Aloha Chapter - ASMC Sub Chapters - American Society of Military ...

JUNE ISSUE VOLUME 1 2010
Na Leo o Ka Luna Kālā
ASMC
“The Voice of the Comptrollers”
Aloha Chapter
Promoting education, training, and professional development in financial
Ms. Valerie Martines, COMPACFLT Director of Civilian
Personnel Programs and Command Deputy EEO Officer,
presented “Leaders Growing Leaders”
During our annual scholarship award luncheon, the Aloha Chapter
members were reminded of what mentors do for us. Albert Schweitzer
wrote: In everyone’s life at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is
then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being, we
should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Ms. Martines said, “deep relationships are formed when you share the
experiences that made you what you are today. People need your
counsel, advice, and wisdom … don’t keep it to yourself.”
Relationships provide someone to share with, someone to learn from,
someone to talk to and someone to confide in. They offer
understanding when we fail, solace in our grief, and celebration when
we continue with our lives. Prepare leaders to grow leaders by: Grow
the next generation of leaders, Shape the culture of your organization,
and Value your people and their families.
Our daily challenge is to live our character, action,
and investment choices so naturally, that we make
the best choices subconsciously
Inside this
Issue:
MAY EVENT ..................1
Join us on July 22 nd with MAJ Bradford Byrnes of
USARPAC presenting, “Ethics in Government”
UPCOMING EVENTS........2
CHAPTER INFORMATION .2
ASMC NATIONALNEWS ...3
NEW MEMBERS..............4
CDFM AWARDED............5
EXECUTIVE STAFF..........6
President’s Leadership Quote:
It takes more than just being in the front…
to be a Leader
Page 1

Na Leo o Ka Luna Kālā
“The Voice of the Comptrollers”
Aloha from the Chapter President
Mrs. Miriam Mefford
Establish a difference
ASMC
Aloha Chapter
UPCOMING EVENTS
Being an introvert, a situation presented itself during a recent
cab ride. After a 30-minute conversation, and to my surprise, I
found the experiences of my day-to-day life had value in
someone else’s – in this case the cab driver’s. Later realizing
I was placed there at the right place and time proved I had
encouraged someone who really needed it. Situations like this
occur on a daily basis, but are we aware of them?
As mentors, you may never know what your protégés or those
you lead receive from you. It may be an example you portray,
the energies you transfer, or your work ethics and values.
Believe it or not, someone will take notice of what you have
communicated. Know precisely the message you are
conveying as it will impact someone.
The message is simple. Be a
credible visionary and don’t just
make a difference... establish a
difference and let it become bedrock
for future leaders.
• RAFFLES GALOR… RAFFLE
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE MONTHLY
LUNCHEONS FOR DIFFERENT PRIZES TO
INCLUDE A TRIP TO MAUI.
GET HAPPY!
COME OUT AND
• JULY 22 ND AT JR ROCKERS
MAJ BRADFORD BYRNES, USARPAC,
PRESENTS, “ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT”
• AUGUST 16-17 GOVERNMENT
TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
PRESENTED BY AGA & ASMC
SHERATON WAIKIKI
EARLY REGISTRATION ENDS: 30 JUNE 2010
See you at the next luncheon!
Aloha Chapter Information: The Aloha Chapter of the American Society of Military Comptrollers is a
professional organization dedicated to maintaining and improving the high standards of Comptrollership.
Emphasis is placed on education, training as well as the exchange of ideas and techniques for resolving
common issues of the Services - Department of Defense and Coast Guard. The Aloha Chapter was
established in 1977. Current membership is approximately 350 civilian and military personnel, who
specialize in all aspects of Financial Management. We are located on the island of Oahu in the State of
Hawaii. For further information or how to join, contact any of the Team Service VPs listed or visit
http://asmcalohachapter.org/about.html
Mission: Promote education, training, and professional development in financial management while
fostering the spirit of interservice fellowship and cooperation.
Vision: Maintain 5 Star status and achieve “Distinguished Chapter” competition award.
Values: Integrity; Excellence; Commitment
Page 2

