From Mike Bevis, NIGP Governing Board Chair

My fellow NIGP members,

This evening we will finish what, for most of us, has been a month of the new normal; staffing emergency operations, supporting care givers, first responders and other critical operations; protecting our organizations from price gougers and hustlers; fending off offers of free solutions and searching for true value for the communities we support and love.  

Some of us have accelerated the implementation of electronic solicitations and documents; some have planned and managed virtual workforces; some have kept the regular business of government going while supporting first responders. All the while caring for ourselves, our families and neighbors.  

As each of us move through fear and avoidance gaining a greater understanding of what we can do and a belief that we are all doing our best; as we move from unsettling ambiguity to finding ways to adapt to new changes, we articulate what makes this a great profession.  We focus our thoughts of others and how we can help them, identify our talents and how we can serve others, and move through today with a focus on a better future.  In these ways and so many others each of us is choosing to model the best that public service can offer.

I can’t describe how proud I am of the creativity and selflessness of the amazing individuals I work with in Norfolk, in the region, those I serve at NIGP and across the nation and the world.  Individuals who have come through again, who have risen again to meet the challenges of this remarkable world with strategic vision, insight and empathy, continuing to build a brighter future for all of us.  

Thank you for all you do and remember we at NIGP are here to support you.

  
  
Mike Bevis, JD, CPPO, CPSM, C.P.M.
NIGP Governing Board Chair