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October 8, 2025
Last year, I retired from working in local government after 30 years. But that wasn’t the end of my career. About a month later, I joined the procurement team at Sourcewell. A major reason was because of my experience working in local government, particularly working in a school district which set me apart.
NIGP members may be familiar with Sourcewell as a government partner that supports things like the NIGP scholarship program. The agency genuinely cares about professional development for NIGP members and for their own employees. That’s how I ended up participating in the Impact program at the NIGP Leadership Summit in 2025.
My Experience with NIGP’s Leadership Summit
I’ve been involved with NIGP for much of my procurement career. I spent 30 years in our local chapter serving on the Board of Directors as President, Past President, and Treasurer. Through that experience, I attended Chapter Academy in the past, and NIGP Forum. My previous organizations did not prioritize our professional development, so I found a way to fund my attendance because I believed in its value. But I had never been to the Leadership Summit before this year.
The Impact program at the Leadership Summit was absolutely amazing. I didn’t want to get up from my seat in class because I didn’t want to miss anything. And I wasn’t the only one who felt that way—we all shared the same feeling that we didn’t want to miss a minute of class because every single moment was so valuable and engaging. That’s a testament to just how dynamic the program is.
Embracing My Leadership Style
I am fortunate to work for an organization that values professional development in general, and specifically leadership training for all its employees, including people like me who are coming out of retirement. Some of my previous employers might have refused my request, saying that I’ve had 30 years of leadership experience and didn’t need any more training. However, my current organization was more than receptive to my request to attend the Leadership Summit.
I have a different leadership style than some of the people who have led me over the years. I think this has been received well at Sourcewell, in part because the organization is so employee-centric. But my past life in government leadership has not been quite the same. For example, I am not a micro manager, even though I have previously worked for micro managers.
Because of this, I went into the Impact program knowing that I had a certain leadership style but also knowing that I had never been exposed to formal leadership training and so I didn’t quite have the language to talk about it. Now, I know where to look for guidance and how to describe my leadership style to others. I have resources to turn to, and I also know that even though my leadership style is different from some of my previous leaders, it’s still valid.
Gaining Confidence
As the summit went on, I found myself sitting in my chair a little straighter. Overall, throughout the program I was gaining more confidence. By nature, I’m an introvert so it’s unusual for me to walk up to somebody and just introduce myself. However, at Summit I felt the confidence to do that after learning from the various presentations and activities. I met some great people who I have remained in touch with ever since.
I have been able to carry that confidence with me back to my job at Sourcewell. I find that I’m not hesitating like I used to. This blog post is a great example – before Impact, I probably would have just said no to the opportunity, thinking someone else could tell their story. But now, I see this as a great opportunity to tell my story and maybe help someone else who could benefit from feeling more confident as a leader.
If you are looking for an opportunity to grow personally and professionally, keep an eye out for next year’s Impact program at the NIGP Leadership Summit. I wish I had had this experience 30 years ago when I was first starting my career in public procurement, but I’m so grateful to have it now. It’s 100% worth the investment.
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