NIGP Forum 2022

Jon Petz is a two-time, best-sellers list author, motivational keynote speaker on performance and the power of human connections. He brings this passion and energy for performance, purpose and impact to events of all types, as well as to those he professionally coaches to strengthen their performance mindset and success in life, business and careers.

Jon is a former sales & marketing executive in big corporate as well as a tech entrepreneur. As a remarkable addition - Jon is a professional magician and has performed around the globe for audiences of all types. This one-of-a-kind combination brings relevancy, experience and understanding to the real-world challenges and opportunities we face in our professional pursuits. It also produces a masterful storytelling, engagement and entertainment factor that is uniquely and unequivocally the Jon Petz Experience. Far more than “JUST” a keynote, it is the perfected trifecta of strategy & mindset, personal inspiration and incredible entertainment.

USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, ABC News, Success Magazine and many other media outlets have covered the success of Jon Petz and his quest to help people engage deeper, perform better and fuel growth personally and professionally. His second book, Boring Meetings Suck, was named by Inc. Magazine as a top ten and must-read business book.

Jon’s third book, “Significance In Simple Moments”, has gone through six printings and focuses on human connections to help you achieve significance. Profits from this book are donated in support of the Miracles & Magic Foundation a show which was founded by Jon and his family. Miracles & Magic is a Las Vegas style, grand illusion and comedy magic show that provides children with life-threatening illnesses a chance to forget about the treatments, shots and hospital, and instead shares the wonder and joy of comedy, magic and illusion.

Design-Build Construction Consultant, Design Build Strategic Solutions, LLC

Richard (Rich) Formella, PMP, DBIA  Director, Owner Support & Resources  Design-Build Institute of America Waxahachie, TX. Mr. Fomella is the President of Design-Build Strategic Solutions, LLC, a design & construction procurement process and contract administration consulting firm, and Director, Owner Support & Resources for the Design-Build Institute of America. He retired from federal service as Chief of the Bio-Containment Procurement Branch for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after serving as Chief of Procurement for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (DHS) since 2006. Prior to joining DHS, Rich served the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) for over 20 years and concluded his service at BOP as the Chief of Construction Contracting where he led and administered the $2.5 billion-dollar new federal prison construction contracting program. At the DHS he led the team providing design and construction contracting support for the DHS Science and Technology Directorate for major laboratory renovations and new construction an overall $1.5 billion program, including the $1.3 billion National Bio & Agro Defense Facility. He has over 35 years of federal acquisition/contracting experience, beginning as a warranted contracting officer in 1986. Mr. Fomella holds a BS in Forest Management from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point; and a MS in Management – Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness from Troy University. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and a designated Design-Build Professional (DBIA). He is a former DBIA National Board member; DBIA Federal Committee member, and is a seasoned DBIA and NIGP instructor.

Vice President, Procurement, Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority

Brad J. Cummings joined DART in April 2021. Prior to DART, Mr. Cummings successfully served as Director or Chief Procurement Officer at three agencies, including Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) in Jacksonville, Florida, Valley Metro in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Utah State Board of Education.  DART's Procurement Department oversees the award and management of DART construction, services, and commodity contracts. With responsibility for three divisions: Supply Chain Management; Operations and Policy; and Construction and Professional Services. Cummings not only oversees the contract award process, but also ensures all contracts and purchases are conducted and administered in accordance with DART's procurement regulations and in compliance with all applicable statutes.  He’s also served as Experience Director of Contracts, Procurement and Materials Management, Jacksonville Transportation Authority Chief Procurement Officer, Valley Metro Director of Contracts and Procurement, Utah State Board of Education State Contract Analyst, Division of Purchasing, State of Utah Legal Consultant, Price Law Group  Awards and Professional Affiliations Law, Science and Innovation Certificate from Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law Member, NASPO, NIGP, Professional/Civic Co-founder and Vice President, UNICEF Red Advisor, The More Project  Education Bachelor of Science (BS), Political Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City Juris Doctorate (JD), Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Executive Director, National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP)

Tammy Rimes is the Executive Director of the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP), the premier Association for educational content, legislative advocacy and support for cooperative procurement.  She also formally served as Purchasing Agent for the City of San Diego, the 9th largest city in the nation and Emergency Logistics Chief during the 2007 Witch Creek Fires that raged for 17 days and destroyed over 2000 homes. Under her leadership, the City consolidated its warehouse operations, centralized all purchasing and contracting operations, and moved to a more customer focused approach. With past sales and marking experience in the airline, retail, electrical utilities, and wine industry, she has the unique perspective of working in three different worlds – corporate, government and entrepreneurial.

Director for Public Services. Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC)

Ronnie has more than 30 years’ experience in public purchasing and worked previously for the City of Houston prior to coming to H-GAC. As Director, he is responsible for all aspects of the Public Services Department which encompasses H-GAC Public Safety Programs, SBA and EDA Loan Programs (H-GALDC) and HGACBuy Cooperative Purchasing Program. He is a native Houstonian and studied at the University of Houston. Ronnie also serves as Chair for the National Cooperative Procurement Partners, North America’s premier Association for cooperative procurement.

Omnia Partners

As Group Vice President, East for OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, Ms. Pedler is responsible for the sales and operations within the East Region which is comprised of over 20 states. She supports a talented Regional Management team to develop and maintain relationships with key participating public agencies within the municipal, K-12, and non-profit markets. Ms. Pedler has over 20 years’ experience selling into public sector agencies and has held both sales and sales management positions. In her most recent position with OMNIA Partners, she was the Director of State Business in the Northeast and was responsible for managing eleven states. Prior to that role she managed both Higher Ed and Local/K12 members for OMNIA Partners. Prior to joining OMNIA Partners, she was with Office Depot in various sales and management positions.

COO and President, Disaster Recovery Services

As COO of Disaster Recovery Services, Kim has over 20 years of experience helping public entities prepare for and recover from complex disaster events. Kim and her team have recovered billions of dollars for public entities across the nation through FEMA’s Public Assistance program and other federal and state funding programs, including CARES and ARPA. With funding claw backs often tied to procurement, Kim has a keen interest in educating and supporting public procurement professionals in the area of disaster recovery as it relates to federal grant programs. Kim is Vice Chair of NIGP’s National Business Council and has earned her NIGP Public Procurement Supplier Masters Designation.

Client Services Adminstration, Sourcewell

Duff Erholtz is completing his 15^th year in Membership Services for Sourcewell – formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance / NJPA. His primary responsibility is communicating with and supporting the procurement needs of the over 100,000 Sourcewell Members throughout the country. Duff volunteers as the Educational Working Group Chair for NCPP and helps create educational tools to assist procurement as they consider and utilize Cooperative agreements.

Chief Procurement Officer, City of Norfolk, VA

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. 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 (Agency Advancement Award, 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 18 times).  Mr. Bevis’s teaching experiences include 23 years as an Instructor for NIGP, independent curriculum and training development for various agencies. Mr. Bevis 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.

Procurement Manager, City of Austin

Erin D’Vincent is a Procurement Manager for the City of Austin specializing in end to end procurement and contracting.  Ms. D’Vincent has a degree from Texas State University, is a member of NIGP, graduate of Leaders Edge, has her CPPB, and NIGP-CPP. Erin leads all procurement activities for the City’s Industrial, Facilities, Water, and Waste Team and Mobility, Health, and Safety Team. She supervisors a staff of ten that manage a portfolio of over 585 contracts valued at more than $1.3 billion.

Owner, M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC

Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the owner of M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC; the author of "Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;" an Independent Executive Director and a certified member of the John Maxwell Team. She is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach, and Trainer. She is a DISC Personality and an Emotional Intelligence EQ i-2.0/EQ 360 Consultant. Ms. Coss is a Licensed Brain Trainer and a Certified Neuro-encoding Specialist. Ms. Coss is also an instructor for NIGP and the American Management Association, and a senior consultant for NIGP Consulting.  As a transformational leader and former Chief Procurement Officer, Ms. Coss invested two decades of her 27-year career successfully leading procurement transformations at some of the US's largest agencies such as the City of Houston, Cook County, University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She now leverages her experience and expertise to help individuals and organizations transform their performance to reach new heights within the continental US and its terrirories. She shares her expertise by providing training, consulting, and coaching. Ms. Coss continues to add value to the profession through her educational procurement transformation blog and podcast.  Ms. Coss graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University. She has served on several boards, including the NIGP Board. She is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award and the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. Ms. Coss was recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and one of the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement. Ms. Coss is the Chair of the NIGP Talent Council Leadership Committee and a member of the John Maxwell Team President's Advisory Council.

Procurement Director, City of Groveland, FL

Chris Coghill, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB is a seasoned procurement professional with a servant heart. She has been blessed to have experienced a variety of procurement offices which has led to a better understanding of how to manage a procurement department. She graduated Leaders Edge in 2020 and is the Vice President of the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP as well as a member of NIGP’s Leadership Development Committee.  Ms. Coghill has a passion for giving back to the profession through various means.  She has led study groups for the CPPO and CPPB certifications for the past few years and finds tremendous joy in hearing all the success stories.  Ms. Coghill supports her City as a one-woman show through various technology platforms.

Sr. Manager, Business Development – West and Canda, GovDeals, Inc.

For more than a decade John has been working with Procurement leaders just like yourself to discuss how the utilization of technology in the surplus process plays a pivotal part in an agency's initiatives of compliance, transparency and sustainability.  He follows local procurement trends closely, and is a regular fixture at many of the chapter events in the western region including CAPPO, OPPA, IPPA, having worked and resided in the Pacific NW prior to moving to his company's headquarters in Montgomery, AL.  He continues to lead his customers to first consider the three Rs (Reuse, Recycling and Reallocation) before taking assets to the landfill and believes that what is best for government agencies is to do it's best to be a huge part in the circular economy.    John is originally from Southern California and graduated with a BA from UC Irvine in Political Science before attending Whittier Law School.

Procurement and Supply Chain Leader, California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)

Darin currently serves as Chief Procurement Officer for Cal Poly University. He has over thirty years of procurement and supply chain management experience in state and local government, higher education, and private industry.   Darin speaks throughout the world on a variety of procurement topics, and his writings have been featured in Inside Supply Management, Government Procurement, Inside Supply Management, The Public Manager and The Journal of Public Procurement. He has served on the faculty at numerous universities including University of Illinois, Florida Atlantic University, Portland State University, and University of California.   He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Political Science, as well as Master degrees in Acquisition Management and Instructional Design/Technology. Darin is a certified instructor for NIGP and served as their President in 2007. He has also served as a board member of the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council and the Public Procurement Research Center at Florida Atlantic University. In 2020 and 2021, he served as host of the podcast, The Evolution of Procurement.

Public Sector Program Manager, Office Depot

Drew Tuller serves as a National Public Sector Program Manager at Office Depot.Drew is responsible for the Region 4 series of cooperative contracts and provides guidance to the Office Depot sales teams in the areas of local, state, and education. Based in Saratoga Springs, NY Drew has over 20 years of experience in the indirect space including office supplies, furniture, technology, facilities, and MRO. Drew has held severalleadership positions over his 25 year career and has been involved with public sector for over 10 years.

Office Depot, Program Manager – Public Sector Cooperatives

Responsible for Office Depot’s Cooperative Contracts City of Tamarac, America Saves and Florida State University System. Additional focus on serving internal resources for state, local government, and education customers. 

Krystal is a 13-year veteran with Office Depot and is based in Fayetteville, AR. Starting her Office Depot career as a Territory Development Manager in Arkansas, Krystal has held a variety of sales roles with Office Depot. Since 2009, Krystal has focused exclusively on our public sector business and has been a leader in managing strategic partnerships with State and Local Governments, K-12 and Higher Education.  

Krystal’s knowledge and experience with Public Sector make her a valued asset and resource within Office Depot.  

