Contracting Basics - Demystifying the Buy American Statute and Trade Agreements Act

EVENT DETAILS:

Date: Sept. 22, 2021
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Eastern)/ 10:00 a.m. - Noon (Pacific)
CLPs: 2.0

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

This offering of DAU's "Contracting Basics" online series will provide an overview on how to comply with and implement the Buy American Statute and Trade Agreements Act in supply related acquisitions. The session will explain the process of analyzing requirements to incorporate the appropriate provisions and clauses into a solicitation and a brief summary of how to evaluate offers in response to the solicitation. The goal is to "demystify" the Buy American Statute to new members of acquisition related career fields. Although targeted to new members, existing career field members are encouraged to attend if they have any questions regarding Buy American and Trade Agreements.

PARTICIPANT RESOURCES:

• Recording
• DAU Presentation Materials
• Survey and Certificate Information (The survey must be completed to obtain a downloadable copy of the event participation certificate)*

​​​​*Some organizations in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, and U.S. Navy continue to block access to DAU's license of Microsoft Forms. If you encounter an issue accessing the event survey, please disconnect from your VPN or use a non-government network to load the page.

ADDITIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES:

• DAU Self-Paced Module: CLC 027 - Buy American Statute
• DAU Self-Paced Module: CLC 125 - The Berry Amendment
• DPC Tool: Class Deviations
• Federal Policy: United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement

SPEAKER INFORMATION:

Jeff Grover is currently serving as a Senior Procurement Analyst within the Office of Defense Pricing and Contracting, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment).

Jeff Grover has over 35 years of active federal service with the U.S. Army and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), entering initially in 1982 as an enlisted soldier and later in 1990 as a commissioned officer. Jeff Grover retired from the Army in January 2010 maintaining his current position as a Department of Defense civil service employee. Key assignments in the Army included Platoon Leader (1990-1992 – 7^th Infantry Division (Light)), Maintenance Officer (1992-1994 – 7^th Infantry Division (Light)), Company Commander (1995-1997 – 1^st Cavalry Division), Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. (1997-1999 - Training with Industry), Contingency Contracting Officer (1999-2003 – Joint Contracting Commands in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Afghanistan) and Executive Officer (2003-2004 – G-3 HQ Army Material Command (AMC)). In 2004-2007, Jeff Grover was assigned to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in Germany as the Chief of Contracting, with primary duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, managing multiple contracts supporting the Prime Vendor Food Programs in U.S. Africa, European, and Central Commands.

Since assigned to the Pentagon in 2007, Jeff Grover has represented the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in developing and implementing defense-level contracting policy. Focused initially on operational and contingency contracting policy for U.S. Forces deployed worldwide supporting Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom; currently assigned as a desk officer managing a portfolio of over 30 countries providing international contracting policy, managing Reciprocal Defense Procurement and Government Quality Assurance international agreements, Buy American Act, Berry Amendment, security cooperation, and other international procurement policy and defense trade issues.

Education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from James Madison University (1989) and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the University of Texas, Arlington (1999). Jeff Grover is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (2002).

Jeff Grover is Certified DAWIA Level III Contracting, Level I Program Management and a Member of the Defense Acquisition Corps. Awards include the Bronze Star Medal for duty in Afghanistan and the Defense Meritorious Service Medal for duty in Iraq.

Harold “Hal” McAlduff has been with DAU since July 2011, serving in a number of roles. He was responsible for all classroom and on-line Contingency Contracting, Contracting Officer Representative (COR), Foreign Acquisition (except FMS) and other learning assets before becoming a faculty member for the Capital Northeast Region in 2018. He is certified to teach almost all of DAU’s contracting curriculum.

McAlduff has almost 33 years of experience in the fields of contracting and acquisition management. He retired in 2007 with over 20 years of service in the United States Air Force. In his career with the Air Force, McAlduff served as a warranted Contracting Officer on numerous occasions, as a certified Project Manager, and in other Critical Acquisition Position assignments. Highlights include serving as the Atlas E Launch Vehicle Program Manager and Mission Integrator for NOAA and DMSP meteorological satellite missions, Los Angeles AFB; Contracting Officer for the Air Force Development Test Center’s test and evaluation range, Eglin AFB; Director of Contracting, Combined Forces Air Component Command, Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Commander assignments at the 30th Contracting Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, CA and DCMA – Buffalo, NY. Additional highlights include over six years of deployment experience conducting contingency contracting operations in support of humanitarian and Joint military operations in Africa (Somalia and Rwanda), Southwest Asia (including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan), and Southeast Asia locations (the Philippines).

Following his Air Force career, he received over 3 years of private industry experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). During his time at PwC he led many successful human capital development, organizational design, and business process re-engineering projects. Clients included Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Kennedy Center. These included serving as the technical curriculum development lead for the Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition and Contracting Intern Program; developing and delivering a wide variety of acquisition-related courseware, workshops, scenarios and case studies.

McAlduff is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and earned his Master Degree: MBA from the University of Phoenix. He is level III certified in Contracting, Level II in Program Management, a certified Project Management Professional (PMI), and member of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA).

Michelle Currier: Ms. Michelle Currier serves as Professor of Contract Management at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Ms. Currier brings a wealth of real-world experience to the classroom from her 42-year career, having served with distinction as a Contracting Officer, Division Chief, Deputy Director Small Business and Director of Contracts at the Naval Research Laboratory, Military Sealift Command, Small Business Administration, Naval Sea Systems Command, and the Army Contracting Command. Ms. Currier has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the DAU Frank J. Anderson, Jr. Leadership Award, DAU Faculty of the Year, DAU Distinguished Teacher Designation, DAU Corporate Asset Development Award, Superior Civilian Service Medal, and DAU Corporate Ask-A-Professor Award. Ms. Currier was recognized by Inside Business as one of the Top 25 Women in Business in Hampton Roads. Ms. Currier is a recognized speaker coach for TEDxDAU events.