GRO-Biz Conference

Held on March 8-10, 2022

Some recordings from this year’s event can be found in the schedule below.

About the GRO-Biz Conference

The GRO-Biz Conference is Wyoming’s premier government contracting event.

Every year, federal, state, and local government agencies pay millions of dollars to small businesses in Wyoming. You may be surprised at the types of products and services that are being sought.

Whether you’re new to the process or your business has been selling to the government for years, there’s plenty to learn at this year’s virtual gathering.

Procurement Officer Meetings

Procurement representatives from all over our region have set aside time to speak with you virtually about government contracting opportunities for your small business.

One-on-one 15 minute virtual matchmaking appointments are available with some government representatives.

This is your best chance of the year to make these connections and get all of your questions answered.

 

Click here to see the agencies that will have procurement representatives in attendance
  • National Park Service
  • U.S. Forest Service
  • F.E. Warren Air Force Base
  • General Services Administration
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
  • Wyoming Air National Guard
  • Veterans Affairs

Choose From Multiple Sessions

There will be multiple sessions to choose from, with some topics focused on the basics of government contracting and others covering issues more relevant to those who have experience or want to dive deeper into specific topics.

You can mix-and-match a schedule that is the best fit for you. Each day will offer a morning session and an afternoon session with plenty of time in between for running your business.

Choose From Multiple Sessions

There will be multiple sessions to choose from, with some topics focused on the basics of government contracting and others covering issues more relevant to those who have experience or want to dive deeper into specific topics.

You can mix-and-match a schedule that is the best fit for you. Each day will offer a morning session and an afternoon session with plenty of time in between for running your business.

Powerful Networking Opportunities

The GRO-Biz Conference prioritizes not only connection with procurement representatives, but is also an opportunity to connect with other small business owners, experts from multiple business resource organizations, and government representatives. There will be a “happy hour” connecting session and attendees are encouraged to share contact information with prospective partners and colleagues.

Speakers & Schedule

All times MST

Tuesday, March 8th

8:30 am - Welcome and Keynote

General Session

8:30 – 9:15 am

Presented by Tracy Jerman, Northrop Grumman. Tracy Jerman

Tracy Houck Jerman is the Small Business Liaison Officer currently serving the communities in and around the three missile bases in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. Ms. Jerman joined the Northrop Grumman team in 2021. Her background includes city/local government, marketing & business development in the financial tech marketplace, nonprofit leadership and being a small business co-owner in the construction, catering and design/build industries.  She has a passion for the west since homesteading in Montana 30 years ago but can also be spotted in North Dakota where her two adult children are residing.

9:30 am - Government Contracting 101 (Recording Available)

Click Here to View the Recording

Beginner Track

9:30 – 10:30 am

Presented by the Wyoming PTAC.

Janean was raised in the mountain west of Montana and Wyoming and is passionate about helping small businesses succeed in navigating the exciting world of government contracting. Janean has a background in compliance, training, Human Resources, and Equal Employment Opportunity. She and her family love the Wyoming outdoors, traveling around the state for youth hockey, and then coming home to watch the Great British Baking Show.

Katie Christensen was born and raised in Carbon County, Wyoming. After living in Oregon and Ohio, and traveling abroad, she now resides in Laramie with her family. Katie is excited to help small businesses across the state launch into and thrive in the realm of government contracting. She has worked with the Wyoming Arts Council, the University of Wyoming, and has experience with grants at local, state, and federal levels. Currently, Katie loves to be with her family outside as much as possible, enjoying everything Wyoming has to offer, except when she’s at home working in her studio.

12:00 pm - Lunch with COs

Matchmaking Session

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Hear from procurement representatives about upcoming opportunities and have a chance to ask your questions.

  • 12:00 – Eric Weisman, National Park Service
  • 12:30 – Barb Darling, U.S. Forest Service
  • 1:00 – Kelly Palmer, Bureau of Land Management

2:30 pm - DCAA Accounting

Advanced Track

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Presented by Jenny Clark.

With over 30 years working in the defense industry, Jenny Clark shows veteran entrepreneurs how to find financial freedom in federal contracting.

When veteran entrepreneurs succeed, they hire more veterans, supporting families and creating strong communities.

Known as the Oprah of Federal Contracting, Jenny has hosted the annual GovCon Summit for Small Business in Federal Contracting since 2016, focused on bringing subject matter experts and industry insiders together with small business leaders for networking and education.  She’s a co-author of the book “Becoming a Govcon Expert: How to succeed in the Government Contracting Market.”