Jess isn’t a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but similar in that a true chef has a secret ingredient that they often leave out of a recipe on purpose and add a dash when no one is looking that pulls from past experiences and is exactly what is needed to really elevate a dish. By pulling from a variety of consulting clients, direct crisis management experiences, multitudes of different jobs along the way, and experience on stage as a stand-up comic, trainer, and now keynote speaker, Jess can elevate conversations.

It is through Jessica’s work in Student Affairs, as a college administrator, in South Carolina, Oregon, New York, and Arizona that she realized her love for the conversations across difference. As a Social Justice Training Institute Alumna, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and a Certified Speaking Professional, Jessica has taken the typical diversity talks to the next level of social justice conversations examining privilege, oppression, entitlement, and our collective responsibility to make change while connecting difficult topics with employee retention, crisis management, and increasing innovation and profits.

Jessica blends politics, humor, identity, and local flair with big city passion and energy through direct, individualized, and interactive conversations. Her workshops, seminars, and keynotes don’t just leave participants invigorated but inspired and motivated to follow through with action to create change. Having traveled and lived in a variety of communities and environments all over the world, while also engaging with education as student, teacher, administrator, and active community member, Jessica uses her take on life to lead participants through a safe but confrontational process of examination, self-reflection, and open dialog that is as challenging as it is rewarding.

Responses to Jessica’s programs are overwhelmingly positive and include comments ranging from, “This was awful – I never had to think so hard while laughing!” to “I can’t believe my boss brought her – thanks for actually treating us like adults,” to “She answered all of my questions knowledgeably and without making me feel dumb for asking.”

With her attention now turning to larger associations and corporate leadership, Jessica is pulling from the past 15 years of direct experience to lead teams to try instead of avoiding a stretch. It is in this trying that clients uncover a deeper sense of belonging, resourceful collaboration opportunities, and reignite their creativity and innovative ideation. Learning, feeling, and being Good Enough Now allows for teams to do the best they can with what they have and persist long into the future no matter the crisis, topic, or challenge.

Graduating from the University of South Carolina with an M.Ed., in Higher Education Administration with an emphasis in Crisis Management, Jessica pulls together lessons from teaching History and English in the classroom as well as those from the stand-up comedy stages of New York City to bring real and actionable results to meeting rooms and board tables. She is well published, including multiple online training courses, curriculum guides, and a book that makes the abstract actionable.

Assistant Overseer, Procurement Department, City of Coconut Creek, FL

Althea Pemsel is Assistant Overseer of Procurement Department for the City of Coconut Creek and worked in director and managerial roles in procurement and previously ran the procurement construction division for the City of Fort Lauderdale as the Assistant Chief Procurement Officer with millions of dollars in capital improvement and various Projects. As the Procurement Officer in West Palm Beach, Ms. Pemsel was instrumental procuring major engineering services for capital projects for the city and the East Central Regional (ECR) Wastewater Treatment Facilities Operations. In 2000 Ms. Pemsel worked for the City of Orlando for almost a decade. Althea has been instrumental in advancing public procurement and the supply chain professional to be regarded as high performing, lean, and strategic alliance focused departments. She has written white papers and given many presentations on topics like, Stakeholder and Change Management, Tactical to Strategic Procurement, Leading Lean Operations, and Adding Value. As an international speaker, her most recent presentation on the topic of Intergenerational Workforce was given in Hangzhou, China. Her career began in Germany in the late 80s and she has worked in public, private, and non-profit organizations instituting cost containment measures, lean operations, and process improvements. At the Cannes Film Festival 2019 in France, she served as an Intern for the film industry gaining additional negotiation tactics and skills in entertainment contract law, supply chain, and movie and film distribution sales and contracts. Although her educational background is a combination of business leadership, theology, and psychology, her doctorate studies focused on philosophy.

Director, Procurement/Risk Management, Loudoun County Public Schools

Andrea Philyaw has 30 years’ public sector experience and currently serves as the Director of Procurement/Risk Management for LCPS. Her experience includes a variety of Finance and Procurement positions, NIGP Instructor and recently selected as VAGP Secretary.  Ms. Philyaw has  a BA of Business Administration, CPPB, PMP, CPPO and NIGP-CPP. She has enjoyed the opportunities offered by the procurement profession and instructing individuals new to the profession. Ms. Philyawgrew up on a farm in Iowa and love time with her husband, children & grandchildren.

Capital Contracting Officer, Loudoun County, Virginia

Kristy Varda is currently a Capital Contracting Officer for Loudoun County Government. Her previous employers include Fairfax County and Frederick County Public Schools, Virginia. All leading to over 10 years in public procurement. She is a NIGP Instructor and member of the cast of Radio NIGP. She frequently presents NIGP webinars, Forum sessions, and builds NIGP course content.

Project Lead (Retired), Ministry of Finance

Lynda Allair currently serves the NIGP membership as an instructor and on many task forces, committees, and course development groups. She often provides input on International Procurement content. She is a former Director for the Canadian Public Procurement Council and a Past President of the Ontario Public Buyers. Ms. Allair’s provided procurement leadership for almost thirty years within a variety of public entities; federal, provincial, hospital, and library.

Manager of Purchasing and Risk Management Services,  Northumberland County, Ontario Province, Canad

Carl Bonitto is the current Manager of Purchasing and Risk Management Services, Northumberland County, Ontario Province, Canada. He has served the NIGP membership as a Chapter Ambassador. As of July 1, 2021 Mr. Bonitto is the Chair of the NIGP Certification Commission

Procurement Manager II, South Carolina Fiscal Accountability Authority

Nathan Dawson serves as the Procurement Manger of the Sourcing Team for the Division of Procurement Services in South Carolina. His job is to assist State Agencies purchase goods and services whose value exceeds those Agencies’ certification levels. In other words, he buys stuff. The majority of that “stuff” is now IT-related – Mr. Dawson has purchased hardware and software solutions, ranging from electronic poll books for the presidential elections to grants management systems, as well as software maintenance and application development services. He is an active member of his local NIGP Chapter, as well as one of NIGP's instructors, teaching primarily the two Technology Procurement classes. He has presented at past NIGP and chapter Forums around the country. Originally from Australia, Mr. Dawson worked for both Federal and State Governments in Australia and England before moving to South Carolina 15 years ago and discovering his true calling as a procurement professional.  And no, he does not know Chris Hemsworth.

Supervisor of Purchasing, Harford County Public Schools, MD

Bobbie Tolston has over 20 years of management experience in public procurement and is currently the Supervisor of Procurement for Harford County Public Schools, MD. She is an NIGP Instructor and one of the Founding members of Radio NIGP. 

Senior Buyer, Spokane County

Victor Leamer has 35 years of public procurement experience at the county, state department, and state-wide levels. Victor teaches Sourcing in the Public Sector and the Core Certificate: Foundations in Strategy and Policy for NIGP (virtual), the 10-part Learning Lab RFP series, and has presented NIGP webinars on protests, evaluating responsiveness in bids, virtual leadership, and contract price adjustments. He was appointed to the NIGP Talent Council in 2021, serves on NIGP's Content Management Committee (formerly Knowledge Management Committee) since 2015, produces the monthly Radio NIGP show, and is a founding member/former Vice President of the Alaska/Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association NIGP Chapter.

Agency Procurement Officer (Retired) State of Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction

Barbara R. Johnson served for 38 years as a State, City and Airport Authority Procurement Leader. She serves the Institute members on many committees, task forces, and as a frequent Forum speaker and moderator. Barb instructs public procurement courses for the Institute (NIGP), the Ohio State University, and others upon request, as well as providing consulting services through NIGP's Consulting program.

Director of Purchasing and Contracting, County of San Diego

Jack Pellegrino, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, NCMA CPCM and Fellow is Director Purchasing & Contacting at County of San Diego with four decades of government procurement experience in public and private sectors. He serves as CAPPO President, a member NIGP Certification Commission. Mr. Pellegrino is an instructor at SDSU Contracts Program and CSAC Institute for Excellence in County Government. He was awarded the Inaugural 2015 Walt Ekard Integrity in Action Award, 2016 CAO Excellence in Leadership Award; 2020 CSAC Procurement Executive of the Year.

Strategic Accounts Government & Education, Canon Solutions America

Dave leads Western U.S. government and education sales for Canon Solutions America, Canon's U.S.-based manufacturer-direct division.  

He brings experience and expertise from working with public sector procurement officials over a 25-year career, with leadership roles at Canon, Office Depot, and Costco Wholesale. 

Dave has held an active position on NIGP's National Business Council since 2010 and co-authored several of NIGP's White Papers - focused on the intricacies of buying and selling in the public arena.  Dave's roles have included Vice-Chair of NIGP's Business Council and history of working with leadership at NAEP, ASBO, NIGP, NASPO and NPI.

While advocating for advancement in public procurement, Dave has developed a deep engagement with cooperative contracting and best value procurement, an extensive knowledge of environmental sustainability, and a progressive vision of supplier evaluation and management.

Dave holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, East Bay and MBA in Management Sciences from the University of Portland. 

Senior Marketing Specialist, K-12 Education, Higher Education and Government, Canon Solutions America

Prior to joining Canon Solutions America, Aimée worked as a Senior Manager, Creative Development for America Online (AOL) leading the launch of AOL On, the first digital video sharing platform tasked with creating premium original branded programs long before Netflix.  She has also worked as a Digital Marketing Manager at Disney ABC Family where she launched the digital platform ABCFamily.com. She has a BS in Corporate Communications with a Minor in Theater Arts from Bernard M. Baruch, CUNY College in New York, NY. She is the founder of the Positive Evolution for the Nations New Youth (PENNY), a scholarship program designed to raise funds and mentor inner city college-bound youths. In her spare time, she loves to travel the world and have had the privilege of visiting 15 countries and counting.

COO and President, Disaster Recovery Services

As COO of Disaster Recovery Services, Kim has over 20 years of experience helping public entities prepare for and recover from complex disaster events. Kim and her team have recovered billions of dollars for public entities across the nation through FEMA’s Public Assistance program and other federal and state funding programs, including CARES and ARPA. With funding claw backs often tied to procurement, Kim has a keen interest in educating and supporting public procurement professionals in the area of disaster recovery as it relates to federal grant programs. Kim is Vice Chair of NIGP’s National Business Council and has earned her NIGP Public Procurement Supplier Masters Designation.

Procurement Practice Leader, Disaster Recovery Services

As Business Development and Marketing Coordinator of Disaster Recovery Services, Shelley focuses on public entity risk management and procurement strategies in the facilitation of complex disaster recovery projects.

Shelley spent thirteen years as the procurement and contracting officer for a large public entity and continues her work in this space as a federal procurement subject matter expert for DRS.  Shelley works closely with vendors, cooperative purchasing groups, and client purchasing departments to provide procurement guidance, training, and assistance, helping develop comprehensive procurement strategies to help clients PREPARE, RESPOND, and RECOVER.

Procurement Manager, City of Austin

Erin D’Vincent is a Procurement Manager for the City of Austin specializing in end to end procurement and contracting.  Ms. D’Vincent has a degree from Texas State University, is a member of NIGP, graduate of Leaders Edge, has her CPPB, and NIGP-CPP. Erin leads all procurement activities for the City’s Industrial, Facilities, Water, and Waste Team and Mobility, Health, and Safety Team. She supervisors a staff of ten that manage a portfolio of over 585 contracts valued at more than $1.3 billion.

Procurement Manager, City of Austin Financial Services - Purchasing

Sai Xoomsai Purcell graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio and has 20+ years in public/private procurement, has been with the City of Austin for over 11 years, and prior to that was a Senior Buyer for a retail clothing company. Sai Xoomsai Purcell received her Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) in 2013 and manages staff of nine Information Technology procurement professionals with contracts valued at $1.3 billion

Chief Procurement Officer, New York State Office of General Services

In August 2016, Sean Carroll was appointed Chief Procurement Officer for NYS's Office of General Services. Mr. Carroll  manages more than 1,500 contracts with a value exceeding $29 billion and is responsible for statewide contracts for commodities, services, and information technology for authorized users.  He previously served as the Director of Onondaga County’s Division of Purchase from 2010 to 2016. In the private sector, he managed his own consulting firm for nearly 10 years.

