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Mallela Ralliford has 19 years of public procurement experience, purchasing commodities, equipment, information technology, services, architectural & engineering services, maintenance, construction and consulting services by utilizing the various methods of procurement: requests for proposals, invitations for bids, sole source and small procurement. Mallela has worked at various levels within the procurement profession. She started as a Procurement Officer Trainee and moved up the ranks to an Associate Director to her current role as the Director of the Division of Procurement at Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA). In her current role, Mallela directs the development, implementation, and oversight of the Division’s programs, including all procurements and other related contractual agreements; the administration of the socioeconomic programs: the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Veteran Small Business Enterprise (VSBE), Small Business Reserve (SBR); and the Corporate Purchasing Card Program. Her professional procurement experience is complimented by relevant educational pursuits which includes a Master’s degree in Procurement and Contract Management, a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in International Studies. She is a certified CPPO & CPPB. Mallela focuses on streamlining the procurement processes in order to gain efficiencies and provides mentorship to junior procurement officers as we navigate through our complex legislative and regulatory public procurement environment. In her spare time, Mallela enjoys hiking in the great outdoor and especially likes visiting the National Parks & Monuments.

John Robinson, CPSM, CPPO, C.P.M. CPPB is the Director of Purchasing for the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he leads a Purchasing Team focused on best value procurement, process improvement, supply relationship management and customer engagement. Prior to his arrival at UNCW, John served as Director of Procurement for the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority where he led a procurement transformation project taking the organization from a decentralized procurement operation to a centralized procurement and strategic sourcing operation. Additionally, prior to his arrival at RDU, John served as Director of Materials Management at the North Carolina State Ports Authority and Senior Procurement Agent with the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System. John served the first twelve years of his procurement career in the textile industry with J.P. Stevens & Company. John is also the President of 1 Positive Leadership, LLC, a Certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker with the John Maxwell Team, an instructor in Supply Chain and Procurement with the National Institute of Governmental Procurement and an ISM certified instructor for Certified Professional in Supply Management Prep. John specializes in leadership development, coaching and teaching; public/private sector supply chain, procurement and contracting; employee engagement, emotional intelligence; and development and building organizational success from the inside out accomplished through building collaboration and efficiency in business processes and developing individual knowledge and skills. With more than 28 years in supply chain operations of manufacturing and public sector, John brings working knowledge and academic knowledge to your operation. Holding a Master of Science Degree in Leadership, Bachelor of Science in Business, Certified Professional in Supply Management and Certified Purchasing Manager credentials from the Institute for Supply Management, and Certified Public Procurement Officer and Certified Professional Public Buyer credentials from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council; John has invested in a career of personal and professional development focused on helping others succeed and achieve their goals.

Terryl (Terry) A. Robinson, CPPO, CPPB, MBA currently serves as the Director of Procurement and Payment Services for Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. Additionally, he serves as an Adjunct Professor and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for PCC's Logistics & Supply Chain Management Program. As PCC's Chief Procurement Officer responsibilities include, college wide purchasing, contract signature authority, p-Card Program Management, and Accounts Payable Services. Formally the a Principal Contract Officer and Lead (Supervisor) for the City of Tucson Business Services Department’s Procurement Satellite Office for the Tucson Water Department. He is responsible for managing the contracting staff and overseeing Tucson Water’s wide ranging portfolio of contracts; which have a contracting value in excess of $400 million dollars. Mr. Robinson has over 10 years leadership experience with City Government and over 15 years of managerial and corporate training experience in private sector business. EDUCATION: Holds a MBA from Troy State University (2000); is an alumni of the University of Arizona’s Eller Executive Education Program (2017); and a 7 year UABA Board Member. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Higher Education through Grand Canyon University with a dissertation focused on online collaborative learning. Mr. Robinson is currently a Certified Instructor for the NIGP. He is also an active member of the Southern Arizona Copper Chapter of the NIGP, currently serving as the chapter's VP of Education.

Renee spent over 20 years in public procurement, starting out as a buyer with Pima County, and moving up to executive management roles in public entities. Renee has worked in City, County, and Airport Authority environments, getting entrenched in procurements including those using grant funds from a wide variety of state and federal agencies. Renee has continued to work with local public and private agencies in the procurement field, primarily in a consulting role. Renee has also been a public procurement instructor for over 30 years. Throughout her career, Renee has actively participated in professional associations in leadership roles, including serving as Professional Development Chair for both the Airport Purchasing Group and the Michigan Public Procurement Officer Association (MPPOA). Renee has taught numerous public procurement and related classes at procurement association conferences, as well as within her entities. Renee holds several professional certifications including NIGP Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP), Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB),and Professional in Human Resources (PHR). She is a graduate of Troy State University (Masters in Business) and Michigan State University (Bachelors in Marketing). Renee has received awards recognizing her contributions to the public procurement profession, including the MPPOA Purchasing Manager of the Year Award and the MPPOA Marvin Klang Award, which recognizes a lifetime contribution to the public procurement profession. In addition while she was the chief procurement officer, two of Renee's former entities became a first time recipient of the National Purchasing Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award.

Bobbie Tolston, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB Bobbie developed a passion for the public procurement profession over 20 years ago. She has shared her management expertise in various capacities throughout her career. Most recently as served as the Supervisor of Procurement for Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) from 2017-2022. Bobbie is currently the Energy Conservation Resource Manager for HCPS where her responsibilities include: the development, implementation, coordination, and monitoring of the HCPS energy management program, development of employee training programs for schools and offices to promote an awareness of the energy management program and the efficient use of energy throughout the district. Bobbie has a broad range of professional experience. She has managerial experience as a 'change agent" and uses technology to enhance best practices in procurement. She has been a transformational leader for agencies such as water utilities, local, and municipal government and school district. She serves on the Talent Council and is a Liaison to the Mentorship Committee. She is a Pathways Instructor for NIGP, where she has contributed her expertise as a subject matter expert for content development for courses including Foundations of Sourcing and Contracting, Evaluation Methods, Negotiations, Specification Development and Sourcing and Contracting Methods. She is a Member of the Radio NIGP show and hosts a segment titled "Deeper Dive—make a splash”.

William J. (Joe) Tommie, CPPO, retired in 2020 after serving as Purchasing Director for Cobb County Government, GA for 8 years. Prior to moving to Georgia and county government, he served in Procurement Management positions for three South Carolina public-school districts for over 30 years. Joe has a BS Degree in Biology from Lander University and a Masters Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University. A charter member of the South Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials, Joe served as both Vice President and President. He received the South Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials Purchasing Manager of the Year Award in 2003, 2007, and 2016. In 2016, Joe was awarded Cobb County Government’s Silver Eagle Award for outstanding leadership.

Originally from Oklahoma and a proud Oklahoma State University Alum, Kristy spent 10 years as a military spouse before relocating to Virginia from Germany. Kristy completed her Masters in Biotechnology Studies in 2008 and her MBA in 2009 while working in a variety of industries. She has been in public procurement for over 11 years and now works as a Capital Contracting Officer for Loudoun County Government. Her passion to help others grow in their procurement profession began with presenting webinars on Sole Sources and Software Procurement. She has been a part of the NIPG taskforce to write the Best Practices series on technology procurement and helped to develop both the Foundations of Technology Procurement and Job Order Contracting Courses for Pathways. She currently teaches a variety of topics for NIGP, is a staff member of Radio NIGP, and an NIGP mentor.