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Maureen currently works for the Virginia IT Agency (VITA) with in its Supplier Strategy and Performance Division as a Senior Commercial Contract Manager; she is responsible for the day-to-day management of 2- multi million dollar IT Infrastructure Services Platform contracts. Maureen has over 34 years of experience in Public Procurement. She served in the United States Air Force, worked for Miami-Dade Transit Agency in Miami Florida, for the City of Richmond in Richmond Virginia and the Department of General Services in Richmond VA. Maureen has held positions as a Buyer, Contracting Officer, Senior Contract Officer, Contract Administrator, Procurement Management Account Executive and Senor Commercial Contract Manager. Maureen has a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and holds CPPO, CPPB, and VCO certifications and instructs independently and for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.

Professional Certification(s) obtained: CPPO, B.S. Economics; University of Minnesota M.S. Contract Administration and Acquisition; Florida Institute of Technology

Experience:
Bill is the Director of Purchasing for Stearns County Minnesota. He has Experience in Design Build and Traditional bidding. He has developed numerous RFP’s for several enterprise software systems, website projects and professional services including; County financial system, Zoning and planning consultants, architects and automation of Law Enforcement operations and 800 mhz radio. Bill is adjunct professor for Florida Atlantic University, he teaches Contract Administration for graduate and undergraduates.

Bill is a master instructor for NIGP.

Bill has authored several procurement texts; The 2004 NIGP Contract Administration text, and was the text editor for the 1999 Intermediate Public Procurement text, lead author for the 2000 Contract Management text.

Bill has had 3 papers, on Contract Administration, accepted for publication in the Journal of Public Procurement and Journal of Research Management. These papers have been presented at the 2nd and 3rd annual International Public Procurement Conferences. Bill was selected by NIGP as the 2000 National Manager of the Year.

On the Faculty of:
Fundamentals of Leadership & Management
Introduction to Public Procurement
Contract Administration
CPPO Prep
CPPB Prep
Protest and Disputes: What's a Buyer to Do?

Originally from Australia, Nathan worked as an attorney both Down Under and in the UK before he found his true calling – procurement. He currently works for Lexington County School District One in Columbia, South Carolina buying goods and services (mainly IT-related) to help the schools prepare our leaders of tomorrow. Nathan also teaches NIGP classes to procurement professionals around the country, specializing in Technology and Cloud Procurement. And no, he does not know Chris Hemsworth.

Stéphanie Dion is a distinguished procurement professional with over 20 years of experience across diverse public sectors, currently serving as the Procurement Manager for Canoe Procurement Group of Canada. With a NIGP-CPP and CPPB certifications, her expertise is further validated by her past roles as the Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence for the Government of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro and Government of Yukon. Originating from a background in education, Stéphanie holds a teaching degree and is deeply involved in various professional development initiatives internationally. She is the co-founder of the RFPDreamTeam, is an active participant in professional associations since 2012 and a recent appointee to the NIGP Certification Commission. Stéphanie’s commitment to the field is recognized by her 2021 NIGP Buyer of the Year Award and contributions to Supply Pro Magazine.

Sydnee Distance is a Contract Management professional hailing from Baltimore, MD. Ms. Distance began her career in grant management while working on her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Capitol Technology University in Laurel, MD. Shortly after graduation, Sydnee transitioned to private-sector contracting at Oracle. In 2014, Ms. Distance graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a Master of Science in Acquisition and Contract Management. During that time, Ms. Distance moved to state government, where she served as a Budget Analyst and a Procurement Lead. In 2020, Sydnee moved to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, where she currently serves as a Senior Contract Administrator (CA III) with a $1 million dollar warrant. Ms. Distance is deeply passionate about contracting and procurement and continuously seeks to expand her knowledge in this field. Sydnee holds three certifications in government contracting, namely the Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) from UPPCC, the Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP) from NIGP, and the recently obtained Certified Contract Management Associate (CCMA) from NCMA. Sydnee is currently attending Northcentral University while she pursues a Doctor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership with a minor in Education. Sydnee has found her passion in procurement education and recently designed and created an "Onboarding and Training" four-part course at Washington Metro for new hires Outside of her professional pursuits, Sydnee finds fulfillment in her three main forces in life: family, traveling, and her passion for her work. Guided by the belief that what you give to the world comes back to you, she embraces the golden rule of treating others with love, kindness, and respect.

Professional Certification(s) obtained: CPPO, CPPB

Experience: Carolyn retired from Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Finance and Administration Cabinet, Division of Engineering & Contract Administration (DECA), where she served a Strategic Procurement Specialist III.