Retired

Kirk Buffington retired in June 2019, from the City of Fort Lauderdale, where he spent the last five years as Director of Finance.  Prior to 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. In addition, Mr. Buffington has purchasing experience with the Orange County School Board, and as a Grocery Buyer with the Wal-Mart Corporation, and as a Receiving Supervisor with the Walt Disney World Co.  He has a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University, and an MBA, with a concentration in Procurement and Acquisitions Management, from Webster University, St. Louis, MO.  Mr. Buffington served as President of the Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers and was elected to the NIGP Board of Directors in July 2003, and served as President of NIGP in 2008-2009.  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.  Mr. Buffington co-authored the NIGP text “The Legal Aspects of Public Purchasing” now in its third edition and has published  various articles concerning Procurement Case Law both in local news blogs, and in nationally peer reviewed academic journals.  In January, 2022, Mr. Buffington was admitted to the Masters of Legal Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati School of Law.

Assistant Superintendent for Business/CFO, Harris County Department of Education

Jesus Amezcua has been the Department’s Assistant Superintendent for Business Services since 2008 and he oversees the financial management, investment management, debt management, procurement, compliance, tax collections, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll departments in the Business Services Division. He is a member of the Professional Standards Committee for the Texas Society of CPAs. He is a member of the best practices committee from GFOA and ASBO. He coordinated a $51 million Capital Improvement Program to include a bond rating upgrade by Moody's Investor Service in 2020. Previous to HCDE, Dr. Amezcua worked for Laredo Independent School District as the Chief Finance Officer for 12 years where he was responsible for the management of the business operations of the district including Accounting, Investments, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Budget, Purchasing, Tax Office, Risk, Compliance, Debt, Transportation, Food Services, and Construction and Facilities. He coordinated the analysis, presentation, and implementation of the largest Bond Election ($144 million) for the school district, the Public Facility Corporation for a bond issue of $68 Million, and the Bond Elections of $60 Million and $57 Million bond series.  Prior to Laredo ISD, Dr. Amezcua worked for the City of Laredo where he was responsible for overseeing 6 divisions in the Finance Department including Accounting, Accounts Payable, Ambulance, Budget, Technology–Data Processing & Purchasing. He managed a $120+ million investment portfolio, legal debt and assets of the city. During his tenure with the city, he also served as Revenue Manager, Internal Auditor, and Staff Accountant.

Procurement Director, Harris County Department of Education

Kendra Jackson is the Director of Purchasing. Kendra has served in the Purchasing Division since 2009. Before being named the Director, she served in many roles, including the Assistant Director. Ms. Jackson is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day activities of the Purchasing Division. Prior to coming to the HCDE, she worked for Humble ISD in the Purchasing Division and The University of Texas Health Science Center. Ms. Jackson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston-Downtown.

Assistant Director of Procurement, Harris County Department of Education

Dr. Edna E. Johnson is the assistant director of the Purchasing Division of Harris County Department of Education (HCDE). Dr. Johnson has served HCDE since July 2021 and is responsible for conducting numerous procurement activities which include contract mananagement.

Procurement Manager - Administrative Services Division, Virginia Department of Transportation

Arden Clark began her career as a linguist working for the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. From there she continued living and working in Japan as a translator, interpreter, educator and procurement professional for various Japanese corporations including Murakami Ongaku Jimusho and Canon Corporation. She currently serves as Procurement Manager in the Administrative Services Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). In each of her roles, Ms. Clark has worked to bring about positive and impactful innovations for the organization and it's people. Ms. Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Japanese from Boston University, a Master of Science in Environmental Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, but her first love is music. Outside of work, Arden is heavily involved in local music organizations ranging from old-time Americana and bluegrass to Classical and Baroque.

Client Development Administrator, Sourcewell

Ginger Line, MPA, NIGP-CPP, CPPB is a Client Development Administrator at Sourcewell, where she helps government agencies walk through the cooperative purchase process through contracts. She previously worked for 8.5 years in Procurement.  Ms. Line has a B.A. in Political Science; in 2019, and her Master’s in Public Administration from Villanova University.  She is the past President of the Minnesota chapter, is an area 6 Chapter Ambassador, and is serving on the BOE for the CPPB exam.

Chief Procurement Officer, Sourcewell

Jeremy Schwartz, CPPO, CSSBB is the Chief Procurement Officer for Sourcewell. Mr. Schwartz has been a public procurement practicioner since January 2012, and has been serving as the Sourcewell CPO since 2018. He has a B.S. from Bemidji State University, is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt through the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and is a Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) through the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC). Mr. Schwartz also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP)

Retired

Theresa Webb, M.A., NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M. has over 30 years of experience in procurement. In her leadership roles Ms. Webb oversaw the procurement of goods, services, technology, construction, concessions and capital improvement. She has Bachelor and Masters degrees in Business. Since retiring Ms. Webb has continued serving the profession as an NIGP Instructor, on NIGP coursework creation teams, as Chair of the NIGP Accreditation Committee and her role as consultant for Civic Initiatives.

Director, Central Services, Kissimmee Utility Authority

Judy Ambrosi currently serves as the Director of Central Services for Kissimmee Utility Authority.  As Director, she oversees procurement, materials management, fleet and facilities. She has 21 years of experience in the electric utility and up until three years ago has largely served as an internal customer of the procurement function through my management of facilities. Ms. Ambrosi has a strong background in local government and over 25 years of administrative experience.  She holds degrees from Springfield College in Illinois and an MBA through the University of Phoenix. She also has a Certified Professional Manager Certification through Florida State University.  After moving to Florida from Springfield, Illinois over 30 years ago, she was employed by Osceola County government as a community center coordinator. 

Buyer, Kissimmee Utility Authority

Melissa Couture is a Buyer for Kissimmee Utility Authority. As a Buyer she have learned Procurement is a whole new world. She has 20 years of experience in the electric utility and up until three years ago she largely served as an internal customer of the procurement function through her position as an Administrative Assistant. It's that experience that she continued to channel as much as possible, as I never want to forget what it's like to be on the other side of the table. She has taken several NIGP training courses, and plan to sit for the CPPB certification in the fall of this year or May of next year. She is currently a fulltime student and will graduate with my BS degree in Management from the University of Phoenix this summer. She has her Professional Manager Certification through Florida State University and continues to hold a Certified Administrative Professional's certification credential from IAAP.

Procurement Manager II, South Carolina Fiscal Accountability Authority

Nathan Dawson serves as the Procurement Manger of the Sourcing Team for the Division of Procurement Services in South Carolina. His job is to assist State Agencies purchase goods and services whose value exceeds those Agencies’ certification levels. In other words, he buys stuff. The majority of that “stuff” is now IT-related – Mr. Dawson has purchased hardware and software solutions, ranging from electronic poll books for the presidential elections to grants management systems, as well as software maintenance and application development services. He is an active member of his local NIGP Chapter, as well as one of NIGP's instructors, teaching primarily the two Technology Procurement classes. He has presented at past NIGP and chapter Forums around the country. Originally from Australia, Mr. Dawson worked for both Federal and State Governments in Australia and England before moving to South Carolina 15 years ago and discovering his true calling as a procurement professional.  And no, he does not know Chris Hemsworth.

Director of Procurement, South Carolina State University

Stacy Gregg is the Director of Procurement at SC State University. She is an Online Instructor for NIGP and volunteers with The Institute on the Member Council and Certification Commission. Ms. Gregg is an active member o the SC Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials (SCAGPO).  She has an Associate’s Degree in Public Service (Paralegal) and B.A. Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Concentrating in English & Management). She holds the NIGP-CPP, CPPO, and  CPPB designations.

Retired; Formerly City of Fort Lauderdale, FL

David Nash retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Three from the United States Army in 1988 after 20 years of service in inventory management. In 2007, he retired from the City of Fort Lauderdale after 18 years of service in warehousing and procurement. Mr. Nash holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business Administration. He was the last President of the Governmental Purchasing Association of Southeast Florida, having successfully led a merger with the SE Florida Chapter of NIGP in 2001. He was also the President of the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials in 2006-2007  David was presented with FAPPO’s George H. Wolf Distinguished Service Award in 2010. In 2014, he was presented with FAPPO’s Educator of the Year Award. In 2019, he was presented with his second George H. Wolf Distinguished Service Award for his overall contributions to FAPPO during 25 years of membership. Mr. Nash is a certified instructor for NIGP and from 2010 to 2013 he served on the Evaluation Committee for the National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award. Since creating the online “Question of the Day” in 2007, he has helped thousands of procurement professionals prepare for their CPPB, CPPO and NIGP-CPP exams. For his overall contributions to the procurement profession, he was presented with NIGP’s Distinguished Service Award at the 2018 Forum in Nashville, TN. In August 2020 he was part of the inaugural group to receive the new NIGP-CPP certification.Mr. Nash currently serves on the Mentorship Committee for NIGP, as well as Radio NIGP.

Government Innovation Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab

Lars Benson is a Project Leader for the Government Performance Lab's Procurement Excellence Cohort, where he works with US, Canadian, and Latin American cities to streamline procurement systems, develop new tools, trainings and resources, and build staff capacity. Previously, Lars was embedded with the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (CT OPM) for two years. With CT OPM, he reformed social service procurement processes to improve effectiveness, strengthen evaluation, and help agencies and nonprofits secure equitable results for Connecticut communities. Prior to joining the Government Performance Lab, Lars earned his Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics.

Government Innovation Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab (GPL)

Andrea Barnes is a Government Innovation Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Government Performance Lab (GPL). In her role, she supports the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry in strengthening procurement practices to improve workforce and ultimately quality of life outcomes for residents. Throughout her career, Andrea has led community-centric projects through an equity-based lens by bridging direct service experience with a policy, research, and data-oriented skillset. Her professional background spans roles in nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, and private companies. Further, she has engaged deeply in issues related to justice reform, child welfare, education quality and access, small businesses and lending, racial and health equity research, cultural preservation, and community development, specifically in the DMV and North Carolina.

Andrea holds an MPP from Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. She also holds a BA in Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she co-founded Project uPGrade, a conference for young women in Prince George's County, Maryland.

President of NIGP Code & Consulting, Periscope/NIGP Code & Consulting

Marcheta Gillespie, FNIGP, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM, is a dynamic international speaker, professional consultant and trainer. For over 30 years, Ms. Gillespie has served as an experienced thought-leader, advocate and volunteer leader in the procurement profession. As the former Chief Procurement Officer at the City of Tucson, she led one of country’s most highly acclaimed procurement organizations.  Retired from government service, Marcheta now serves as President of NIGP Code & Consulting, working with public and private industry to transform their procurement operations. Ms. Gillespie is the 2019 Albert H Hall recipient and 2017 Distinguished Service Award recipient, the highest honors bestowed upon individuals by NIGP.  Marcheta is a former Chair of the UPPCC Governing Board, Former President of NIGP and served on the NIGP Board of Directors for 10 years. She now serves on the NIGP Business Council and Chairs the NIGP Mentorship Committee. Ms. Gillespie has spoken at hundreds of international, national and regional events and authored numerous published works in the profession.

Senior Buyer, Spokane County

Victor Leamer has 35 years of public procurement experience at the county, state department, and state-wide levels. Victor teaches Sourcing in the Public Sector and the Core Certificate: Foundations in Strategy and Policy for NIGP (virtual), the 10-part Learning Lab RFP series, and has presented NIGP webinars on protests, evaluating responsiveness in bids, virtual leadership, and contract price adjustments. He was appointed to the NIGP Talent Council in 2021, serves on NIGP's Content Management Committee (formerly Knowledge Management Committee) since 2015, produces the monthly Radio NIGP show, and is a founding member/former Vice President of the Alaska/Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association NIGP Chapter.

