In observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October), the Illinois Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Bradley University is offering a 3-part webinar series.  Cybersecurity Awareness Month was recreated as a collaborative effort between government and industry to ensure every American has the resources they need to stay safer and more secure online.  Individuals and organizations have to do their part in protecting their cyberspace.

This series of presentations introduces the DoD’s (US Department of Defense) cybersecurity evolution from NIST 800-171 to the new CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification). During the presentations, we will explore the DoD’s rationale for implementing this, but most importantly educate DoD suppliers as to how to navigate the requirement and understand the DoD’s expectations. If you are one of the 221,000+ suppliers to the DoD – whether big or small, whether prime or subcontractor, if you handle Federal Contract Information (FCI) or Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), you will need to become certified to bid on contracts, which became a requirement in early 2021. We will conclude with a complete path forward on becoming certified and explore why the process will likely take most organizations 6 months or more to become certified.

“Compliance with industry standards for Cyber preparedness is no longer an option, but a requirement.”

Speaker – Brian Berger, President of Cytellix Corporation

Benefits of Attending:

• What steps to take to meet CMMC compliance requirements

• How to vet 3rd party providers

• Pitfalls to avoid when working towards compliance

• On-going investments to maintain compliance

About Our Speaker:

Brian Berger is the president of Cytellix Corporation, responsible for running the business that includes business operations, marketing, technology development, sales and customer success of the cyber team and its high touch services and enterprise grade technology solutions at an affordable cost. He possesses over 28 years of experience in device security, IT, data analytics and corporate leadership and has led the successful development early stage companies to leadership positions in their respective markets. Berger has led the completion of strategic agreements with multibillion-dollar cloud service providers and OEM’s, securing significant contracts in data encryption, authentication, network security, cloud, analytics and embedded hardware security. 

Prior to his role at Cytellix, Berger was co-founder and CEO of Cerberus Co., an IoT and cloud security company renowned for developing owner-based information containers managed from the cloud. Berger holds seven patents in cryptographic technology. He has served as the chairman and board director for Trusted Computing Group.

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at Bradley University is collaborating with BDG International to discuss the practicality of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Our presenter will discuss the important developments in regards to: by what means a product originates; special rules of origin as “de minimis” that has changed since NAFTA; documentation requirements and verifications. 

Topics:

-Important developments included in the USMCA

-Recovery of originating content (related parties)

-Importation of goods into Mexico and Canada

-Move those goods efficiently and legally

Who should attend?

-Businesses that export to Canada and Mexico

-Businesses who are importing/exporting anywhere

-Customs Brokers/Freight Forwarders

-Transportation Intermediaries

-Economic Development Councils

Advantage of attending:

-Product/s that did not qualify under NAFTA, it is possible that they now qualify under the USMCA

-Parts/components’ suppliers to the automotive sector may be affected by the new rules of origin

-Equal compliance responsibility for producers, exporters, and importers

-Benefits to Chapter 25 small and medium-size enterprises

Our Speaker:  Lisa Waller

Lisa is a graduate of Illinois State University, Bachelors of Science in International Business and an emphasis on Eastern Studies. In 1993, Lisa joined BDG International, Inc. Lisa has traveled professionally throughout Europe & South America and parts of Asia and is fluent in Spanish.

Lisa is a U.S. Licensed Customs Broker, IATA Certified, DG Certified, IAC Security Coordinator, a Certified Customs Specialist, and a Certified Export Specialist.

It is the goal of BDG International, Inc. to educate the public on complying with the regulations, working through incoterms and letter of credits, proper routing selection and in the end making export easier in order to assist the exporter to sell their product globally. With a team backing her, Lisa is able to put this goal into full force and speak at seminars impacting a larger audience.

• Role of the freight forwarder in an export sale
• 2020 Incoterms: how they limit the risk, cost, and loss
• Payment methods and ways to mitigate non-payment risk including understanding the letters of credit
• Credit insurance: cutting the stress and making foreign payments less risky

 Learn the basics of government contracting!  The U.S. Government is the world’s largest buyer of products and services.  Purchases by military and civilian installations in FY20 amounted to over $600 billion, and included everything from complex space vehicles to janitorial services.  Goods and services provided by the private sector are critically important for government operations.  By law, federal agencies are required to establish small business contracting goals.  Currently at least 23% of all government buys should be awarded to small businesses. Combine the federal marketplace with state and local government agencies, the total government marketplace tops $7 Trillion in annual spend.   Unfortunately, for a small business the procurement process can be complex and challenging to navigate.

The Illinois PTAC at Bradley University wants this marketplace to be as accessible as possible.  As a result, we are offering this webinar for those newly considering government contracting.  The content will enhance your basic understanding of the procurement process and introduce resources to help you determine if this customer is a good fit for your business.  We will discuss our no-cost bid matching service, necessary vendor registrations (at all governmental levels- SAM, IPG, etc.), and tools such as small business certifications that can help you succeed.  

Who should attend:

• Newly hired or re-assigned professionals in all government contracting roles at all levels and all sizes of organizations

• Businesses and organizations who are exploring or have acquired a government contract - either as a prime contractor or a subcontractor

• Specialists who have been working in limited areas of procurement; those who have not had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the total picture

• Experienced professionals needing an effective refresher, to be brought up-to-date on new rules, procedures, rights, and remedies

Topic Points:

• History of government acquisitions

• Awareness of statutes, laws and regulations

• Identifying the different types of contracts

• State of IL contracting

• Obtain basic knowledge on small business certifications

Our Speaker:

Keli Krueger-Huhra has 28 years of progressive career growth in automotive manufacturing integrating Procurement and Supply with the organization’s strategic objectives. Prior to joining the Illinois PTAC program, she was General Manager/Director, Procurement and Supply at Mitsubishi Motors North America Manufacturing Division where she was responsible for 32 direct and indirect management and staff engaged in Procurement Administration, Cost Engineering, Production Purchasing, Material and Services Purchasing, Supplier Quality Assurance and New Model Engineering and Development directing annual spends of $740M in Global Sourcing with suppliers in 266 global locations. Ms. Krueger-Huhra has received the globally recognized CPSM designation by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM).(link to Keli’s bio webpage)