National ASMC Corner
White House Announces Major Overhaul
of Federal Hiring Process
The White House and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) this week initiated major changes in
how the federal government will hire workers. OPM Director John Berry stated in a joint OMB/OPM
news release that the new hiring reforms will bring the federal hiring process into the 21 st century. The
federal government, Berry said, “must cut the red tape clogging the Federal hiring process in order to
bring aboard outstanding applicants quickly.” The reform was detailed in a memo from President Obama
directing agencies to overhaul the federal hiring process within 180 days. The memo called for a
“commonsense hiring process” that allows agencies “to select high quality candidates quickly and
efficiently.”
The direction addresses two common complaints about the current hiring process: the length of time it
takes to hire, and the complicated and often confusing application process. According to federal officials,
the goal of the new process is to reduce the average time it takes to hire workers from 140 to 80 days or
less. And in a major break with the current application process, resumes will replace the much-maligned
knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) essays. The new system will have shorter job announcements.
And in another major change, managers will be allowed to hire from a group of best qualified candidates,
rather than selecting from the “top three.” Managers will also be fully involved in the hiring process by
helping to plan workforce requirements, identify necessary skills for the job, and engage more actively in
recruiting prospective employees. OPM also announced that it is launching a web site that will guide
agencies and managers through the reform process.
MEMBERS IN
ACTION
Recently receiving
their CDFM
Certification:
Mike Brown
Gloria Dabu
Mike Krisman
Desmund Lum
Mimi Shiroma
Congratulations!
Recent Poll Results
A recent poll conducted on the ASMC website asked what benefits have you attained since
earning your CDFM? Number 1 answer -- Established credibility with organization
Navy Secretary Stresses Need to Reduce Acquisition Costs
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus told a gathering of Navy and Marine Corps personnel and contractors
that the main issue facing Navy acquisition is affordability. “If we don’t do something now, we won’t be
able to build the fleet we have to have in the future,” Mabus cautioned. He further advised participants at
the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Expo that “we have to reexamine everything that we do” to ensure that
the Navy and Marine Corps has the right weapons to meet security goals and missions.
To accomplish this, Mabus underscored that everyone involved in Navy acquisition, including
contractors, must adhere to what he described as the “five governing principles of Navy and Marine Corps
acquisitions:” 1) clearly identify mission requirements; 2) raise the bar on performance; 3) rebuild the
acquisition workforce; 4) support the industrial base; and 5) make every dollar spent on acquisition
count.
In comments directed to industry, Mabus said they “have a right to expect reasonable profits” and to
expect the Navy to “have stable designs before we start to build things and that we do not change those
designs in midcourse.” But, he said the Navy has a right to expect industry to make necessary
investments in infrastructure and train their workforce to operate efficiently. Secretary Mabus added that
the Navy must streamline the contracting process. It should increase the use of fixed-price contracts,
where appropriate use incentives based on cost control, and reserve cost-plus contracts for only high-risk
ships and systems. Describing competition as creating “a more efficient allocation of our resources,” he
said that the Navy and Marine Corps should strive to “award up to two-thirds of our contracts in a
competitive nature,” and urge contractors to push for competition in their supply chain.
Service VPs are your
financial management
network link to the ASMC
Aloha Chapter:
Ms. Melody Chase
Air Force VP
Mr. James Suster
Army VP
Ms. Felicia Butala
Coast Guard VP
Ms. Debbie Gonzalez
Marine Corps VP
Ms. Mary Garcia
Navy VP
Fostering the spirit of
interservice fellowship
and cooperation…
Page 3