> With over 29 years of experience, she has held a variety of positions in both the private and public sectors. Carolyn started her formal procurement career in the private sector, purchasing IT hardware, software, and paper goods for manufacturing plants, including Whirlpool Corporation. Later, she took a public procurement position at the Cabinet for Health & Family Services (CHFS), where she began as Administrative Secretary to the Branch Manager of the Procurement Dept. There, she moved through the ranks of Purchasing Officer I, II, III, Purchasing Agent I, and Internal Policy Analyst II, conducting complex Request For Proposals (RFPs) for Child Support, Food Stamps, Medicaid, IT technology, maintenance agreements, copiers, cell phones, etc. She also conducted solicitations for construction projects, equipment, maintenance, repairs, and Capital projects for the various State agencies, as well as the Kentucky universities and Department of Military Affairs.

Carolyn is a long time member and served as Chapter President for the Kentucky Public Procurement Association (KPPA) and serves on the Forum Committee for NIGP

NIGP Courses / Topics:
Contract Administration
Contracting for Construction Services
CPPO PREP
CPPB PREP
Developing and Managing Requests for Proposals
Introduction to Public Procurement

Elvia Fernandez is the owner of Elvia R Fernandez Consulting, LLC; a former Deputy Chief Procurement Officer with 25 years of experience in different facets of procurement. Elvia held senior leadership positions in procurement for large government agencies, such as the City of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Cook County Government. She has a track record of leading her teams to achieve high levels of productivity, efficiency, and sustainable results. Elvia is a hands-on leader experienced in various facets of procurement including but not limited to construction, A&E, and a variety of goods and services. She is also experienced in monitoring and compliance with diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana, where she obtained her B.S. in Business Administration; holds dual certifications from the Universal Procurement Certification Council: CPPB and CPPO; National Institute of Governmental Purchasing’s Certified Procurement Professional designation (NIGP-CPP); and is a certified Maxwell Leadership Team Coach, Speaker, and Trainer; a DISC Personality Assessment Trainer; a Dr. Amen Brain Health Licensed Trainer; and Neuroencoding Specialist. Elvia is an ambassador member and team lead of Empowered Living and a NIGP Consultant.

Denise is a seasoned Procurement Professional with almost thirty years of experience. Her leadership style emphasizes innovation and collaboration to achieve successful process improvements. She has a strong track record of designing and implementing outcome-oriented policies and programs that enhance talent development, boost organizational effectiveness, and promote transparency in public procurement. She is deeply passionate about the public procurement profession, with a commitment to certification, continuing education, and she enjoys sharing her expertise with others. She offers her services through consulting, mentoring, professional training, teaching and public speaking. She serves as the immediate Past President of the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officers (FAPPO) and represents NIGP on the NCPPC; she recently was appointed to the NIGP Leadership Development Committee (LDC). www.linkedin.com/in/DeniseKFinn

Robin Friefield-Hudson started her career with the City of Mississauga in 2003 working in Risk Management after having worked in the insurance industry for over a decade. She transferred to procurement in 2007 and is currently a Procurement Specialist. She obtained her Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification in 2017. Robin is a member of the editorial board of the Ontario Public Buyers Association e-news, Caveat Emptor and enjoys writing articles sharing her perspectives on various procurement topics.

Marcheta E. Gillespie, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM, is currently the President of NOGP Code & Consulting. She is retired from public sector, having served as the Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Tucson. With over 28 years of experience in public procurement, Marcheta is a passionate advocate for her profession. Marcheta was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute in 2019. She was the 2017 Distinguished Service Award winner. She is a past NIGP President (2013-14) and served on the Board of Directors for 10 years. She is a past Chair of the UPPCC and a Council Member for 3 years. She was the first Chair of the NIGP Talent Council and Chair of the NIGP 2.0 Task Force, the historic project of governance model transformation. She has also chaired the NIGP Task Force for the Values & Guiding Principles Initiative, the NIGP Forum Committee and the NIGP Governance Committee. She has been an active leader and member of the NIGP Southern Arizona Copper Chapter since 1991. Marcheta has spoken and trained at hundreds of international, national, regional and local conferences and events. She is an NIGP Master Certified Instructor and has developed numerous training programs as well as written for national procurement publications. Marcheta owns MG Procurement Consulting, LLC, serving as a professional consultant on numerous agency projects. In 2009, Marcheta was selected as the NIGP Copper Chapter Manager of the Year.