Manager, City of Leesburg, FL

Mike Thornton is the Purchasing Manager for the City of Leesburg, Florida. He has been at Leesburg for over 15 years and has over 20 years experience in public procurement.  The City of Leesburg is a smaller municipality that operates 5 utilities. This allows Mr. Thornton to facilitate all types of solicitations to acquire the commodities required by his entity. He is a regular contributor to Nsite discussion and presents at NIGP forum annually. Mike  takes a specific interest in promoting and encouraging innovation in public procurement through the use of technology. He is active in the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP and is the past vice-president. Mr. Thornton has volunteered for several opportunities at NIGP including co-author for Global Best Practices.

Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba

Stéphanie Dion is the Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba.  She was previously employed by Manitoba Hydro, The City of Red Deer and the Government of Yukon. Stephanie practiced extensively in both the contract A and non-contract A paradigms. She is also the co-founder of the #RFPDreamTeam who provides advisory services and training on executing RFPs. Stephanie graduated university with a teaching degree and is involved with professional development at various local, national, and international events. She has been an active volunteer and advisor with professional associations since 2012 starting with the Cooperative Accreditation taskforce and now serves as the Chair of the Content Management Committee for the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP). Stéphanie recently contributed a few articles to procurement magazines. She is the recipient of NIGP’s 2021 Buyer of the Year award.

Instructor, NIGP/Norwich University

Bill Davison was a Senior Sourcing Specialist for Santa Clara County and the Director of Purchasing for Stearns County. He has a Masters in Acquisition and Contract Administration. He is a master instructor for NIGP and co authored the  the 2004 Contract Administration text.  He is a CPPO and CPP. Mr. Davison is an adjunct professor for Norwich University and teaches Government procurement and Government Finance. Mr. Davison has had several research papers on contract administration accepted for publication.

Director of Purchasing and Contracts, Utah State Board of Education

Zachary Christensen is currently the Director of Purchasing and Contracts with the Utah State Board of Education, supervising the distribution and expenditure of education funds at the state level. He is passionate about furthering public procurement as a profession and providing professional development to help ensure that those practitioners can move forward in this exciting profession. Zac also teaches procurement courses for NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement, and has served on local and national professional organizations. Prior to working at USBE, Zac served as a contract analyst for state purchasing, was a practicing lawyer, and worked for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in legal and subcontract management.  

Director of Procurement, South Carolina State University

Stacy Gregg is the Director of Procurement at SC State University. She is an Online Instructor for NIGP and volunteers with The Institute on the Member Council and Certification Commission. Ms. Gregg is an active member o the SC Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials (SCAGPO).  She has an Associate’s Degree in Public Service (Paralegal) and B.A. Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Concentrating in English & Management). She holds the NIGP-CPP, CPPO, and  CPPB designations.

Assistant Secretary, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Gary Lambert, Assistant Secretary for Operational Services, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Having 30+ years of highly leveraged executive experience in both public and private sector procurement, Mr. Lambert is nationally recognized as an expert in management, strategic sourcing, procurement, acquisitions, and financing. In the private sector, Mr. Lambert managed a portfolio of projects whose annual revenue was $20 million. He has developed sourcing strategies that have saved clients over $200 million.

CEO, Procurated

David Yarkin is a recognized expert on innovation in public sector procurement. As Pennsylvania’s chief procurement officer, Mr. Yarkin led what has been called “the most sweeping transformation of state procurement in decades.” During his tenure, the Commonwealth saved $140 million annually through strategic sourcing and quadrupled its small, minority and women owned business participation rate. During his time in state procurement, David experienced firsthand a seminal challenge faced by his peers nationally - the mediocre job that the traditional reference process does in informing purchasers about a supplier’s past performance. He founded Procurated to solve this problem for the public procurement community.  Mr. Yarkin graduated cum laude from Harvard University and resides in Washington, DC.

Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba

Stéphanie Dion is the Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba.  She was previously employed by Manitoba Hydro, The City of Red Deer and the Government of Yukon. Stephanie practiced extensively in both the contract A and non-contract A paradigms. She is also the co-founder of the #RFPDreamTeam who provides advisory services and training on executing RFPs. Stephanie graduated university with a teaching degree and is involved with professional development at various local, national, and international events. She has been an active volunteer and advisor with professional associations since 2012 starting with the Cooperative Accreditation taskforce and now serves as the Chair of the Content Management Committee for the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP). Stéphanie recently contributed a few articles to procurement magazines. She is the recipient of NIGP’s 2021 Buyer of the Year award.

Manager, City of Leesburg, FL

Mike Thornton is the Purchasing Manager for the City of Leesburg, Florida. He has been at Leesburg for over 15 years and has over 20 years experience in public procurement.  The City of Leesburg is a smaller municipality that operates 5 utilities. This allows Mr. Thornton to facilitate all types of solicitations to acquire the commodities required by his entity. He is a regular contributor to Nsite discussion and presents at NIGP forum annually. Mike  takes a specific interest in promoting and encouraging innovation in public procurement through the use of technology. He is active in the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP and is the past vice-president. Mr. Thornton has volunteered for several opportunities at NIGP including co-author for Global Best Practices.

Senior Buyer, Spokane County

Victor Leamer has 35 years of public procurement experience at the county, state department, and state-wide levels. Victor teaches Sourcing in the Public Sector and the Core Certificate: Foundations in Strategy and Policy for NIGP (virtual), the 10-part Learning Lab RFP series, and has presented NIGP webinars on protests, evaluating responsiveness in bids, virtual leadership, and contract price adjustments. He was appointed to the NIGP Talent Council in 2021, serves on NIGP's Content Management Committee (formerly Knowledge Management Committee) since 2015, produces the monthly Radio NIGP show, and is a founding member/former Vice President of the Alaska/Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association NIGP Chapter.

CEO, DemandStar

Ben Vaught is the CEO of DemandStar. Ben founded DemandStar as an independent company committed to creating a high-quality network of government buyers and suppliers that interact directly. The DemandStar procurement platform serves over 900+ government agencies and over a hundred thousand suppliers. Previously, he was director of government initiatives at Onvia, a public sector business intelligence firm. Mr. Vaught led multiple innovation and strategy efforts as senior advisor to the Washington state chief information officer and spent six years at Microsoft, where he incubated Microsoft Hololens®. He holds an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and dual bachelor’s degrees in English and government from Georgetown University.

VP of Sales, DemandStar

Steve Tran is the Vice President of Growth for DemandStar where he connects government agencies across America to hundreds of thousands of high-quality suppliers. Previously, he spent over a decade enabling public sector users at Onvia, a public sector business intelligence firm.   Mr. Tran is passionate about tackling issues that face government agencies today. Throughout the pandemic, he's hosted sessions on the Infrastructure Bill, FEMA Funding for Natural Disasters, and upcoming in February, Diversity and Inclusion for supplier procurement.

Deputy Executive Director, Government Finance Officers Association

Mike Mucha is GFOA's Deputy Executive Director and the Director of the Research and Consulting Center. In this role, Mike oversees GFOA consulting projects, research activities, the Government Finance Review, planning for GFOA training and conference, the GFOA website, and other strategic initiatives for GFOA. Mike also leads GFOA’s consulting practice and focuses on providing guidance to local governments on how to use technology more effectively, improve business processes and administrative practices, and implement best practices in financial management. In this role, he has led over 100 projects for local governments procuring enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Mike has managed projects for both
large and small governments, regularly speaks at GFOA training events, and has written numerous articles on public sector enterprise technology applications, budgeting, performance management, and strategic planning. Mike also currently serves on the NIGP Governing Board as a Thought Leader. Mike holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Iowa and a Master of Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Finance Director, City of Aurora, CO

Terri Velasquez is the finance director for the City of Aurora, CO and is president-elect for GFOA.  Terri is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Colorado GFOA, Society of CPAs, and ICMA.  Terri also has served on several boards and commissions including the Colorado Public Plan Coalition Committee (January 2018 to present), ICMA-RC Public Employee Memorial Scholarship Fund (June 2016 to present).

Partnerships & Community, CoProcure

Becca Blazak manages partnerships and community engagement at CoProcure, a free cooperative contract search tool for public procurement professionals. Ms. Blazak has spent her career working at the intersection of government and tech. She's supported technical teams embedded in local government agencies across the country and partnered with state-level government in Australia to improve legal aid technology and embrace new methods for sourcing and developing tech tools. She is excited to use her experience to build collaboration tools for the public procurement community.

Director of ARPA Procurements with the State of Maine

Mike started his career with the US Coast Guard where he served at both the US Public Health Clinic in Hawaii and the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. His career with the State of Maine started with Social Security Disability Determination Services directing a disability claims team and providing technology services. He then spent several years directing the Maine CDC’s Statewide Immunization Program. His first foray into public procurement was working as a Contract Officer for the Department of Health and Human Services. After several years with the DHHS, Mike had the honor of serving the citizens of Maine as their Chief Procurement Official. He then served as a regional Outreach and Education Director with NASPO ValuePoint a cooperative purchasing organization. Mike has been able to continue his passion for public procurement running a modest consulting business assisting public procurement entities and suppliers and continues to support the State of Maine as Director of ARPA Procurements.  

Director of Procurement, 1Goverment Procurement Alliance (1GPA)

Claudia Leon has 27 years of procurement experience in the public sector. Prior to joining 1GPA in 2021, Ms. Leon served as the Director of Purchasing for the Paradise Valley Unified School District for 7 years, Purchasing Manager for the Tempe Elementary School District for 8 years and Senior Buyer for the Kyrene School District for 18 years.  She received her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2000 and has held a CPPB certification from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council since 2001.  Ms. Leon strives to provide a transparent and compliant procurement process that supports all stakeholders and best serves the public good.

Procurement Specialist, 1Government Procurement Alliance (1GPA)

Rebecca Siefert has over 20 years of purchasing experience in both the private and public sectors.  An honors graduate from the University of Phoenix with a BS in Business/Accounting, her background includes manufacturing as well school district procurement. Ms. Seifert joined Tempe Elementary School District’s purchasing department in 2006.  She is passionate about building a community of trust and support through fiscal responsibility, transparency, and procurement education.  She joined 1GPA Cooperative in 2019 and has been instrumental in bridging the gap between cooperative contracts and public agencies.

Purchasing Agent, City of Virginia Beach

Rebecca Kee, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB Rebecca has over 17 years’ experience in the public procurement field and has worked extensively to develop, create, and support educational programs and opportunities for the profession. Ms. Kee currently serves as the Chief Procurement Officer and Purchasing Agent for the City of Virginia Beach, VA. She has served as Professional Development Chair and President for her local NIGP Chapters and is proud to be a Charter member of NIGP’s newest Chapter the Chesapeake Bay Procurement Association.  Ms. Kee has also served on the NIGP Awards Committee, as Chair for the Content Management Committee and as a Chapter Ambassador for Region 2.  Ms. Kee currently serves on the NIGP Talent Council. Ms. Kee has served as adjunct faculty teaching procurement classes at Arkansas State University as well as an instructor for NIGP.

SWaM Procurement Administrator, City of Virginia Beach, VA

Lavera Tolentino has over 25 years of local government experience in Finance and Procurement. In her current position as the SWaM Procurement Administrator for the City of Virginia Beach, she supports the growth of small, woman, minority (SWaM) and veteran owned businesses through outreach, mentoring, coaching and education. She is an advocate for the SWaM business community and has been instrumental in implementing several programs to increase procurement opportunities and the utilization of small businesses who desire to do business with the City of Virginia Beach.

