USACCE Presents Contracting Excellence Awards

On May 3, 2005, the U.S. Army Contracting CommandEurope (USACCE) presented its 2004 Awards for Contracting Excellence during the Contracting Command's Annual Conference (EURCON) in Bassano del Grappa, Italy. The awards ceremony was attended by 110 contracting professionals and several distinguished guests, including Tina Ballard, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Policy and Procurement, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology; Levator Norsworthy Jr., Deputy General Counsel (Army Acquisition); Tracey Pinson, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, Office of the Secretary of the Army; and Sandra Sieber, Director, U.S. Army Contracting Agency. COL Victoria Diego-Allard, USACCE Commander, hosted the event and presented the awards.

The 14 awards presented for outstanding achievement and mission accomplishment during FY04 follow.

Recognition for Outstanding Contracting Support

Contracting Officer's Representative:

* Silvano Rizzo, Construction Inspector, 22nd Area Support Group (ASG), Vicenza, Italy.

Outstanding Customers:

* Government Purchase Card Program: James R. Buerer, HQ American Forces Network-Europe, Mannheim, Germany.

* Installation Management Agency-Europe: Greg Vallery, Environmental Division, 22nd ASG, Vicenza.

* Army in Europe: ILT William Phillips, 12th Aviation Brigade, Giebelstadt, Germany.

Outstanding Support to Contingency Contracting

Emergency Essential Civilian: Thomas Copeland, Wiesbaden (Germany) Contracting Center (WCC).

Military Officer: MAJ Keith Taylor, WCC.

Outstanding Contribution to Contracting Excellence

Procurement Analyst: Joanna Rodriguez, WCC.

Contract Specialist: Patrizia Meloni, Regional Contracting Office (RCO), Vicenza.

Contracting Professional of the Year

Civilian: Eileen Hipe, RCO Wuerzburg, Germany.

Military Noncommissioned Officer: MSG Daryl Gonzales, RCO Vicenza.

Military Officer: MAJ William Bailey, RCO Vicenza.

Outstanding Contracting Team or Division

Team A, Division B, WCC.

Best Contracting Office

Tie: RCOs at Vicenza and Wuerzburg. (Note: This is the fourth year in a row that RCO Vicenza was recognized as the "Best Office.")