NYS Office of General Services

No pregnant mom should have to choose between earning a paycheck and getting a check up. With New York’s first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave law, Governor Kathy Hochul is making sure they don’t have to. Learn more: ny.gov/prenatal 

Thank you for joining us for GOVBUY 2024!  #ICYMI, we now have the key session presentations posted and a photo gallery of the event. Go back and reference sessions you attended or catch up with those you missed, including a recording of the “New York State Mega Projects – NYS Procurement Opportunities.”     Available online:  https://lnkd.in/dFuPUW2e  

Thank you to New York’s Veteran business community for joining us at this year’s VETCON – the Veterans in Economic Transition Conference. OGS was proud to participate in this annual event where we met with Veteran business owners and shared information on SDVOB certification and how to participate in State government contracting opportunities.     The OGS Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development was created in May 2014 through the enactment of the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act. The Act promotes and encourages the participation of SDVOBs in public procurements to foster and advance economic development in the state.     Learn more about SDVOB certification process and access the directory of certified SDVOBs: https://lnkd.in/ePBESZt     Thank you, Tully Rinckey PLLC, the Tully Rinckey Foundation, and event sponsors for organizing and hosting VETCON 2024 and supporting the Veteran community. 

Another first for New York State! OGS is excited to announce that renewable diesel is now available on centralized contract, making New York the first state in the Northeast to offer this greener alternative to fossil fuel-derived petroleum diesel. More: on.ny.gov/4gAVZNa    Renewable diesel offers several benefits over traditional diesel, including:     • Lower in CO2 emissions   • Made from fats and oils    • Chemically the same as petroleum diesel   • Can be used in any diesel engine      As New York transitions to all-electric, having renewable diesel on contract allows the state to reduce emissions from its existing petroleum diesel-fueled medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleet. This is critically important as the transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in New York.      Learn more about renewable diesel and view contract award information: ogs.ny.gov/Award-23343  

Save the Date! Join us in ONE MONTH for New York State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2025 on Friday, January 17th at 5:30 p.m. at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. Featuring a special preview screening of the 2025 Dr. King film tribute, a panel discussion with special guests, live performances & more! New York State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr 2025  🗓️ January 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.  📍 Empire State Plaza Convention Center More details to come. Stay tuned: on.ny.gov/nyking 

Last week’s Harlem Tree Lighting was a night to remember thanks to all of YOU! Thank you for making it another festive community event! And thanks to our friends at Uptown Dance Academy UDC, Sing Harlem, and Daniel Carlton! Keep up to date on future events: on.ny.gov/HarlemEvents Special Thanks to our Sponsors: WBLS 107.5 FM, Harlem Presents, Pollo Campero, Touro College, Starbucks, Harlem Community Development Corporation, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, and New York State Department of Health.

Earlier this week, the OGS Data Analytics and Business Services (BSC) teams joined forces at the New York State Government Tableau Day in Albany to showcase their progress towards building a data-driven OGS.     The Data Analytics team discussed their innovative use of Tableau to display electric vehicle data tracking New York State’s light-duty fleet transition to all-electric by 2035, including the number of EVs in use and charging infrastructure by location and type. View: https://lnkd.in/gQat82d6     The BSC shared how they’ve used Tableau dashboards to forecast staffing needs and support across the various BSC service lines, including how their new system has cut average customer wait time from 3 minutes to 12 seconds.     As Commissioner Jeanette Moy likes to say, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” The EV and Business Services data dashboards and others in the agency pipeline are essential tools for understanding our challenges, improving services, and making our work more transparent. Great job, #TeamOGS! James Sammons, Teressa Bur, Roy Hoffman, Bridget Lovell    Thank you, Tableau Carahsoft, for the opportunity to network and present to our state agency peers.

Next week!  New York State Office of Language Access Executive Director Margarita Larios will join Director Dee Daniels Scriven from the State of Colorado Office of New Americans and Statewide Language Access Coordinator Guadalupe Ayala at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) for a webinar discussion on “Emerging and Established Efforts by States to Expand Language Access.”     Hosted by the Migration Policy Institute and moderated by Jacob Hofstetter, panelists will share the innovative ways their state is working to ensure the long-term viability of language access services for residents with limited English proficiency.     🗓️ Monday, December 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET  🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/d3Q9rDUF

Attention New York Vietnam Veterans! We are seeking wartime letters for the 2025 NYS Vietnam Gallery & Memorial Exhibit “Letters From/To Home” #AtThePlaza recognizing the 50th anniversary of the war’s end. ✉️ 🇺🇸  Send to: [email protected] Exhibit opens May 2025. Make an in-person or virtual visit of the Vietnam Gallery & Memorial Exhibit: on.ny.gov/3PF8XhQ  

At the heart of OGS is a team of dedicated professionals whose experience and expertise drive the success of our agency and the services we deliver.  Last week, we held our annual Commissioner’s Performance Awards and Years of Service ceremonies to recognize these hard-working teams and individuals for their outstanding contributions to public service. The Commissioner Performance Awards were given for specific accomplishments or exemplary performance in multiple categories, including Customer Service, One OGS, Innovation, Sustainability, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Administration, Real Estate, Shared Services, Design and Construction, Finance, and External Affairs.  Congratulations to all the awardees! We also celebrated some serious staying power by recognizing employees who’ve reached major career milestones—20, 25, 30, 35, and even 40 years of service. But this program isn't limited to celebrating major milestones and achievements – it’s a chance to inspire peers, create a sense of belonging, and highlight the agency's values and culture. Cheers to all the years and #OnlyGoodStuff!