Embracing Change While Honoring Legacy
NCMA is proud to welcome Heather Gerczak, CFCM, NCMA Fellow as the Board Chair for Program Year 2025. To learn more about her plans for the upcoming year, NCMA Chief Executive Officer Kraig Conrad, CAE, CTP interviewed Gerczak in early May.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Kraig Conrad: Congratulations Heather on being board chair this year! You’ve had an impressive career and are well respected in our community, but for those who don’t know you, could you tell us a little bit more about yourself?
Heather Gerczak: Thank you Kraig. Serving the government mission – the American mission – is in my family. We come from both a military service and a government contracting background, so it’s phenomenal that I’ve been able to give back and serve the community in this way. I have a long history with NCMA. I was a Contract Management Leadership Development Program (CMLDP) graduate in 2010, but my career really started on the civilian side of contracting – all in industry. After a few years, I transitioned into some of the larger defense contractors: General Dynamics Information Technology and PAE Inc. (now known as Amentum). My current role at Integral Federal, Inc. revolves more around business operations, but it’s been fun.
Conrad: As one of the youngest chairs in NCMA history, what unique perspectives or approaches do you think you’ll bring to the role?
Gerczak: Along with diversity of age, I bring the experience I’ve garnered from watching the profession develop throughout my career. When I first started, technology was a tool that sat on your desk. We just had standalone computers, but now we are taking a critical look at technology and how it can be leveraged to drive business.
These changes in technology have also brought about important developments for our members. If you recall in your first year as CEO, Kraig, we were talking about how to meet our members where they are and present flexible options for our events at every scale. The solution was not one size fits all. Today, whether members want to meet in person or if they want to attend virtually, we have all those options available. There is something for everyone.
This also speaks to where we’ve been as an association, where we’re going, and seeing both perspectives. At NCMA, we strive to honor both the past and the future of the profession. We especially appreciate the people that have made our progress possible.
Conrad: Given the challenges we face, of which many of us are aware, certainly, what is your vision for the future of the profession? How do you plan to work with the community to realize NCMA’s vision?
Gerczak: We will always have workforce challenges, be it the number of people available to do the job or the training they receive. But we’re really looking at how we can broaden the definition of contract management, and how we can provide more opportunities and training. When people have experiential learning, they’re more portable in their jobs; they can move into supply chain or pricing or contract management.
NCMA has also really become the place for commercial training because we understand the difference between industry-industry and industry-government relationships. We occasionally reach out to our members to ensure our standards are aligned with the actual jobs and tasks our professionals are performing in their day-to-day lives. The NCMA Standards Consensus Body conducts the job task analysis, and we ask for everyone’s help and participation. This will be sent to your email.
Conrad: A call to action there for our members. Make sure you fill out the job task analysis survey coming soon to your mailbox.
Drawing from your extensive background in large defense contracts, how can NCMA help support the workforce and the implementation of the back-to-basics framework, Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) and Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) program.
Gerczak: NCMA has taken huge strides to globally elevate the profession through its common language initiative. When we all agree on and use common terminology, it frees time for us to focus on more complex tasks. It is essential that we are included in the entire workforce, including industry.
Ensuring our certifications count towards DAWIA and FAC-C Professional certifications helps NCMA members with portability, so they easily transition into government and/or out of government and into industry. NCMA has three certifications accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) National Accreditation Board (ANAB). We’ll continue to help the government understand the value industry perspective can bring and vice versa.
Conrad: Wonderful. So, this coming year, our strategic theme is broadened. We just kicked off the inaugural NEXUS event, a quintessential part of our strategy that aims to connect professionals across acquisition functions to get contracts right the first time.
With your contract management background and your current role overseeing multiple departments, how do you envision events such as NEXUS to be able to bridge those gaps?
Gerczak: NEXUS was great, and it was a great start in building collaboration across the broader community. We will continue to expand the conversation to include more diverse teams and more industry teams. We’ll focus on bringing acquisition functions that are related – but not necessarily contract management – to interactive workshops so we can work together as a team. We really want to encourage participation from industry teams.
Conrad: This is one of our very favorite questions to ask. What advice would you give to those who are early in their careers and looking to gain competency?
Gerczak: Engage with your professional association such as NCMA, build your network of like-minded professionals, and take advantage of the leadership opportunities that NCMA offers, such as the CMLDP and the new Executive Leadership Program for mid-career professionals.
Conrad: Finally, Heather, what are some of the things you look forward to as chair?
Gerczak: I’m really looking forward to continuing the Common Language Initiative and to seeing our contract management standard become a global standard through our partnership with the World Commerce and Contracting Association (WorldCC). We believe we are truly well-positioned to unite contract management practices and elevate the profession of contract management, including purchasing and procurement. I am looking forward to embracing the future while honoring our past as the PY25 board chair. CM