Assistant Superintendent for Business/CFO, Harris County Department of Education

Jesus Amezcua has been the Department’s Assistant Superintendent for Business Services since 2008 and he oversees the financial management, investment management, debt management, procurement, compliance, tax collections, accounts receivable, accounts payable and payroll departments in the Business Services Division. He is a member of the Professional Standards Committee for the Texas Society of CPAs. He is a member of the best practices committee from GFOA and ASBO. He coordinated a $51 million Capital Improvement Program to include a bond rating upgrade by Moody's Investor Service in 2020. Previous to HCDE, Dr. Amezcua worked for Laredo Independent School District as the Chief Finance Officer for 12 years where he was responsible for the management of the business operations of the district including Accounting, Investments, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Budget, Purchasing, Tax Office, Risk, Compliance, Debt, Transportation, Food Services, and Construction and Facilities. He coordinated the analysis, presentation, and implementation of the largest Bond Election ($144 million) for the school district, the Public Facility Corporation for a bond issue of $68 Million, and the Bond Elections of $60 Million and $57 Million bond series.  Prior to Laredo ISD, Dr. Amezcua worked for the City of Laredo where he was responsible for overseeing 6 divisions in the Finance Department including Accounting, Accounts Payable, Ambulance, Budget, Technology–Data Processing & Purchasing. He managed a $120+ million investment portfolio, legal debt and assets of the city. During his tenure with the city, he also served as Revenue Manager, Internal Auditor, and Staff Accountant.

Owner, M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC

Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the owner of M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC; the author of "Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;" an Independent Executive Director and a certified member of the John Maxwell Team. She is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach, and Trainer. She is a DISC Personality and an Emotional Intelligence EQ i-2.0/EQ 360 Consultant. Ms. Coss is a Licensed Brain Trainer and a Certified Neuro-encoding Specialist. Ms. Coss is also an instructor for NIGP and the American Management Association, and a senior consultant for NIGP Consulting.  As a transformational leader and former Chief Procurement Officer, Ms. Coss invested two decades of her 27-year career successfully leading procurement transformations at some of the US's largest agencies such as the City of Houston, Cook County, University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She now leverages her experience and expertise to help individuals and organizations transform their performance to reach new heights within the continental US and its terrirories. She shares her expertise by providing training, consulting, and coaching. Ms. Coss continues to add value to the profession through her educational procurement transformation blog and podcast.  Ms. Coss graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University. She has served on several boards, including the NIGP Board. She is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award and the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. Ms. Coss was recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and one of the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement. Ms. Coss is the Chair of the NIGP Talent Council Leadership Committee and a member of the John Maxwell Team President's Advisory Council.

Assistant Overseer, Procurement Department, City of Coconut Creek, FL

Althea Pemsel is Assistant Overseer of Procurement Department for the City of Coconut Creek and worked in director and managerial roles in procurement and previously ran the procurement construction division for the City of Fort Lauderdale as the Assistant Chief Procurement Officer with millions of dollars in capital improvement and various Projects. As the Procurement Officer in West Palm Beach, Ms. Pemsel was instrumental procuring major engineering services for capital projects for the city and the East Central Regional (ECR) Wastewater Treatment Facilities Operations. In 2000 Ms. Pemsel worked for the City of Orlando for almost a decade. Althea has been instrumental in advancing public procurement and the supply chain professional to be regarded as high performing, lean, and strategic alliance focused departments. She has written white papers and given many presentations on topics like, Stakeholder and Change Management, Tactical to Strategic Procurement, Leading Lean Operations, and Adding Value. As an international speaker, her most recent presentation on the topic of Intergenerational Workforce was given in Hangzhou, China. Her career began in Germany in the late 80s and she has worked in public, private, and non-profit organizations instituting cost containment measures, lean operations, and process improvements. At the Cannes Film Festival 2019 in France, she served as an Intern for the film industry gaining additional negotiation tactics and skills in entertainment contract law, supply chain, and movie and film distribution sales and contracts. Although her educational background is a combination of business leadership, theology, and psychology, her doctorate studies focused on philosophy.

Chief Procurement Ally, CompareCoOps

Jennifer Sulentic: Jennifer leads CompareCoOps at its Chief Procurement Ally, making cooperative purchasing easier to use and more transparent for agencies across the country. With over 10 years of experience working as an advocate and resource for public agencies and suppliers alike, she is well known and widely respected in the world of public procurement cooperative contracting. During her time at ProcureSource Jennifer brought the first of its kind cooperative purchasing directory to our industry.  Before that, Jennifer’s consultative efforts with U.S. Communities brought efficiencies to public sector purchasing and better communication between suppliers and buyers. Her expertise in public procurement cooperative contracting led to millions of dollars of savings for public agencies nationwide. Jennifer also led the central division for furniture manufacturing giant, Knoll, driving growth and strategy.  This role gave her a keen understanding of the supplier side of government contracting. Jennifer grew up on a dairy farm in Iowa. Yep twice a day every day. She’s happy procurement smells a LOT better.

Purchasing Manager at Lake County, IL

RuthAnne K. Hall, CPPO has worked in municipal and county government for over 19 years and is currently serving as the Purchasing Manager for Lake County since 2011. In her role as the Purchasing Manager, RuthAnne oversees a staff of purchasing officers that procures over $250 million annually on various goods, contracted services, construction and professional services for 26 county departments. She currently serves as the President of the Midwest Association of Public Procurement (MAPP), has served as a Board Member for the Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials (IAPPO) and is an active member the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and has participated as a member of the Standard Setting Panel for the NIGP-CPP. RuthAnne also serves as a member of the Illinois Government Finance Officer Association Professional Education Committee to provide purchasing training to finance professionals. RuthAnne is a graduate of Augustana College in Illinois and holds a MS degree from Columbia University in New York.

Interim Chief Procurement Officer, Chicago Public Schools

Strategic Contract Manager - Omnia Partners Public - Central Region

Responsible for Graybar’s Omnia Partners Public Sector program and internal resource for the state, local government and education business segment. Jeff is a 30-year veteran with Graybar and based in the Chicago metro area. Starting his career in Graybar’s Chicago warehouse and working his way up through the company's customer service, inside and outside sales teams, Jeff was promoted to Regional Government Manager in 2002 responsible for federal, state, local government and education sales in the Chicago and Pittsburgh districts. In October 2005, Jeff was promoted to Strategic Account Manager, overseeing Graybar’s involvement in the U.S. Communities, now Omnia Partners Public Sector program. Jeff is uniquely qualified to handle the role based on his experience with Graybar, the public agency customers, knowledge of contracts and associations supporting the agency customer. Jeff has used his experience and relationships over the past twenty years to continue Graybar’s local government initiatives and cooperative program growth. Jeff has also been a member of the NIGP business council for the past 9 years. NIGP’s Business Council is comprised of two representatives from each of the 12 companies participating in the Institute’s Enterprise Sponsor Program. (Graybar’s two representatives for the Business Council are Rob Rhoads and Jeff Peskuski). Enterprise Sponsors are leaders in their respective industries and have demonstrated a shared commitment to NIGP’s values: Accountability, Ethics, Impartiality, Professionalism, Service, and Transparency. The mission of the Business Council is to Serve the NIGP membership and procurement profession through the sharing of resources and business expertise in support of NIGP’s educational, research and advocacy mission. In essence, the Business Council connects the supplier’s perspective with the public procurement community and is dedicated to improving the buyer/supplier relationship.

Strategic Contract Manager - Omnia Partners, Public Sector - Eastern United States

Procurement Innovation Manager, State of Washington

Cheral Manke currently serves as the Procurement Innovation Manager for the State of WA. Prior to her appointment, she was the Former State Procurement Manager/ Marketing & Relationship Manager, State of WA. Ms. Manke was deemed “Face of moving to a Human-centered Organization.” Ms. Manke believes in leading Procurement community thru key directives-environmental, diversity, equity & inclusion, One WA ERP. She has 17 years public procurement & contracting and 20 years private sector contract management. She currently serves as a NIGP Governing Board Member and is a past NIGP Member Council Chair. She holds a NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB and Certified Purchasing Management (CPM) from the University of Texas, Arlington. Ms. Manke holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Legal Studies-Contracts/Executive JD fromCal State University-Lexington University.

Assistant Manager, Procurement Division, Orange County Government

Zulay Millan is currently Assistant Manager for the Procurement Division at Orange County Government in Florida. Ms. Millan began her public sector career in 2001. For the past two decades, her career focus has been in Procurement and process engineering/ improvement. Ms. Millan holds a Graduate Certificate in Public Procurement, a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has her NIGP-CPP, CPPO and CPPB certifications. She is currently representing Young Professionals on NIGP’s Member Council and serves as a Commissioner on the NIGP Certification Commission. Ms. Millan is a Past President of the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP. In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors and as Chair of various committees for the National Procurement Institute and the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials. In 2020 Ms. Millan was awarded the Inspiration Award for Procurement Professionals in Central Florida. In 2018 Ms. Millan was designated as both the 2018 Procurement Manager of the Year in Central Florida and the NIGP Young Professional of the Year.

Procurement Manager, Orange County, FL

Carrie Mathes has over 25 years of procurement experience in both the private and public sectors.  She currently serves as the Manager for the Orange County Procurement Division.  Ms. Mathes has obtained several professional certifications including CFCM, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., and A.P.P.  Ms. Mathes currently serves as Chair-Elect of the NIGP Governing Board.  She is Past President of the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials (FAPPO), and the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP, and has previously served on NIGP’s Talent Council, and the Board of Examiners for the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council.  Ms. Mathes received the Anne Deatherage Meritorious Service Award from NIGP in 2014, and was named the Professional Manager of the Year by NIGP in 2012.  Ms. Mathes holds both Master degree in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management from the University of Central Florida.

Purchasing Agent, City of Virginia Beach

Rebecca Kee, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB Rebecca has over 17 years’ experience in the public procurement field and has worked extensively to develop, create, and support educational programs and opportunities for the profession. Ms. Kee currently serves as the Chief Procurement Officer and Purchasing Agent for the City of Virginia Beach, VA. She has served as Professional Development Chair and President for her local NIGP Chapters and is proud to be a Charter member of NIGP’s newest Chapter the Chesapeake Bay Procurement Association.  Ms. Kee has also served on the NIGP Awards Committee, as Chair for the Content Management Committee and as a Chapter Ambassador for Region 2.  Ms. Kee currently serves on the NIGP Talent Council. Ms. Kee has served as adjunct faculty teaching procurement classes at Arkansas State University as well as an instructor for NIGP.

Agency Procurement Officer (Retired) State of Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction

Barbara R. Johnson served for 38 years as a State, City and Airport Authority Procurement Leader. She serves the Institute members on many committees, task forces, and as a frequent Forum speaker and moderator. Barb instructs public procurement courses for the Institute (NIGP), the Ohio State University, and others upon request, as well as providing consulting services through NIGP's Consulting program.

Director of Statewide Sourcing, State of South Carolina, Division of Procurement Services

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 almost 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 actively involved in content builds for The Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP) Pathways program. She also instructs courses nationally as a NIGP Certified Instructor.   

Stacy’s desire to “give back” to the profession she so dearly loves continues in her service to NIGP and its local Chapter, the South Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials (SCAGPO). As an active member of both, she has served in many capacities including SCAGPO President. She was awarded SCAGPO’s Buyer of the Year for 2014 and was honored as the recipient of the B.D. Bland Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for her contributions to the Procurement Profession and the entity she serves.  Stacy currently serves on SCAGPO’s Past President Council and NIGP’s Talent Council as Chair Elect. 

Chief Procurement Officer, City of Norfolk, VA

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. 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 (Agency Advancement Award, 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 18 times).  Mr. Bevis’s teaching experiences include 23 years as an Instructor for NIGP, independent curriculum and training development for various agencies. Mr. Bevis 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.

