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Stacy Adams, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB is the Director of Statewide Sourcing for the State of South Carolina, Division of Procurement Services managing the State Term Contracting Teams. With 20+ years of experience, her skills represent governmental purchasing at the county, state agency and state-wide levels. Stacy is a leader who has been involved in content builds for the NIGP Pathways program. She instructs courses as a NIGP Certified Instructor. Stacy is also an instructor for courses on behalf of the South Carolina State Fiscal Accountability Authority helping procurement professionals throughout the state learn various aspects of the profession. Stacy’s desire to “give back” to the profession she so dearly loves continues in her service to NIGP and its local Chapter, SCAGPO. As an active member of both, she serves on many committees and has been awarded Buyer of the Year for 2014, was honored as the recipient of the B.D. Bland Distinguished Service Award in 2018 and the James H. Barnes Award in 2023 for her contributions to the Procurement Profession and the entity she serves. Stacy just completed her term on the NIGP Governing Board and as NIGP’s Talent Council as Chair in addition to serving on SCAGPO’s Past President Council. Stacy is a graduate of Southern Wesleyan University with a degree in Business Administration.

Stephanie Akerley, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, CTPE - Stephanie is the Director of Purchasing at Columbia Association. She partners with CEOs, executives, and end users to assist them in gaining the right product or service at the right price at the right time. After spending nearly three decades working in procurement, Stephanie knows what truly drives the procurement process —and it’s not just about knowing all “the rules.” It’s how well you connect with the people you’re trying to help and communicate your understanding back to them. This is true not only for internal clients, but external clients. Stephanie has saved millions of dollars for her employers through her procurement and negotiation skills, purchasing a vast array of products and services, including negotiating software and utilities contracts. Stephanie is a Subject Matter Expert and instructor for NIGP. In addition to teaching multiple Pathways courses, Stephanie has contributed to and assisted in the development of all the Technology courses currently offered through NIGP. In 2020, Stephanie earned her Certified Technology Procurement Executive (CTPE) certification from the Certified Technology Professionals Executives Society. Stephanie is passionate about the procurement professional and has mentored several individuals in the profession. Through her guidance, these individuals have become certified and grown in the profession.

Lynda Allair, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, has over forty years of experience as a Public Sector Procurement Leader, involving policy development, post-merger amalgamation of functional groups, complex acquisitions, project implementation and change management, as well as business transformation within the provincial, municipal and health care sectors. Lynda retired from the BPS Supply Chain Secretariat, now a division of Supply Chain Ontario, for which she was a Project Lead providing project management advice and support to the broader public sector to modernize supply chain processes. Lynda is a Content Developer and Instructor for NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement. She also instructs courses in public procurement at the University of Guelph and others upon request, as well as providing consulting services through NIGP's Consulting program. She is a frequent speaker at NIGP Forum and other public sector events. She is a Past President of the Ontario Public Buyers Association chapter of NIGP and served nearly ten years as a Canadian Public Procurement Council (CPPC) Board member from its inception. Lynda is a recipient of NIGP's 2012 Distinguished Service Award, 2021 Anne Deatherage Meritorous Service Award, and the 2024 Instructor Hall of Fame Award. She is a Lions Club member, a former Library Board member, Chair of her local Church Board and volunteers within the community.

I started my procurement journey in the private sector buying steel and related products for the fabrication of Material Handling equipment, then moved onto the Automotive industry as an MRO buyer, and finally into purchasing for the Aircraft industry before getting started in Public procurement. I spent six years with the County of Peterborough when i took on the roll of Purchasing Administrator for the City of Peterborough in April of 22. I love learning about public procurement and Since learning Lean Six Sigma, I thrive on making improvements within the procurement process. Every problem that's encountered represents an opportunity to improve a process. When I'm not at work I can be found working on projects around the house with my wife, or visiting our children (and helping with their projects).

Denise has 24 years of procurement experience, 20 of those years have been in the public sector and with the City of North Charleston, where she currently serves as the Director of Procurement. She became certified as a CPPB in 2002 and earned her CPPO in 2014.

Denise has been an active member of NIGP and her local chapter, South Carolina Association of Purchasing Officials, since 1998. She is currently serving on the executive board of the local chapter.

Denise enjoys serving her community, reading, hiking, volunteering and spending time with family. She is married to Ricky Badillo; together they have five children and five grandchildren.

Theresa is the Procurement Manager for the City of Everett in Everett, Washington. She began her career in supply chain in 1997 and joined her first public entity in 2001. She is passionate about providing the best possible specifications, coducting requests for proposals solicitation processes and administering construction projects from cradle to grave. Theresa has participated in the Specifications, Protests, and Selecting the Appropriate Construction Project Delivery Method Global Best Practice Task Force teams. Additionally, Theresa co-authored Developing and Managing Request for Proposals in the Public Sector. She frequently teaches Job Order Contracting, Construction Procurement, and Federal Grants. In her spare time, she enjoys supporting animal rescue by fostering dogs for a local non-profit. Theresa graduated from Seattle University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a dual concentration in Operations Management and Marketing. In 2021, she earned her Master of Business Administration from Central Michigan University, with an emphasis in Value-Driven Organizations.

