
Navy
Ms. Susan Burrows
Director, Small Business Programs
Naval Supply Systems Command
Department of the Navy
5450 Carlisle Pike, Building 310, Room 201
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
Tel: 703.604.1857
eMail: Susan.burrows@navy.mil
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Mr. Stephen Pool
Procurement Policy Team Leader
Division of Contracts and Property Management
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T-7-I-2
Washington, DC 20555-0001
Tel: 301.415.8168
eMail: smp2@nrc.gov
Office of Personnel Management
Ms. Cynthia Maltby
Small Business Program Analyst
OSDBU & Policy
1900 E Street, NW, Room 1313B
Washington, DC 20415-0001
Tel: 202.606-9316
eMail: cindy.maltby@opm.gov
Postal Service
Mr. Edward Halstead
Purchasing & Supply Management Policy Specialist
Supply Management Infrastructure, Policies
United States Postal Service
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Room 4130
Washington, DC 20260-6201
Tel: 202.268.6221
eMail: Edward.B.Halstead@usps.gov
Securities and Exchange Commission
Ms. Kim Davis
Chief, Procurement and Contracts Branch
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
6432 General Green Way, MS 0-20
Alexandria, VA 22312
Tel: 202.942.4993
eMail: daviskh@sec.gov
Smithsonian
Vacant
State
Ms. Jan Visintainer
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20522
Tel: 703.516.1693
eMail: visintainerjl@state.gov
Transportation Security Administration
US Department of Homeland Security
Transportation Security Administration
Mr. Robert J. Boone, Jr, CFCM
Program Manager
Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Transportation Security Administration
Department of Homeland Security
Tel: 571-227-1067
eMail: Robert.Boone@dhs.gov
Treasury
Ms. Robin Byrd
AbilityOne Coordinator
1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20220
Tel: 202.622.8213
eMail: robin.byrd@do.treas.gov
Veterans Affairs
Ms. Marilyn Harris
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20420
Tel: 202-461-6859
eMail: Marilyn.harris2@va.gov
How Liaisons Can Help
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As a government wide program, the success of AbilityOne depends on the leadership and interest of key liaisons in every Federal agency. On an ongoing basis such individuals help the AbilityOne team understand how it can best meet each agency's unique acquisition needs. AbilityOne Liaisons also serve as knowledgeable resources who help communicate to agency personnel how support of this program helps to generate critically needed employment and training opportunities for thousands of Americans who are blind or have other severe disabilities.
Each liaison brings a unique combination of experience, creative energy and vitality to the way in which the AbilityOne message is communicated. Listed below are a number of suggested activities that AbilityOne Liaisons can discuss with representatives from the Commission, NIB, NISH or local NIB- and NISH-associated nonprofit agencies.
Advocate
Monitor the growth of AbilityOne support within your area and help promote program visibility by reporting on the level of AbilityOne products and services that have been purchased. Also be aware of acquisition plans within the agency in order to identify new opportunities for the provision of AbilityOne items. Periodically report progress and growth to your supervisor and senior procurement officials.
Help arrange visits for acquisition personnel and others in your office to AbilityOne contract sites or NIB and NISH participating nonprofit agencies employing people with severe disabilities.
Arrange for key AbilityOne team members to make courtesy calls on senior procurement officials, particularly when a new contact person starts working with the agency.
Help the AbilityOne team locate other individuals in your agency who may also be interested in serving as a liaison with the AbilityOne Program due to a key job responsibility or personal interest in advocating for people with disabilities.
Recommend an awards program or some other appropriate recognition for agency employees who support the AbilityOne program.
Communicate
Establish electronic links on appropriate agency websites utilized by acquisition personnel and purchase card users, as well as public announcements and articles about the AbilityOne program in agency web sites, e-mail, newsletters, magazines and other media.
Periodically transmit policy memoranda and/or letters of support, which explain the status of AbilityOne as a mandatory source of supply for the Federal Government and how to support the program.
Educate
Identify opportunities for AbilityOne representatives to make presentations and/or exhibit at agency conferences.
Help arrange briefings and training sessions for key groups, such as purchase card program coordinators, purchase card users, human resource managers, contracting officials and acquisition staff.
Sponsor "AbilityOne Week" events using the suggestions in the resource book produced each year for this activity.
Attend and encourage others to attend annual AbilityOne training conferences sponsored by National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NISH. Attend other AbilityOne meetings and events, such as periodic meetings held for AbilityOne Liaisons or a monthly meeting of the Commission for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled.
Collaborate
Share your ideas with other AbilityOne Liaisons! Email Eric Beale of the Commission staff with a monthly update of your AbilityOne Liaison activities so that they can be shared with your peers.