Director of Electric Vehicle and Sustainability Strategy, Element Fleet Management

Jason Kazmar has more than 13 years of experience in the electric utility industry working in a number of engineering, consulting, program management, and strategy roles. Specific areas include emerging technology evaluation, electric vehicle infrastructure program design, renewable energy grid integration, corporate strategy, and cyber security program design. At Element, Mr. Kazmer is responsible for the development of electrification services including long-term EV strategy/planning, EV feasibility analysis, and EV program implementation. Jason’s client base covers a wide range of electrification use-cases including both centralized (pool/depot fleets) and decentralised (home-based fleets) as well as a multitude of vehicle cases (light-duty passenger fleets, service truck fleets, etc.). Jason received a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management.

Assistant Director, Purchasing and Contracting, County of San Diego

Allen Hunsberger is the Assistant Director, Purchasing and Contracting for the County of San Diego. He helps lead a Customer focused procurement department that supports the County’s operations.  Mr. Hunsberger joined the County in 1996, working in progressively responsible procurement and technology positions prior to his current role. He also recently retired from a career as an intelligence officer in the Untied States Navy Reserve. Mr. Hunsberger has a Physics degree from the University of California at San Diego, an MBA from San Diego State University, and holds NIGP-CPP, CPSD, and C.P.M certifications. Mr. Hunsberger is currently on the Leadership Development Committee for NIGP and is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO) and has served as a Chapter chair for CAPPO San Diego, as well as on many conference committees and workgroups. Most of all, Allen enjoys learning about public sector procurement and sharing that knowledge with his peers. He speaks regularly at conferences and teaches at the San Diego State University World Campus.

Procurement Manager, City of Austin

Cyrenthia Ellis is currently a Procurement Manager within the Financial Services Department for the City of Austin. Ms. Ellis currently oversees a team of  Procurement Professionals responsible for the procurement of General Services, General Goods, and Administration. Ms. Ellis has been with the City of Austin for 14 years and offers over 20 years practical knowledge and expertise, within the public and private sector, in department leadership, purchasing and contract management, category management, project management, and IT development. Ms. Ellis has earned an MBA degree in Industrial Management from the University of Dallas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Loyola University at Chicago. She has her Project Manager Professional certification and is also a Certified Texas Purchasing Manager.

Small and Minority Business Resources Assistant Director, City of Austin

Tamela Saldana works for the City of Austin’s Small and Minority Business Resources Department where she serves as the Assistant Director. Ms. Saldana has close to twenty-five years of federal, state and local government experience having worked as the Director of the federal Disadvantaged and Small Business Program for the Texas Department of Transportation. Ms. Saldana has been a graduate professor at Texas State University in the Masters of Public Administration Program for over ten years. Ms. Saldanahas earned her Doctorates degree from University of Texas in Anthropology of the African and African American Diaspora with an emphasis in racial and cultural studies.   Dr. Saldana has earned two master’s degrees, a M.P.A in Public Administration from Texas State University and a M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Saldana is a graduate of the City of Austin’s Executive Academy, Leadership Texas graduate, a previous recipient of the Outstanding Women in Texas Government Community Involvement Award and has received numerous awards recognizing her efforts and support of small and minority businesses.

Chief Procurement Officer, City of Norfolk, VA

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. 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 (Agency Advancement Award, 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 18 times).  Mr. Bevis’s teaching experiences include 23 years as an Instructor for NIGP, independent curriculum and training development for various agencies. Mr. Bevis 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.

Regional Director, Northeast Operations Gordian

As the Regional Director, Mr. Agostinelli is responsible for the overall development, implementation and continued support of Job Order Contracting programs for various organizations, including NYC Department of Design and Construction, NYC Department of Education, NYC Housing Authority, NYC Heath and Hospitals Corporation and Columba University. He has a B.S. in Construction Engineering and M. S. in Transportation Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Manager, City of Leesburg, FL

Mike Thornton is the Purchasing Manager for the City of Leesburg, Florida. He has been at Leesburg for over 15 years and has over 20 years experience in public procurement.  The City of Leesburg is a smaller municipality that operates 5 utilities. This allows Mr. Thornton to facilitate all types of solicitations to acquire the commodities required by his entity. He is a regular contributor to Nsite discussion and presents at NIGP forum annually. Mike  takes a specific interest in promoting and encouraging innovation in public procurement through the use of technology. He is active in the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP and is the past vice-president. Mr. Thornton has volunteered for several opportunities at NIGP including co-author for Global Best Practices.

Senior Buyer, Spokane County

Victor Leamer has 35 years of public procurement experience at the county, state department, and state-wide levels. Victor teaches Sourcing in the Public Sector and the Core Certificate: Foundations in Strategy and Policy for NIGP (virtual), the 10-part Learning Lab RFP series, and has presented NIGP webinars on protests, evaluating responsiveness in bids, virtual leadership, and contract price adjustments. He was appointed to the NIGP Talent Council in 2021, serves on NIGP's Content Management Committee (formerly Knowledge Management Committee) since 2015, produces the monthly Radio NIGP show, and is a founding member/former Vice President of the Alaska/Hawaii Governmental Procurement Association NIGP Chapter.

Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba

Stéphanie Dion is the Director, Procurement Centre of Excellence, Government of Manitoba.  She was previously employed by Manitoba Hydro, The City of Red Deer and the Government of Yukon. Stephanie practiced extensively in both the contract A and non-contract A paradigms. She is also the co-founder of the #RFPDreamTeam who provides advisory services and training on executing RFPs. Stephanie graduated university with a teaching degree and is involved with professional development at various local, national, and international events. She has been an active volunteer and advisor with professional associations since 2012 starting with the Cooperative Accreditation taskforce and now serves as the Chair of the Content Management Committee for the National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP). Stéphanie recently contributed a few articles to procurement magazines. She is the recipient of NIGP’s 2021 Buyer of the Year award.

Contract Administrator, University of Utah PDC

Pauline Alles is a Contract Administrator/Senior Buyer in the U-Facilities Planning, Design & Construction Department at the University of Utah.   She was a former NIGP Chapter 3-year Board of Director, Vice President, and past President. She is a member of the NCMA, National Contract Management Association, and a member of the NBMBAA.  She recently attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Western Governors University and plans to achieve her Masters in Management and Leadership in June 2023. Ms. Alles attributes her career success to her work experiences, life experiences, friends, mentors, and peers, who are the most valued part of her education!    he is a published author in the UK IN Procurement Magazine and contributing author in the US Government Procurement Magazine.   She started her career in Supply Chain within the Retail Industry back in 1986, having 36 total years of the supply chain, management, and coaching experience. The retail company where she started her career, Woolworth-US/Woolco-Canada, and her US Northern Reflections Stores, played an integral part in helping to finalize the 1994 NAFTA Agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Polly believes that even when the half-full glass gets empty, we should take a moment to reflect, be grateful for when it was full, and focus on how to re-fill the glass with new possibilities!

Assistant Procurement Manager, City of Little Rock

Toni Cook has a passion for process improvement, advocating for equity for women, traveling, and soft-shell tacos. She grew up in Central Arkansas and loves extreme sports, virtual reality, and skydiving. Ms. Cook is an avid lifelong learner, as she is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University, Kentucky State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Arkansas Coding Academy. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and one in Business Administration. As a procurement official with more than eight years of experience, she’s worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and specializes in ERP’s and technology procurement. Ms. Cookcurrently holds the title of Assistant Procurement Manager for the City of Little Rock. Outside of work, you will find Ms. Cook volunteering as a CASA or cheering on the Little Rock Rangers Semi- Pro Soccer Team.

Senior Buyer, City of Little Rock

Casey Hook is a Senior Buyer at the City of Little Rock. He has a background in both private and public procurement and specializes in writing bid solicitations. Mr. Hook has a love for technical writing, system management, and hobby farming. Mr. Cook is a life long learner and currently learning how to write code out of work.

Chief Procurement Officer, New York State Office of General Services

In August 2016, Sean Carroll was appointed Chief Procurement Officer for NYS's Office of General Services. Mr. Carroll  manages more than 1,500 contracts with a value exceeding $29 billion and is responsible for statewide contracts for commodities, services, and information technology for authorized users.  He previously served as the Director of Onondaga County’s Division of Purchase from 2010 to 2016. In the private sector, he managed his own consulting firm for nearly 10 years.

Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, NYS Office of General Services

JP Behrle joined NYS OGS in September 2021 as the Deputy Chief CPO.  Mr. Behrle is responsible for overseeing contracts for commodities, services, and information technology utilized by state agencies, state campuses, and other authorized users, valued at over 29 billion dollars. Previously, Mr. Behrle served as the Assistant Director for the DOCCS Division of Correctional Industries  where he oversaw the financial, procurement, and administrative functions for the division statewide.

Retired; Formerly City of Fort Lauderdale, FL

David Nash retired as a Chief Warrant Officer Three from the United States Army in 1988 after 20 years of service in inventory management. In 2007, he retired from the City of Fort Lauderdale after 18 years of service in warehousing and procurement. Mr. Nash holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Business Administration. He was the last President of the Governmental Purchasing Association of Southeast Florida, having successfully led a merger with the SE Florida Chapter of NIGP in 2001. He was also the President of the Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials in 2006-2007  David was presented with FAPPO’s George H. Wolf Distinguished Service Award in 2010. In 2014, he was presented with FAPPO’s Educator of the Year Award. In 2019, he was presented with his second George H. Wolf Distinguished Service Award for his overall contributions to FAPPO during 25 years of membership. Mr. Nash is a certified instructor for NIGP and from 2010 to 2013 he served on the Evaluation Committee for the National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award. Since creating the online “Question of the Day” in 2007, he has helped thousands of procurement professionals prepare for their CPPB, CPPO and NIGP-CPP exams. For his overall contributions to the procurement profession, he was presented with NIGP’s Distinguished Service Award at the 2018 Forum in Nashville, TN. In August 2020 he was part of the inaugural group to receive the new NIGP-CPP certification.Mr. Nash currently serves on the Mentorship Committee for NIGP, as well as Radio NIGP.

Owner, M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC

Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the owner of M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC; the author of "Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;" an Independent Executive Director and a certified member of the John Maxwell Team. She is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach, and Trainer. She is a DISC Personality and an Emotional Intelligence EQ i-2.0/EQ 360 Consultant. Ms. Coss is a Licensed Brain Trainer and a Certified Neuro-encoding Specialist. Ms. Coss is also an instructor for NIGP and the American Management Association, and a senior consultant for NIGP Consulting.  As a transformational leader and former Chief Procurement Officer, Ms. Coss invested two decades of her 27-year career successfully leading procurement transformations at some of the US's largest agencies such as the City of Houston, Cook County, University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She now leverages her experience and expertise to help individuals and organizations transform their performance to reach new heights within the continental US and its terrirories. She shares her expertise by providing training, consulting, and coaching. Ms. Coss continues to add value to the profession through her educational procurement transformation blog and podcast.  Ms. Coss graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University. She has served on several boards, including the NIGP Board. She is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award and the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. Ms. Coss was recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and one of the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement. Ms. Coss is the Chair of the NIGP Talent Council Leadership Committee and a member of the John Maxwell Team President's Advisory Council.

Capital Contracting Officer, Loudoun County, Virginia

Kristy Varda is currently a Capital Contracting Officer for Loudoun County Government. Her previous employers include Fairfax County and Frederick County Public Schools, Virginia. All leading to over 10 years in public procurement. She is a NIGP Instructor and member of the cast of Radio NIGP. She frequently presents NIGP webinars, Forum sessions, and builds NIGP course content.

Corporate Procurement Program Manager, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Stephanie Akerley is a Corporate Procurement Program Manager with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.  In 2017, Stephanie became an instructor for NIGP and shortly thereafter, began to write class content for NIGP technology courses.  In fact, Stephanie has participated in the creation and writing of all of the NIGP technology pathway courses.  Stephanie holds several certifications: NIGP-CPP, CPPB, CPPO and CTPE  and is a Radio NIGP staff member.

Crystal Washington, CSP works with organizations that want to leverage technology to increase profits and productivity!

As a technology strategist and certified futurist, Crystal takes complex social media, app, and web topics and makes them easy to understand and accessible for everyday people.

Crystal’s clients comprise Fortune 500 companies including Google, Microsoft, and GE, and as a sought-after keynote speaker, she has entertained and educated audiences around the globe.

As one of Forbes’ 50 Leading Female Futurists, She appears weekly on season two of the Emmy nominated show, Life 2.0 and she’s appeared in numerous publications including Entrepreneur and Bloomberg Businessweek. She is regularly called on by major television networks as a tech expert.

Crystal is the author of the books One Tech Action and The Social Media Why.

Project Lead (Retired), Ministry of Finance

Lynda Allair currently serves the NIGP membership as an instructor and on many task forces, committees, and course development groups. She often provides input on International Procurement content. She is a former Director for the Canadian Public Procurement Council and a Past President of the Ontario Public Buyers. Ms. Allair’s provided procurement leadership for almost thirty years within a variety of public entities; federal, provincial, hospital, and library.

Agency Procurement Officer (Retired) State of Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation and Correction

Barbara R. Johnson served for 38 years as a State, City and Airport Authority Procurement Leader. She serves the Institute members on many committees, task forces, and as a frequent Forum speaker and moderator. Barb instructs public procurement courses for the Institute (NIGP), the Ohio State University, and others upon request, as well as providing consulting services through NIGP's Consulting program.

Director of Statewide Sourcing, State of South Carolina, Division of Procurement Services

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 almost 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 actively involved in content builds for The Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP) Pathways program. She also instructs courses nationally as a NIGP Certified Instructor.   

Stacy’s desire to “give back” to the profession she so dearly loves continues in her service to NIGP and its local Chapter, the South Carolina Association of Governmental Purchasing Officials (SCAGPO). As an active member of both, she has served in many capacities including SCAGPO President. She was awarded SCAGPO’s Buyer of the Year for 2014 and was honored as the recipient of the B.D. Bland Distinguished Service Award in 2018 for her contributions to the Procurement Profession and the entity she serves.  Stacy currently serves on SCAGPO’s Past President Council and NIGP’s Talent Council as Chair Elect. 

Andrea Mindenhall is currently the Manager of Strategic Sourcing, Regional Municipality of Halton in Ontario.  Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she is currently working and supervising her procurement team remotely.  She brings her experiences with remote work and remote supervision and support of employees to this session.  She has been an Executive Member of the Ontario Public Buyers Association for many years.

Purchasing and Contracts Manager, City of Tamarac, Florida

Keith has served in the field of public procurement for over 40 years; and has been the Purchasing & Contracts Manager for the City of Tamarac, Florida since 2003. Prior to that date, he held various public procurement positions in municipal and state government in Illinois. Mr. Glatz has served in various volunteer capacities with NIGP and its various affiliated chapters including Chair of the NIGP Governing Board in 2015-2016 as part of his 10 years of service on the NIGP Board. Mr. Glatz was also past President of both the Southeast Florida Chapter and the Illinois Association of Public Procurement Officials (IAPPO) chapters of NIGP. Mr. Glatz was the recipient of both the NIGP Anne Deatherage Award for Meritorious Service and the NIGP Professional Manager of the Year Award, as well as the FAPPO George H. Wolf Distinguished Service Award and the FAPPO Above and Beyond Award.

President of NIGP Code & Consulting, Periscope/NIGP Code & Consulting

Marcheta Gillespie, FNIGP, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM, is a dynamic international speaker, professional consultant and trainer. For over 30 years, Ms. Gillespie has served as an experienced thought-leader, advocate and volunteer leader in the procurement profession. As the former Chief Procurement Officer at the City of Tucson, she led one of country’s most highly acclaimed procurement organizations.  Retired from government service, Marcheta now serves as President of NIGP Code & Consulting, working with public and private industry to transform their procurement operations. Ms. Gillespie is the 2019 Albert H Hall recipient and 2017 Distinguished Service Award recipient, the highest honors bestowed upon individuals by NIGP.  Marcheta is a former Chair of the UPPCC Governing Board, Former President of NIGP and served on the NIGP Board of Directors for 10 years. She now serves on the NIGP Business Council and Chairs the NIGP Mentorship Committee. Ms. Gillespie has spoken at hundreds of international, national and regional events and authored numerous published works in the profession.

Retired, State of Illinois Chief Procurement Office for Higher Education

Shirley Webb, CPPO, CPPB, NIGP-CPP retired after 34 years of expereince from the State of Illionis as the Deputy Chief Procurement Officer for Higher Education.

Assistant Professor and Director, Graduate Certificate in Public Procurement & Contract Management and Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Leadership, Old Dominion University

Josh Steinfeld, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of public service and Director for the Graduate Certificate in Public Procurement & Contract Management and Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Leadership. He completed his doctoral degree in public administration from Florida Atlantic University, an M.S. in Finance at Johns Hopkins University, M.P.S. in Organizational Leadership at University of Denver, and B.S.B.A. in Organizational Behavior at Boston University. Before joining ODU, Dr. Steinfeld was a Visiting Instructor at the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Steinfeld specializes in strategic procurement and public-private partnerships, especially with regard to the defense industry. For the previous six years, he has taught courses in procurement and contracting to students from all branches in Department of Defense, including specially formed cohorts of executive managers in the U.S. Navy. Through his teaching, Dr. Steinfeld has educated industry leaders across a host of areas including cybersecurity, shipbuilding and repair, shore and offshore operations and logistics, supply chain, sea lift and intermodal transport, air components acquisition, operations, and communications, among numerous other areas of acquisition and contracting.

Chief Executive Officer, NIGP

Rick Grimm has served as NIGP’s Chief Executive Officer for 23 years.

Rick holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Florida International University.  He served county governments and public school districts for 23 years, including over 12 years in the management of the public procurement function, before joining the NIGP team in 1998. 

As NIGP continues to develop, support and promote public procurement, Rick’s recent priorities have been the development of partnerships with universities and associations that represent the direct reports of the procurement function. To leverage these relationships and enhance NIGP’s role as a trusted advisor, Rick reorganized the NIGP team with a focus on content management and sustained membership growth.  The Institute now offers certificate programs for professionals entering the workplace and for seasoned professionals who seek high-level skills on procurement specialties such as technology and construction.

NIGP's Director of Certification Programs

Town Purchasing Manager, Town of Palm Beach, Florida

Dean Meally, II serves at the Town Purchasing Manager for the Town of Palm Beach Florida and has served in this position since 2017. Mr. Mealey is a graduate of Florida International University. Additionally, he holds a CPPO and Six Sigma Black Belt Certification. During his career, he has served as the Chief Purchasing Officer for the  largest Public Utility located in the State of Florida,   and as the Director of Administrative Services and Information Services for the City of New York. Mr. Mealey’s focus has been and continues to be, the focus on providing excellence in customer satisfaction as it relates to procurement experiences.  To accomplish this end, he has focused on re-engineering staff’s approach to both simple and complicated procurement actions.

Director of Procurement, Georgia Technology Authority (GTA)

Lisa Mehalko is the Director of Procurement for the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) overseeing statewide technology initiatives, with over $500M in spend annually. She has over 20 years of government procurement and currently holds a MBA. . She holds a NIGP-CPP, CPPO and CPSM from the ISM. Ms. Mehalko is a proud member of the national Finance Committee, serves as the Treasurer and Educational Chair of the Georgia Chapter of NIGP (GANIGP), and is also a board member of the Atlanta Chapter of ISM.

Procurement Innovation Manager, State of Washington

Cheral Manke currently serves as the Procurement Innovation Manager for the State of WA. Prior to her appointment, she was the Former State Procurement Manager/ Marketing & Relationship Manager, State of WA. Ms. Manke was deemed “Face of moving to a Human-centered Organization.” Ms. Manke believes in leading Procurement community thru key directives-environmental, diversity, equity & inclusion, One WA ERP. She has 17 years public procurement & contracting and 20 years private sector contract management. She currently serves as a NIGP Governing Board Member and is a past NIGP Member Council Chair. She holds a NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB and Certified Purchasing Management (CPM) from the University of Texas, Arlington. Ms. Manke holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Legal Studies-Contracts/Executive JD fromCal State University-Lexington University.

Statewide Enterprise Procurement Manager, Washington State Department of Enterprise Services

Elena McGrew is Statewide Enterprise Procurement Manager for Contracts and Procurement Division of Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES).  She provides oversight and technical direction to 7 teams responsible for: (a) providing procurement consultation to other agencies; (b) developing and administering contracts for DES and on behalf of small agencies; and (c) developing and administering statewide contracts valued over $1.3 billion and utilized by state agencies, institutions of higher education, and local government entities. She is a recipient of 2021 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management and has over 9 years of public procurement experience. She is committed to creating and implementing strategic plans and procurement procedures to improve value of every dollar spent and drive the state’s procurement priorities, such as environmental considerations, and small and diverse business participation. Ms. McGrew earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations from University of California, Davis, and Master of Business Administration from California State University, East Bay.

Procurement Director, City of Groveland, FL

Chris Coghill, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB is a seasoned procurement professional with a servant heart. She has been blessed to have experienced a variety of procurement offices which has led to a better understanding of how to manage a procurement department. She graduated Leaders Edge in 2020 and is the Vice President of the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP as well as a member of NIGP’s Leadership Development Committee.  Ms. Coghill has a passion for giving back to the profession through various means.  She has led study groups for the CPPO and CPPB certifications for the past few years and finds tremendous joy in hearing all the success stories.  Ms. Coghill supports her City as a one-woman show through various technology platforms.

Procurement Manager, City of Austin

Erin D’Vincent is a Procurement Manager for the City of Austin specializing in end to end procurement and contracting.  Ms. D’Vincent has a degree from Texas State University, is a member of NIGP, graduate of Leaders Edge, has her CPPB, and NIGP-CPP. Erin leads all procurement activities for the City’s Industrial, Facilities, Water, and Waste Team and Mobility, Health, and Safety Team. She supervisors a staff of ten that manage a portfolio of over 585 contracts valued at more than $1.3 billion.

Owner, M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC

Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the owner of M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC; the author of "Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;" an Independent Executive Director and a certified member of the John Maxwell Team. She is a Professional Speaker, Executive Coach, and Trainer. She is a DISC Personality and an Emotional Intelligence EQ i-2.0/EQ 360 Consultant. Ms. Coss is a Licensed Brain Trainer and a Certified Neuro-encoding Specialist. Ms. Coss is also an instructor for NIGP and the American Management Association, and a senior consultant for NIGP Consulting.  As a transformational leader and former Chief Procurement Officer, Ms. Coss invested two decades of her 27-year career successfully leading procurement transformations at some of the US's largest agencies such as the City of Houston, Cook County, University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She now leverages her experience and expertise to help individuals and organizations transform their performance to reach new heights within the continental US and its terrirories. She shares her expertise by providing training, consulting, and coaching. Ms. Coss continues to add value to the profession through her educational procurement transformation blog and podcast.  Ms. Coss graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University. She has served on several boards, including the NIGP Board. She is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award and the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. Ms. Coss was recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and one of the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement. Ms. Coss is the Chair of the NIGP Talent Council Leadership Committee and a member of the John Maxwell Team President's Advisory Council.

Procurement Agent III, City of Palm Bay

James (Nick) Canjar has worked for The City of Palm Bay for a year and a half. He holds a Bachelors of Applied Science in Organizational Management from Eastern Florida State and Bachelors of Arts in Event Management from the University of Central Florida.

Procurement Manager, City of Little Rock

Vitesh Patel is passionate about supplier equity, vendor outreach, energy drinks, and butter chicken. He holds a master's degree from the University of Arkansas in Supply Chain Management. Mr. Patel  has worked in various roles in supply chain management over the last ten years. Mr. Patel currently holds the title, Procurement Manager at the City of Little Rock. Outside of work, he can be found being a jungle gym for his two daughters, Amelia and Avah and working at his family businesses.