Jenny Clark has a BA in Economics, and a Master’s in International Business Studies.  She founded Solvability in 1997 to serve the federal market, specializing in pricing strategy, indirect rate management and accounting systems.  Jenny has teamed up with RSM Federal to offer coaching services for Federal Contractors. For more resources, go to her Coaching Page at RSM Federal.

The best way to connect with Jenny is through LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/solvabilityjwc/

Wednesday, March 9th

9:30 am - Small Business Certifications (Recording Available)

Click Here to View the Recording

Beginner Track

9:30 – 10:30 am

Presented by the Wyoming PTAC and SBA.

Janean was raised in the mountain west of Montana and Wyoming and is passionate about helping small businesses succeed in navigating the exciting world of government contracting. Janean has a background in compliance, training, Human Resources, and Equal Employment Opportunity. She and her family love the Wyoming outdoors, traveling around the state for youth hockey, and then coming home to watch the Great British Baking Show.

Katie Christensen was born and raised in Carbon County, Wyoming. After living in Oregon and Ohio, and traveling abroad, she now resides in Laramie with her family. Katie is excited to help small businesses across the state launch into and thrive in the realm of government contracting. She has worked with the Wyoming Arts Council, the University of Wyoming, and has experience with grants at local, state, and federal levels. Currently, Katie loves to be with her family outside as much as possible, enjoying everything Wyoming has to offer, except when she’s at home working in her studio.

12:00 pm - Lunch with COs

Matchmaking Session

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Hear from procurement representatives about upcoming opportunities and have a chance to ask your questions.

  • 12:00 – Phil Kothe, F.E. Warren Air Force Base
  • 12:30 – Eric Rettig, General Services Administration

2:30 pm - Audit Strategies for Government Contractors

Advanced Track

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Presented by Robert E. Jones.

Award-winning speaker Robert E. Jones shows audiences how to navigate the constantly changing legal and regulatory landscape of government contracts. In his engaging and highly rated presentations, he shares insider secrets drawn from 18+ years of DoD contract and accounting experience. His proactive, decisive approach to finding opportunities and solving problems is based on experience in managing more than $400 million in federal contracts.

Mr. Jones has experience with a wide variety of speaking engagements including emcee/moderator, seminars, training, chapter meetings, and conference presentations. He engages audiences with innovative approaches to contract profitability, accounting, compliance and related topics.

The West Virginia native earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the McColl School of Business at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. He holds a master’s degree in accountancy from The Graduate School of the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He is a licensed CPA in the State of Ohio. 

 

4:00 pm - Networking Happy Hour

Networking Session

4:00 – 5:00 pm

 

Thursday, March 10th

9:30 am - Finding Opportunities (Recording Available)

Click Here to View the Recording

Beginner track

9:30 – 10:30 am

Presented by the Wyoming PTAC.

Janean was raised in the mountain west of Montana and Wyoming and is passionate about helping small businesses succeed in navigating the exciting world of government contracting. Janean has a background in compliance, training, Human Resources, and Equal Employment Opportunity. She and her family love the Wyoming outdoors, traveling around the state for youth hockey, and then coming home to watch the Great British Baking Show.

Katie Christensen was born and raised in Carbon County, Wyoming. After living in Oregon and Ohio, and traveling abroad, she now resides in Laramie with her family. Katie is excited to help small businesses across the state launch into and thrive in the realm of government contracting. She has worked with the Wyoming Arts Council, the University of Wyoming, and has experience with grants at local, state, and federal levels. Currently, Katie loves to be with her family outside as much as possible, enjoying everything Wyoming has to offer, except when she’s at home working in her studio.

12:00 pm - Lunch with COs

Matchmaking Session

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Hear from procurement representatives about upcoming opportunities and have a chance to ask your questions.

  • 12:00 – Kris Kahle, Wyoming Air National Guard
  • 12:30 – Danielle Knipper, U.S. Department of Agriculture
  • 1:00 – Tamanica Danford Leaf, Veterans Affairs

2:30 pm - Virtual Matchmaking

Advanced Track

2:30 pm – TBD

By Appointment Only (indicate your interest during registration)

Reserve Your Spot Today!

This is the best opportunity of the year to learn about government contracting and meet with procurement officers who are looking to do business with Wyoming contractors.

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Accessibility Information

Closed Captioning Available

All Wyoming PTAC programs and services are provided to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Language assistance services for clients with limited English proficiency will be provided. Contact: Janean Forsyth Lefevre at (307) 343-0765 or jforsyth@uwyo.edu

This Procurement Technical Assistance Center is funded in part through a PTAP cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency.

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