Michael Bevis is an internationally recognized thought leader in the public procurement profession. He is currently Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Norfolk, Virginia, where he is charged with integrating business, technology, operations and budgeting goals to further the City’s commitment to grow Norfolk’s economy and adopt programs that build a solid foundation for partnering with the business community. His prior purchasing experiences have included Purchasing Agent for Arlington County, Virginia; Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Naperville, Illinois; Deputy Director of the Federal Acquisition Institute in Washington DC; Deputy Purchasing Agent for the City of Chicago and Purchasing Manager for the Chicago Park District. He also practiced law in Ohio, Illinois and before several US Federal courts before focusing on Procurement Management. Michael is passionate in his support of fellow professionals. He currently serves the Chair of the Center for Job Order Contracting Excellence and in the immediate past Chair of the Governing Board of NIGP the Institute for Public Procurement; he also represents the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management on the Global Standards Board. Michael’s professionalism has been recognized by NIGP (Distinguished Service Award, Pareto Award of Excellence, Manager of the Year, Outstanding Agency Accreditation and Innovation awards), IFPSM (the Lewis Spangler Award), National Purchasing Institute (Achievement of Excellence in Procurement – awarded to his jurisdictions 16 times). Michael’s teaching experiences include 23 years as an Instructor for NIGP, independent curriculum and training development for various agencies. He has presented academic papers and taught professional development classes throughout North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. He served as an Adjunct Professor at Old Dominion University, the University of Maryland and he has taught at DePaul University in Chicago, IL (both Procurement and Project Management Curriculums). Michael is a graduate of Georgetown University Law School (JD), Lincoln Memorial University (BA magna cum laude) and has completed post graduate studies at North Central College (Leadership Studies) and Northern Illinois University (Public Administration). He holds the NIGP-CPP, a CPPO from the UPPCC and the CPSM and lifetime CPM from the Institute for Supply Management.

Professional Certification(s) obtained: FNIGP, CPPO, C.P.M., NIGP-CPP Experience: Kirk Buffington retired in June 2019 from the City of Fort Lauderdale, FL, where he had spent the last five years as Director of Finance, Risk Management and Procurement. Services. Before serving in that capacity, he served the City as Deputy Director of Finance, Director of Procurement Services, and Deputy Director of Administrative Services. Before coming to the City of Fort Lauderdale, Kirk was the Purchasing Agent for Osceola County, FL. In addition, Kirk has purchasing experience with the Orange County School Board, as a Grocery Buyer with the Wal-Mart Corporation, and as a Receiving Supervisor with the Walt Disney World Co. Kirk has a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University and an M.B.A. from Webster University, St. Louis, MO, with a concentration in Procurement and Acquisitions Management. In August 2023, he received a Masters in Legal Studies (M.L.S.) from the University of Cincinnati Law School. Kirk has also completed the Cornell University's certification program in Cybersecurity Leadership. Mr. Buffington served as President of the Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers and was elected to the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) Board of Directors in July 2003, and served as President of NIGP from 2008-2009. Kirk received the 2013 Distinguished Service Award, the second-highest honor bestowed upon individuals by NIGP in the public procurement profession. In August 2023, Kirk became a Fellow of NIGP. In addition to his activities with NIGP, Mr. Buffington has also served the National Purchasing Institute, NPI, on their Selection and Evaluation Committee for the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award. Kirk was chair of the NIGP FORUM Selection Committee, Mr. Buffington co-authored the NIGP LEAP text “The Legal Aspects of Purchasing,” now in its third edition, and has published numerous articles in the NIGP Tech Bulletin and various articles concerning Procurement Case Law both in local news blogs and in nationally peer-reviewed academic journals. He currently authors the Legally Speaking blog for NIGP. Kirk has been an NIGP Instructor for over twenty years and has taught numerous classes on multiple topics in those twenty years. His specialties include PCard adoption and usage, legal and compliance issues, business and finance-related topics and issues, risk management, and strategic planning.

Don has practiced Professional Public Procurement for more than 43 years and has facilitated a number of classes where he has utilized his experiences and education to guide others toward increased procurement efficiency and effectiveness. He has developed policy at both the State and the University levels while also being actively involved in drafting legislation to improve state laws related to Procurement. In 2023, Don retired from Mississippi State University where he was the Associate Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer at Mississippi State University. He previously served as the Director of the Office of Purchasing and Travel for the State of Mississippi, the central purchasing authority for the State. His experience at both the state and University levels, as well as his affiliation with multiple professional public procurement organizations has afforded Don the unique opportunity to work with and assist procurement professionals from all sectors of Government. Don is a Past President of the National Association of State Purchasing Officials and was a charter member of the Mississippi Association of Governmental Purchasing Agents. Don is a Past President of NIGP as well as a Fellow of NIGP. Don serves as an instructor for NIGP and has a strong passion for continuing education and certification. He has served as the Chair of both the UPPCC and the NIGP Certification Council. While Chairing the NIGP Certification Council the NIGP-CPP was developed and rolled out to a strong welcome from the profession. His passion for education and certification inspires him to help people to improve their competencies in the procurement field. Helping people realize the impact they can have on the world, “saving the world one purchase order at a time”, is a goal Don continues to work toward.

Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the author of “Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;” a certified John Maxwell Team Coach, Speaker, Teacher, and Trainer. She's also certified to train and consult on D.I.S.C. Personality Assessment Tool. Lourdes is an accomplished procurement professional with approximately 30 years of experience, 17 of which were leading procurement transformations in large organizations. Lourdes held Chief Procurement Officer and executive level positions in major public organizations, such as: City of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, Public Building Commission of Chicago, Cook County, and City of Houston; and is now working with Canon Solutions America as a subject matter expert for government. She continues to add value to public entities through consulting, training, and as an NIGP instructor. Lourdes led transformative changes in various agencies leading to savings in excess of $150 Million, higher personnel credentials; and transition to strategic/value add operations. She authored and implemented the procurement code for the City of Houston and participated in the development of and implemented the procurement code for Cook County. Achievements include: national awards for operational excellence, cost savings, 2016 Spirit of NIGP, and 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. Lourdes also held positions on various Boards, including NIGP. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University.