Secretary’s Monthly Update

Greetings,

We are excited to announce the return of the DMS Difference, the monthly Department of Management Services employee newsletter, and we hope that you enjoy reading about DMS’ news, accomplishments and announcements.

You have likely been seeing many changes around the agency, and this newsletter will serve as an additional platform for sharing

DMS happenings, both ongoing and those planned for the future.

We are continuing to build the right team here at DMS and have hired several key leaders, including Christopher Campbell, the new director of DivTel; Jeff Dykes, for the newly created Fiscal Integrity Manager position; and Tim Gibney and Kelly Loll in State Purchasing. We are also restructuring some of our functions, such as consolidating Fleet Management, the Office of Supplier Diversity, and the Bureau of Private Prison Monitoring under State Purchasing.

We continue to work on strengthening our relationship with the Legislature and are working closely with the Governor’s Office to put DMS in the best position possible to map out a successful strategy for the years ahead. I have been travelling around the state, meeting with numerous legislators in the Southeast, the Panhandle and Central Florida this summer, to build on the progress we have made so far on behalf of the agency.

As I have travelled around the state, I have been visiting many of our DMS facilities, and I have appreciated hearing directly from our employees who live outside the Tallahassee area. I look forward to continuing to visit more of you throughout the state and continuing to honor long-time DMS employees for their dedicated service.

dif ferenceThe dms

CalendarCommittee Week Sept. 19-23 The first of six Committee Week installments – Legislative Committees create more streamlined lawmaking, while also providing a public forum for bill opposition/support. Committee staff also research and make inquiries on proposed legislation.

2011 MatchMaker Conference & Trade Show 16-18DMS’ Office of Supplier Diversity hosts the annual MatchMaker Conference & Trade Show to help minority, women and service-disabled veteran vendors connect with state government spenders.

a monthly newsletter for employees Vol 1 | Issue 1 | September 2011

On the legislative front, DMS is actively pursuing its priorities, such as making state health benefits more consumer driven, working to streamline and simplify human resource policies across agencies, and developing a long-term strategic leasing plan to better manage the state’s assets.

The status of health maintenance organization (HMO) services is still in progress, but we will make sure that you have all the information you need to make the best decisions for you and your family come Open Enrollment, which begins November 7. We have included answers to some frequently asked questions on page 3, and more can be found online here. Be sure that you keep an eye out for your benefits information, which will be coming in the mail.

I encourage you to become more involved in your health benefit planning and to look at all the options available to you, including Health Savings Accounts and our high-deductible health plan options, which is a great option for many state employees. There are several new changes for 2012, and it is important that you read the benefits guide and try to attend a benefits fair, if available in your area.

We are also very excited about the upcoming Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign (FSECC), which is already underway. I am looking forward to kicking off the campaign here in the Big Bend on October 3. Read more about it on page 2.

Please feel free to share your own news and announcements with Communications@dms.myflorida.com, as well as those of your co-workers and your division. The image and standing of DMS is improving because of the hard work of our employees. Keep up the good work.

DMS Secretary Jack Miles

Employee Spotlight

Delores Terry, Accountant II Finance & Accounting Tallahassee, Fla.

How long have you worked at DMS?

I have been employed with DMS since January 2005.

What do you do for Finance & Accounting?

I am responsible for reconciling invoices through MyFloridaMarketPlace, processing phone invoices for the Telecommunications Division, FCO payments, and logging MyFloridaMarketPlace checks for vendor 1-percent transaction fees that do business with the State of Florida. I also mail out warrants to vendors, answer the main line for incoming calls from DMS customers, research invoices for payments when vendors call for backup, answer vendor questions and fax or email backup to vendors, as well as other state agencies that call for backup for payments processed within Finance & Accounting.

You have a lot of art around your work area; are you an artist?

I do have a lot of artwork in my area. I did take some art classes while in my early years of school, and I enjoy doodling and drawing. I have never been the “just plain Jane” when it comes to certain things. I have always been the type of person to be decorative – I refer to my artwork as “brown-bag art,” meaning just my own generic brand of inner-self.

Do you have any hidden talents?

My hidden talent would be that I like to cook and most of all bake cakes. I punch buttons on a calculator by day and press the buttons on a Kitchen Aid mixer at night. I was a cake decorator with Publix before I came to work with DMS, and the passion is still in me. Of course all my cakes have photo sessions; I am working on putting together a “cakefolio,” a collection of my cakes that I have done over the years.

What do you like best about working at DMS?

I would have to say that the best aspect about working at DMS is the “family work environment,” like having your own family away from the workplace. Think about the fact that you spend five days a week and, at times, more than eight hours a day with your work family. There is a kinship you will always have with your co-workers, supervisors and, not to mention, the customer service contacts you make when you communicate with other state agencies and customers we serve while representing the State of Florida. The networking is also a plus; you never know who you will meet that may share your talents and interests.