focus
Aloha Chapter Members in
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
Andre' Adams
Na Li Kim
Randall Scott
Linda Heffernan
Leanne H. Nishimura
Jarvis R. Baker
Lisa Kempker
Usanee Silapoosit
Arpaporn Songkunnawuttikorn
Ursula Mageary
Mary Zadlo
Christine Rae Traettino
Being a member of ASMC will…
enhance your knowledge of the financial management profession and your career development.
Additionally, it will provide you with the opportunity to meet fellow Financial Management
professionals. The materials you will receive from the national office staff will include the
quarterly Armed Forces Comptroller Journal magazine. Added benefits include:
Monthly electronic news letter with meeting information, upcoming events, and community news
about the chapter
Monthly meetings featuring professional speakers about topical FM issues
Opportunities to expand your network, both socially and professionally, through participation in
ASMC activities
Visit us at: www.asmcalohachapter.org
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Aloha
Chapter
CDFM
Ronald Ahn Michelle Alombro Rick Altman
Todd Anderson, CDFM-A Shelby Andrews-Shigaki Jemilyn Arnaldo
Amy Austgen Karen Baker Barkley
Craig Batchelder Mary Bayer, CDFM-A* Barbara Benyard
Carolyn Bethel Stephen Bialik Kenton Bradford, CDFM-A
Mark Brown Mike Brown* Angela Burgess
Dante Cacal Rosalinda Canlas David Chun
Rhonda Compton Jay Cooper Melissa Cote
Tanaka Cross Marianne Curry Gloria Dabu*
Janelle Davis
Robert DeGuzman
Cristina Deleon
Terry Emoto
Rufino Escano
Resurreccion Escasa
Mike Fernandez
Richard Fife Stephani Fortin
Awarded
Gordon Fukumoto Mary Garcia Rob Garrett
ASMC
congratulates
all from the
Aloha Chapter
who have
passed their
required CDFM
exams
* indicates award
in the last
Jill Geronimo, CDFM-A Debra Goddard, CDFM-A Rachel Goya
Paul Graves William Greer John Guardia
Fay Guerrero Kimberly Hanashiro Niles Hanashiro
Grace Hawkins Brook Hess Debra Higa
Suzanne Higuchi Al Hu, CDFM-A Tim Hudson
Cindy Ishii Valerie Jaictin Gregory Jones, CDFM-A
Marcus Jones, CDFM-A Valerie Kidani Ronald Kirkland
Sharon Kishaba Russell Kitrick Erich Klein
Naomi Kodama Michael Krisman Keith Kunichika
Wendy Kwong
Bridget LaPierre
Song Suk Lee
Tae Lee
Valerie Lee
Cole Low
Desmund Lum Krista Mangiliman, CDFM-A
Ed Manzano
Nessie Martin
Armando Martinez
Kathleen McIntyre
Miriam Mefford, CDFM-A
Joyce Meguro
Laurie Minami
Karen Morinaga
Kay Murakami, CDFM-A*
Kris Nakanishi
Johnny Naputi
Kevin Nekomoto
Lance Okihara
Jayme Peterson
David Petray, CDFM-A
Duy Pham
Raymond Potts
Timothy Prince
LouAnn Rafael
John Ramos
Kathleen Russell Kotsakis Madine (Hyun Chong) Sadaoka
Gaye Sakai, CDFM-A
Grant Schroeder
Kelly Sedlacek
30 days Colleen Seui
Debra Shigemura Lynn Shimabukuro
Kristy Shitaoka
Frederick Springer, CDFM-A
Alexandra Stone
Jim Suster
Lyle Tom
Raymond Tung, CDFM-A
Christine Voisinet Bender
Frank Winczner
Joan Yamashita
Mark Yoshimura
Janice Zheng, CDFM-A
Bill Sims, CDFM-A
Susan Steeger
Gena Stuchbery
Lyle Swapp
George Tombe
Tiffany Uchimura, CDFM-A
Kenneth Von Deylen
Michael Witsman, CDFM-A
Julie Yerkes
Betty Young, CDFM-A
Jan-Hendrik Zurlippe
Dellis Southerd
Karl Stoetzer
Gregory Summers
Larry Tanaka
Mei Tong
Steven Veach
Linda Warrick
Ellen Wong, CDFM-A
Doreen Yoneda
Jeanie Young, CDFM-A
Page 5

ASMC Aloha Chapter
President Miriam Mefford miriam.mefford@navy.mil
Vice President Mike Brown mike.brown@hickam.af.mil
Secretary CDR Fred Dini frederick.dini@navy.mil
Treasurer Gaye Sakai gaye.sakai@navy.mil
VP Air Force Melody Chase melody.chase@hickam.af.mil
VP Army James Suster james.a.suster@usace.army.mil
VP Coast Guard Felicia Butala felicia.d.butala@uscg.mil
VP Marine Corps Debbie Gonzalez debbie.gonzalez@usmc.mil
VP Navy Mary Garcia mary.c.garcia@navy.mil
Membership Linda Heffernan linda.heffernan@hickam.af.mil
Corporate Merle Perez merle.r.perez@navy.mil
Five Star Karen Morinaga karen.morinaga@navy.mil
Community
Service
Ross Okumura ross.okumura@hickam.af.mil
Publicity
Torano Harris
Norine Iha
Liane Tamaoka
torano.harris@usmc.mil
norine.iha@navy.mil
liane.tamaoka@navy.mil
Partnering Felicia Butala felicia.d.butala@uscg.mil
Program Mimi Shiroma mimi.shiroma@navy.mil
Professional
Development
Linda Warrick
linda.warrick@usmc.mil
Scholarship Mary Garcia mary.c.garcia@navy.mil
Webmaster Ron Ahn ronald.ahn@hickam.af.mil
Mahalo to the Aloha Chapter Team for your contributions to
this edition of the newsletter! We welcome your feedback.
Aloha!
ASMC Aloha Chapter
PO Box 29564
Honolulu, HI 96820
Page 6

