DLA property managers earn industry-recognized certification

Eight Defense Logistics Agency Installation Management employees earned their industry-recognized National Property Management Association certification at the DLA Headquarters March 28.

As a 40-year property management professional, Paul Ortiz, DLA's Installation Management property and real estate Division Chief, received NPMA certification in 2005. Ortiz said he believes it's important for his employees to receive these highly regarded credentials from the property management industry, so he secured a contract with NPMA last year to provide training for his employees.

"Employees with certification gain knowledge in professional standards and expertise in the practice of property management. While having experience, they lack the understanding in how to do business based on t the federal property management regulations," Ortiz said. "The course provides an overview of all the property management life cycle areas such as acquisition, utilization, disposal and how the financial statement impacts the accountability of the property."

The employees, members of the DLA's Property & Real Estate Management team, represent the agency's inaugural property management certification training class. They completed an 80-hour block of instruction and exams before receiving certifications. Employees earning industry-recognized certification are Rhonda Allen, Maria Del Consuelo Badillo, Armando Plaza-Velez, Robert Eich, Keith Mattison, Leonard Farlow, Robert Holt and Thomas Ross.

Ortiz explained that based on their years of experience, the employees met the necessary requirements to receive property management certifications recognized in the private and federal sectors:

He also noted that all property certification candidates start at the CPPS level and progress to CPPA and CPPM levels.

Eich, a DLA property manager, said he was eager to take the training, having served 23 years in the Army and 15 years as a Department of Defense civilian in property management. Eich added that he has completed his CPPS and CPPA-level certifications and will be taking the test for CPPM level certification.

"With all my years of experience, I learned the Army, other federal agencies and now the DLA way of doing property accountability and logistics. This course provided insights into the private sector and answered questions about the audit process, which is something newer for me but will help me improve my team's policies and procedures in the future," Eich said. "As a perpetual learner and having 30 years of experience in property management, I found the training not only a resume builder, but another set of tools to add to my toolbox."

Serving nine years in the Army and over 20 years in property management as a civilian in wartime and peacetime, Mattison, a DLA supply management officer, had previously taken the certification course years ago but still described it as eye-opening.

"Several years ago, while deployed as government contractor doing property management work in support of the warfighter, I was first introduced to NPMA and received two certifications," Mattison said. "Attending the two weeks of training this time was quite different. The first time I took the course it was more self-paced - you would read the books and complete a proctored exam on your own. This time, I completed the two weeks of training in all the areas of property management that was more in depth before taking the certification exam."

Mattison said it has been over 20 years since completing his first certification. While going through the training with more experience than before, he said he realized he took the coursework for granted the first time.

"The training has afforded me the opportunity to network and share expertise while forcing me to look at property management from a clear lens," he said. "Having years of experience, sometimes you can lean on your own experiences too much in certain logistics management scenarios. "It's okay … to learn from the experiences of others to gain a new perspective for decision-making while still ensuring mission success for our customers."

Ortiz said the certification not only benefits the employee but DLA as well. The impact of the team's achievement extends beyond personal growth; it also brings substantial benefits to the organization: