FMA members gathered in Alexandria, Virginia, for the association’s 87th National Convention & Management Training Seminar March 22-25, 2026. This year’s event once again included an open house of FMA’s National Office, steps away from the hotel.

FMA National President Craig Carter gaveled in the convention and provided opening remarks. Members then heard from keynote presenter Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor, who addressed many initiatives the agency is working on. Director Kupor also fielded questions from FMA members in a candid Q&A session.

Members then heard reports from national officers and Director of Government & Public Affairs Greg Stanford and held elections for National President and National Secretary. Linda S. Lentjes (Chapter 396, Mayport Naval Station, Florida) was elected to a two-year term as National President, while James Cappa (Chapter 14, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington) was elected Secretary. You can read more about Linda and James in a separate article in this edition of the Washington Report.

Attendees heard an impressive training session titled “The Truth about Leading in Uncertainty,” led by Virginia Hill from the Partnership for Public Service during a lunch session sponsored by FMA’s Naval Shipyard Conference. Chapters also met with other chapters within their Regions to discuss region business and network.

The management training seminar saw more engaging training sessions, including:

• Little Big Decisions, led by Patrick Malone and Zina Sutch from Chesapeake Bay Workplace Solutions;
• How the Training Within Industry (TWI) Training Method Engages People in Their Work and Ultimately Becomes a Competitive Advantage, led by Scott M. Curtis, President/CEO of TWI Institute and Steve Medland, Master Trainer, TWI Institute; and,
• Built to Last: Reigniting the Core of Purpose, Passion, and Performance in Government Workplaces, led by Mika J. Cross, Government Workplace Expert, CEO/Founder of Strategy@Work

FMA’s most prized awards were announced at the annual awards luncheon sponsored by NARFE and WAEPA.

Outgoing FMA National Secretary Chris Lombardi (Chapter 6, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard), was presented the Manager of the Year award. You can read more about Chris in a separate article in this issue of the Washington Report. Lavette Fargo, President of Chapter 191 (Railroad Retirement Board) received the Gil Guidry Award for outstanding chapter president. Nomana Angelo and Enrique Sabal accepted the President’s Award on behalf of Chapter 19 (Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard) for outstanding chapter, and Region 3 Director Doreen England (Chapter 170, Crane, Indiana) received the Odell Green Award for an outstanding Executive Board member.

Membership recruitment awards were also given to those who have helped build the ranks of FMA. Recruitment winners were:

• Large Chapter: Varney Range, Chapter 19, Pearl Harbor Area, Honolulu, Hawaii, recruited 5 New Members. Varney is President of Chapter 19 in FMA Region 3.
• Medium Chapter: Brad Rutledge, Chapter 34, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, McAlester, Oklahoma, recruited 18 New Members. Brad is the President of Chapter 34, which is in Region 3.
• Small Chapter: Lavette Fargo, President of Chapter 191, Railroad Retirement Board, Chicago, Illinois, in Region 3; Lauren Troderman, President of Chapter 198, Internal Revenue Service, Boston, Massachusetts, in Region 1; and, Cindy Rodriguez, President of Chapter 213, Internal Revenue Service, Brooklyn, New York, in Region 1.
• Super Recruiter: Jeris Smith, Chapter 3, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, recruited a remarkable 24 New Members! Jeris is Chapter 3 President, and has won the Super Recruiter Award the last two years!

On day three, FMA members headed to Capitol Hill for FMA’s annual Day on the Hill, where members walked the halls of Congress and provided FMA’s Issue Briefs to Members of Congress and their staff. Members reported a rewarding and fulfilling experience advocating for FMA priorities and for their agencies and installations. The event closed that night following a lively reception.

We are grateful to those who attended the convention this year, and we look forward to seeing members at future events, including regional conferences this fall. Keep an eye out for future events on FMA’s website at: fedmanagers.org/Events.