May Luncheon – Annual
Scholarship
Congratulations
ASMC
Aloha Chapter
2010
Scholarship
Recipients
L-R: Alicia Fung of Kalani High School,
Camille Onate of Pearl City High School, and
Ai-Lynn Nguyen of Farrington High School
Page 7

Alicia Fung, Kalani High School - $1000
Ms. Alicia Fung was accompanied by her high school counselor, Mr. Mike Young.
Alicia will be attending the University of Hawaii, double majoring in Business and Engineering. She has a 4.05 GPA, scored
2140 on her SAT and is this year’s Kalani High School Valedictorian.
She is the Team Captain of Kalani’s Math Team, a founding member of the Robotics Team and in the National Honors
Society. She is very busy as a member of the Hawaii Youth Symphony, volunteers at Kahala Elementary School and tutors
her peers in Math and Science at Kalani High School. In addition, she is a talented musician and has shared her talents in local
nursing homes with her flute recitals. On her scholarship recommendation letter, Mr. Young states: Assuming multiple roles
in school and community service programs, Alicia has used her leadership skills to influence and motivate her peers as she
serves the wider community and strives to experience, understand and appreciate the human condition. Alicia will
undoubtedly become an indispensable and cherished asset of her university community making an impact that will be positive
and lasting. We congratulate Ms. Alicia Fung on her accomplishments and wish her the best in her new ventures!
Camille Onate
Pearl City High School - $500
Ms. Camille Onate was accompanied by her parents, Mr.
Robeto and Angelina Onate, and her boyfriend, Mr. Victor
Woods.
She will be attending Hawaii Pacific University, majoring in
accounting and plans to become a Certified Public Accountant
and work as an Auditor for the Internal Revenue Service. She’s
got effective time management skills being that she is enrolled
in two advanced placement classes and has maintained a 3.9
Grade Point Average, while working part-time as a Supervisor
at Charley’s Steakery.
She is very active at Pearl City High School. She is President of
the DECA Club and Filipino Club and a Board of Director of
the Leo Club. She is a firm believer in giving back to the
community and volunteers once a week for the Big Brothers Big
Sisters and participates in service projects with the Pearl City
High School Leo Club. One of the interesting things I read in
her application package was that she was interested in starting
her own teenage tax business. I googled her and noted that she
and other Pearl City studently recently placed 2 nd place in the
2010 State High School Marketing and Business Plan
competition on her business plan on Teen Taxes. One of her
teachers that recommended Camille stated: You will read about
Camille’s grades, achievements, awards, accolades and abilities,
and she wants to stress her perseverance in life. Camille had to
learn a new language, work many jobs to support her family,
and she has worked hard to become a proud American Citizen
in just 7 years. We congratulate Ms. Onate on her achievements
and wish her much success in her next journey at Hawaii Pacific
University!
Ai-Lynn Nguyen
Farrington High School - $500
Ms. Nguyen was accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Chac
Nguyen. This fall, Ai-Lynn will be attending University of
Miami majoring in Business Administration.
She has a 3.91 Grade Point Average and has been able to
maintain academic excellence while remaining very active
in co-curricular activities. She is the current Student
Government President at Farrington High School and the
President of the National Honor Society. In addition, she
is the State First Vice President for the Family, Career, and
Community Leaders of America. Her main objective in
this capacity is to promote career preparation, community
service and leadership development among FCCLA
members.
Her College & Career Counselor states that: Ai Lynn
Nguyen is definitely one of the most accomplished
students in her class. She has consistently displayed an
abundance of personal qualities which have distinguished
herself as a top student both in and out of the classroom.
Ai Lynn Nguyen’s leadership skills are evident everyday
at Farrington High School, where she has experienced
numerous leadership positions. Ai Lynn Nguyen is
President of the Farrington High School Chapter of the
National Honor Society – an honor bestowed upon
selected students who have demonstrated excellence in the
areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and personal
character. Ai Lynn has been able to successfully balance
her hectic course schedule at Farrington High School with
all of her various co-curricular responsibilities – a clear
example of her effective time management skills! We wish
Ai Lynn much success in her future endeavors at the
University of Miami!
Page 8