FSECC for the Big Bend Begins October 3

This year’s Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign (FSECC), which funds a wide variety of charities and worthy causes, kicks off Monday, Oct. 3, in the Big Bend. This year’s theme for the eight-county area is “Pledge Today, Change Tomorrow.” (More information will be coming soon regarding FSECC activities for DMS employees not located in the Big Bend region.)

The FSECC is the only state-sanctioned charitable drive among state employees in the workplace. It was developed by and is managed by state workers. The FSECC is administered by DMS, overseen by the Statewide Steering Committee of state employees, and operated by state employees with support from United Way chapters throughout the state, so state employees can be confident that their pledges will be put to good use.

Additionally, charities that wish to participate must meet stringent legal requirements and then be scrutinized by the FSECC Statewide Steering Committee made up state employees to ensure that:

a) they are recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and registered with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,

b) they are audited annually by an accountant in accordance with generally-accepted auditing standards,

c) they provide direct or indirect health and human services, and

d) that they spend no more than 25 percent of funds raised on administration and fundraising unless they qualify for an exception due to special circumstances.

The campaign’s 1,300+ charities range from local organizations to national and international groups, which strive to improve the lives of those in need in our communities and around the world, and generous state employees have contributed more than $88 million to the FSECC in its 31-year history.

As the campaign gets underway, expect to hear more about FSECC special events taking place in the Big Bend region between now and Dec. 1, when the campaign officially ends. There will be plenty of fun and rewarding activities for employees to support and help give back to others.

For a list of frequently asked questions regarding the FSECC, click here. For more information on how to give, click here. You can download the FSECC’s Big Bend 2011 Employee Handbook as a PDF (2.73 MB) here.

For more information, please contact DMS’ Statewide Agency Coordinators for FSECC:

Meredith Brock – (850) 487-3977 Mailea Adams – (850) 413-9503

Each month DMS Leadership will answer your questions about the agency, legislative issues, upcoming events and more. Submit your questions to Communications@dms.myflorida.com , and they will be anonymously forwarded to the Secretary and/or Chief of Staff. A selection of the inquiries

and responses will be included here in the “The DMS Difference.”

Q. Why don’t I have the same choices for my health insurance?

A. Your HMO carrier may change, but co-pays, preventive care services and other medical coverage generally remain the same. Members may continue to choose from these four plan types: Standard PPO, Health Investor PPO (high deductible), Standard HMO and Health Investor HMO.

In the past, multiple companies offered the same HMO benefits within a countywide service area, which drives up state costs. The state paid different amounts for the same services. Going forward, only the most cost-effective company in each county will administer the HMO benefits. Every opportunity to improve program efficiency helps us continue to provide health insurance to members.

Q. Will my benefits change?

A. Your HMO benefits will generally stay the same, but there are some changes to the prescription drug plan. Except for CHP Medicare Advantage plan members, Medco will be the pharmacy benefits manager for the State Employees’ Prescription Drug Plan. Certain prescription drug benefits may differ from those you have today and the preferred drug list may vary. Medco will send you a welcome kit with additional information. Please be sure your address is correct in People First to receive your kit.

Q. Will my premiums change?

A. Premium rates remain the same through June 2012. Each year, state policymakers determine the premium rates based on monetary studies of the program to ensure the program is able to pay for health care.

…………………………… For more information on HMO Procurement, a list of HMO service areas by county, and additional FAQs, click here.

BirthsJennifer Swanson (DivTel) and Eric Swanson (State Purchasing) welcomed baby Paisley Joy on May 14.

Jessica West (DivTel) and husband, James (formerly of DSGI), welcomed baby Ansley on June 13.

Carl Plyler (Retirement) and his wife, Kathy, welcomed baby Quinton July 15.

Amy Pickett (Retirement) and her husband, Justin, welcomed baby Luke on August 20.

Kurt Eckel (DivTel) and his wife, Daniell, welcomed baby Reiss on September 3.

Willie Glover (Retirement) and Carolyn Glover recently became proud grandparents to baby Trey.

A&QA&Q

ofThe Hat

Tip

Kudos for David Wiggins and Chip Mikell of Real Estate Development & Management for their work in making the Capitol Complex more accessible for disabled individuals – and also to Cliff Taylor with the General Counsel’s Office for working effectively to facilitate both a positive and constructive conduit for making those accessibility improvements on behalf of DMS

The dedicated Finance and Accounting Team went above and beyond, working long hours to ensure another successful year-end closing.

New Hires for August

Mary Leslie, Communications

Lorraine Young, Fellows - General Counsel

Anna Heitz, Office Of Inspector General

Jeff Dykes, Budget & Planning

Ann Marie Bailer, Real Estate

Jeremy Cochran, Real Estate

William Green, Real Estate

Thomas Reimund, Real Estate

Terri Williams, Private Prison Monitoring

Clarence Houston, Fellows - State Purchasing

Christopher Campbell, Division Of Telecommunications

Adam Jones, Division Of Telecommunications

Matthew Williams, Division Of Telecommunications