Governor’s Office of Economic Development Appoints New PTAC Director

Pete CodellaNews

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is pleased to announce the appointment of Chuck Spence as director of the Utah Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

Spence began his career at GOED in 2005 as the deputy director of PTAC. During his long tenure at GOED, Spence participated in various landmarks of Utah history, from shuttling dignitaries during the 2002 Winter Olympics to running the 8(a) Native American program a program that assists many minority populations throughout the state.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the economy,” Spence said. “Since 1985, PTAC’s around the country have assisted the nation’s small business community. Last year, the nation’s PTAC’s assisted in procuring $12 billion dollars in contracts and as much as $600 million annually in Utah alone. We want Utah businesses to know that we’re here to help them get as much of the government contracting pie as possible.”

Spence has also served in several leadership positions both locally, as president of the Utah Supplier Development Council (USDC) from 2008-2011, and nationally with the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) since 2011.  In March 2015, Chuck was elected president of APTAC. Among his accomplishments, Chuck testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee in February on issues facing defense contracting. His appointment comes in conjunction with former director Fred Lange’s appointment to a role directing a new tax credit program for GOED.

PTAC helps small businesses with all phases of government contracting – federal, state, and local. Counselors provide one-on-one and group instruction that helps clients identify contracting opportunities, which can create growth of market share and revenues for them. On average, PTAC aides in the procurement of $300-400 million in government contracts on an annual basis, assisting more than 2,000 Utah small businesses.

PTAC serves Utah businesses through eight regional managers across the state, and the annual PTAC Symposium during October provides an opportunity for businesses to network and find new opportunities in government contracting.