250 E Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20525

202-606-5000/ 800-942-2677

MEMORANDUM 

To: Deborah J. Jeffrey, Inspector General 

From: Michael D. Smith, Chief Executive Officer 

 

Date: January 27, 2023

Cc: Jenny Mauk, Chief of Staff 

Fernando Laguarda, General Counsel 

Gina Cross, Chief Operating Officer 

Jake Sgambati, Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Meg Ansara, Acting Chief of Program Operations 

Malena Brookshire, Chief Financial Officer 

Rachel Turner, Audits and Investigations Manager 

Subject: FY 2022 Annual Conference Report 

As part of the government-wide effort to expend resources more efficiently and effectively, 

the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L. No. 117-328) directs federal agencies to 

submit a report to their Inspector General on conferences hosted for which the cost to the 

government exceeded $100,000 for the previous fiscal year by January 31 each year. 

In FY 2022, AmeriCorps sponsored one conference that cost $100,000 or more to advance or 

implement the agency’s mission: the AmeriCorps State and National Symposium. This

important learning opportunity elevates national service and builds the expertise of the 

agency’s grantees. The AmeriCorps Seniors annual conference was cancelled this year due to 

COVID-19. Instead, AmeriCorps Seniors staff offered several low-cost virtual learning 

opportunities.

The agency looks forward to continuing to work together to make these events as productive 

and cost effective as possible while continuing to advance AmeriCorps’ mission and make a 

difference in communities every day. 

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Name of Event: AmeriCorps State and National Virtual Symposium 

Purpose: The purpose of the AmeriCorps State and National Symposium is to provide an 

excellent virtual training conference experience for participants. The Symposium is designed 

for the network of State Service Commissions that are funded by AmeriCorps, as well as staff 
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from AmeriCorps Direct grantees (multistate nonprofit programs, tribal programs, and 

programs operating in a territory without a State Service Commission). Specific attendees 

included State Service Commission executive directors, State Service Commission staff, and 

managers for tribal and direct programs. 

Participants who attended the meeting were provided with the knowledge and skills 

necessary to be successful in their roles as AmeriCorps grantees. Through participation in the 

meeting, grantee staff can consult with their AmeriCorps portfolio managers, communicate 

with AmeriCorps senior leadership and other government officials, and network with 

colleagues to learn and share best practices. 

The theme of the 2022 AmeriCorps State and National Symposium was “Creating Space For . 

. .” Grantees attended a member roundtable featuring current AmeriCorps members and 

recent alumni, the annual Excellence in AmeriCorps Awards, and plenaries on public health 

and equity. The Symposium also included collaboration cafes, peer-to-peer sessions, 

networking events, and workshops focusing on the topics of diversity, equity, inclusion, and 

accessibility; member recruitment; compliance and monitoring; research and evaluation; 

grant administration; and member development. 

Dates: August 30-September 1, 2022 

Location: Virtual 

Number of Participants: 910

Food and Beverage: $0 

Audio Visual: $141,300

Meeting Room: $0 

Materials, Logistics, and Support: $0 

Sponsored Travel: $0 

Employee Travel: $0 

Contractor Travel: $0 

Contractor Handling/G&A: $0

Other: $0

Total Cost: $141,300

Description of the Contracting Procedures Used: A procurement contract was awarded on a 

competitive basis using standard procurement operating procedures. A review was 

conducted by AmeriCorps’ Office of Procurement Services to evaluate the costs before the 

award was made. Contractors bid via a formal procurement process in accordance with the 

Federal Acquisition Regulations. All bids were reviewed for technical and financial 

requirements.