Veterans Affairs faces probe of spending on two conferences

Originally posted by Charles S. Clark on Government Executive

In yet another agency conference controversy, the Veterans Affairs Department is under investigation for allegedly spending $5 million on two human resources training conferences at which employees may have received improper gifts, according to a Federal Times story published Monday night.

Citing unnamed sources in the VA inspector general's office, the report said tens of thousands of dollars may have gone to multiple trips in preparation for two conferences in Orlando, Fla., in July and August 2011. Employees are said to have received thousands of dollars in promotional items as gifts, including alcohol, concert tickets and spa visits, the publication said.

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GSA blasted for another over-the-top 2010 conference

Originally posted by Government Executive

The General Services Administration staged a one-day awards conference at two hotels in Arlington, Va., in November 2010 at which some 200 guests were treated to gifts such as time-and-temperature picture frames and drumsticks, according to GSA inspector general figures House Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee released Thursday.  The estimated total cost of the conference was $268,732.

"It's another sad day for taxpayers, another for an out-of-control agency," Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the panel, said at a hastily called press conference to announce a congressional investigation into the matter. "This makes everyone's blood boil among members of Congress and the public."
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2012 HCMD Awards Finalists Announced

NEW YORK, NY -- The 6th Annual Human Capital Management for Defense (HCMD) Award nominees are in and three finalists from each category have been selected by the expert panel of judges. This year's nominations came from offices and programs from across the federal government, representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service, just to name a few.
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