Buyer, City of Little Rock

Grace Enlow is passionate about supplier engagement and developing innovative training documents for internal and external stakeholders. She graduated last year with a business degree from the University of Arkansas, and is currently in her second semester of her Master's Program in Supply Chain Management. Ms. Enlow currently holds the position of Buyer at the City of Little Rock. Outside of work, she can be found wakesurfing, studying for her exams, playing pickleball, or trying new types of coffee.

Assistant Procurement Manager, City of Little Rock

Toni Cook has a passion for process improvement, advocating for equity for women, traveling, and soft-shell tacos. She grew up in Central Arkansas and loves extreme sports, virtual reality, and skydiving. Ms. Cook is an avid lifelong learner, as she is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University, Kentucky State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Arkansas Coding Academy. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and one in Business Administration. As a procurement official with more than eight years of experience, she’s worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, and specializes in ERP’s and technology procurement. Ms. Cookcurrently holds the title of Assistant Procurement Manager for the City of Little Rock. Outside of work, you will find Ms. Cook volunteering as a CASA or cheering on the Little Rock Rangers Semi- Pro Soccer Team.

General manager and SVP for OpenGov Procurement

Thao Jones-Hill is the SVP for OpenGov Procurement where he leads their public procurement software roadmap. He is a Government Technology executive with 24 years of experience leading cloud-based software companies and projects at the Federal, State, Regional, and Local levels. Mr. Jones-Hill was a member of the founding executive team for Granicus, one of the world’s leading local government cloud-based software companies, for 10 years. During his tenure there, he led their highest profile project implementations, including The US House of Representatives, The US Senate, and the City of Los Angeles. He has led engineering teams, customer support teams, hosting infrastructure teams and sales and marketing teams, for several govtech companies including Granicus, Govdelivery, and Public Systems Associates. He has also worked as a reliability engineering consultant for Facebook, Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Amazon, Pinterest, and CBS Interactive. He received his electrical engineering degree from Tennessee Technological University.

Assistant Director-Procurement Manager, City of Pittsburgh, Office of Management and Budget

Jennifer Olzinger joined the Office of Management and Budget for the City of Pittsburgh, PA as the Assistant Director-Procurement Manager in September 2015. She is responsible for managing and coordinating the City’s procurement process, as well as overseeing the preparation and evaluation of bid proposals, selection of contractors and negotiation of contracts. Ms. Olzinger determines the procurement strategy for obtaining goods and services in the most effective and efficient manner; develops and enforces “best practice” policies and procedures to certify compliance with City Code; and ensures procurement practices are consistent, open and designed to encourage maximum competition and best value procurements. Ms. Olzinger and her team analyze the city-wide and departmental spending to identify opportunities to reduce costs and/or procure goods and services more efficiently and effectively to provide the best overall value to the City.  Ms. Olzinger is currently serving as the Second Vice President for the Pennsylvania Public Purchasing Association (PAPPA) for the 2019-2020 calendar year. She previously served as the PAPPA Board Secretary for the 2018-2019 term. She was also recently named to the first-ever NIGP Impact Circle, a task force created by NIGP to help them further develop their new Pathways educational programs to reduce the barriers to obtain NIGP certifications. In addition, the task force seeks to tailor their offerings to better prepare procurement staff across the Country to handle the varied “smart” technologies and more technically complex IOT procurements that Cities are looking to implement.  Ms. Olzinger served as Acting Director of the Office of Management & Budget from September 2018 – September 2019. In addition to her primary duties as Assistant Director, Ms. Olzinger also oversees all areas of the Department including Operating Budget, Capital Budget & Asset Management, Fleet, Grants and the administration of the Community Development Block Grant program. Prior to joining the City, she served as the Manager of Procurement Operations at Education Management, LLC, where she managed a team of buyers supporting the purchasing process for 100+ EDMC locations.

District Director, Oklahoma District Office, U.S. Small Business Administration

John D. Veal, Jr. is the District Director for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Oklahoma District Office.  He directs the team that assists small business owners in accessing capital, obtaining technical assistance, and obtaining government contracting opportunities.  Veal holds a Master in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Accounting from Oklahoma City University.  He is also certified a NIGP-CPP; CPPB, and Level I Contracting Professional.

Contract Compliance Manager, Cobb County Department of Transportation 

Stefanie Taylor is the Contract Compliance Manager and Small Business Liaison for the Cobb County Department of Transportation (CDOT). She is responsible for planning and developing the processes to ensure compliance with Federal, State and Local mandated policies and regulations which include mandatory small business participation. Stefanie has 15+ years of government procurement and contracting experience and currently holds four professional certifications - NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPCM and CPPB.

Director of Procurement, Georgia Technology Authority (GTA)

Lisa Mehalko is the Director of Procurement for the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) overseeing statewide technology initiatives, with over $500M in spend annually. She has over 20 years of government procurement and currently holds a MBA. . She holds a NIGP-CPP, CPPO and CPSM from the ISM. Ms. Mehalko is a proud member of the national Finance Committee, serves as the Treasurer and Educational Chair of the Georgia Chapter of NIGP (GANIGP), and is also a board member of the Atlanta Chapter of ISM.

President of NIGP Code & Consulting, Periscope/NIGP Code & Consulting

Marcheta Gillespie, FNIGP, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM, is a dynamic international speaker, professional consultant and trainer. For over 30 years, Ms. Gillespie has served as an experienced thought-leader, advocate and volunteer leader in the procurement profession. As the former Chief Procurement Officer at the City of Tucson, she led one of country’s most highly acclaimed procurement organizations.  Retired from government service, Marcheta now serves as President of NIGP Code & Consulting, working with public and private industry to transform their procurement operations. Ms. Gillespie is the 2019 Albert H Hall recipient and 2017 Distinguished Service Award recipient, the highest honors bestowed upon individuals by NIGP.  Marcheta is a former Chair of the UPPCC Governing Board, Former President of NIGP and served on the NIGP Board of Directors for 10 years. She now serves on the NIGP Business Council and Chairs the NIGP Mentorship Committee. Ms. Gillespie has spoken at hundreds of international, national and regional events and authored numerous published works in the profession.

County Procurement Officer, County of Orange, CA

Maria Pirona serves as the County of Orange Procurement Officer. She is responsible for overseeing the County’s procurement organization that includes over 260 Deputy Purchasing Agents across 22 County departments with a 2020 procurement spend of $1.6B.  Over the last 15 years, Ms. Pirona has served in various Procurement Leadership positions with OC Public Works, OC Waste & Recycling and the OC Health Care Agency giving her expertise in not only Commodities and Professional Service contracts but also Human Service, Architect and Engineering and Construction contracts. Prior to joining the County of Orange, Ms. Pirona spent seven years at Raytheon focusing on military defense contracts both domestic and international. Ms. Pirona earned her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Pepperdine University and is a Certified Procurement Professional Officer (CPPO) through the National Institute of Government Purchasing. In 2020 Ms. Pirona received the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) County Procurement Officer of the Year Award.

Procurement Director, St Louis County, Missouri

Greg Tatar worked in New York City government for many years, eventually becoming Deputy Chief Contracting Officer for the Health Department and later the Department of Education. From there he moved to the San Diego Association of Governments, then to San Mateo County, CA as Procurement Director and later to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority as procurement director. Mr. Tatar currently serves as Procurement Director for St. Louis County. In addition to a J.D. and an M.B.A., he has been a budget analyst as well as Director of Facilities and IT.

Retired

Kirk Buffington retired in June 2019, from the City of Fort Lauderdale, where he spent the last five years as Director of Finance.  Prior to 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. In addition, Mr. Buffington has purchasing experience with the Orange County School Board, and as a Grocery Buyer with the Wal-Mart Corporation, and as a Receiving Supervisor with the Walt Disney World Co.  He has a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida State University, and an MBA, with a concentration in Procurement and Acquisitions Management, from Webster University, St. Louis, MO.  Mr. Buffington served as President of the Florida Association of Public Purchasing Officers and was elected to the NIGP Board of Directors in July 2003, and served as President of NIGP in 2008-2009.  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.  Mr. Buffington co-authored the NIGP text “The Legal Aspects of Public Purchasing” now in its third edition and has published  various articles concerning Procurement Case Law both in local news blogs, and in nationally peer reviewed academic journals.  In January, 2022, Mr. Buffington was admitted to the Masters of Legal Studies Program at the University of Cincinnati School of Law.

Senior Manager, Non-Capital Program, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority

Amy Flack has over 16 years of public procurement experience, obtained her CPPB and CPPO and is working towards a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies. She has successfully facilitated the procurement process for various projects, including Janitorial Services, Remote Baggage Check Services, Spa Services, Long-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Services, and Glass Cleaning Services. she is Procurement’s Training Administrator, responsible for supplier and Authority-wide staff procurement training. She currently serves on the Member Council for NIGP and as the Public Relations Director for the Airport Purchasing Group. Shewas named 2015 Buyer of the Year and 2017 Manager of the Year by her Chapter and the 2017 Inaugural Young Professional by NIGP National. She has served on NIGP’s Forum Committee and the Dictionary Update and NIGP-CPP Item Writing Task Forces. Ms. Flack has held various leadership roles within her local Chapter such as Treasurer, Vice President, President, Membership Director and currently serves as the Programs Chair.

Retired

Theresa Webb, M.A., NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M. has over 30 years of experience in procurement. In her leadership roles Ms. Webb oversaw the procurement of goods, services, technology, construction, concessions and capital improvement. She has Bachelor and Masters degrees in Business. Since retiring Ms. Webb has continued serving the profession as an NIGP Instructor, on NIGP coursework creation teams, as Chair of the NIGP Accreditation Committee and her role as consultant for Civic Initiatives.

Procurement Manager II, South Carolina Fiscal Accountability Authority

Nathan Dawson serves as the Procurement Manger of the Sourcing Team for the Division of Procurement Services in South Carolina. His job is to assist State Agencies purchase goods and services whose value exceeds those Agencies’ certification levels. In other words, he buys stuff. The majority of that “stuff” is now IT-related – Mr. Dawson has purchased hardware and software solutions, ranging from electronic poll books for the presidential elections to grants management systems, as well as software maintenance and application development services. He is an active member of his local NIGP Chapter, as well as one of NIGP's instructors, teaching primarily the two Technology Procurement classes. He has presented at past NIGP and chapter Forums around the country. Originally from Australia, Mr. Dawson worked for both Federal and State Governments in Australia and England before moving to South Carolina 15 years ago and discovering his true calling as a procurement professional.  And no, he does not know Chris Hemsworth.

Corporate Procurement Program Manager, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission

Stephanie Akerley is a Corporate Procurement Program Manager with The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.  In 2017, Stephanie became an instructor for NIGP and shortly thereafter, began to write class content for NIGP technology courses.  In fact, Stephanie has participated in the creation and writing of all of the NIGP technology pathway courses.  Stephanie holds several certifications: NIGP-CPP, CPPB, CPPO and CTPE  and is a Radio NIGP staff member.

Procurement Officer, Town of Queen Creek, AZ

Myrna Quihuis is a procurement officer working for the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona and has a combined 26 years experience working in government procurement. She has held various positions with municipal government agencies including the City of Chandler, City of Mesa and Town of Queen Creek. In her current role with the Town, she solicits, awards and manages contracts for various goods and services for a variety of departments and most recently the newly formed Police department.   Ms. Quihuis was part of the transition team that launched a police department within 18 months which brought on many challenges during Covid and supply chain issues.  Ms. Quihuis is a member of the National Institute of Government Procurement (NIGP) and a member of the local chapter of NIGP, Capitol Chapter, where she has served on past regional conference committees. She also holds a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) designation from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC).

Procurement Manager, Town of Queen Creek, AZ

Melissa Bauer is the Procurement Manager for the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona where she provides leadership and oversight of the Finance Department Procurement Division. She has 32 years’ experience working in government procurement where she has held various positions within State, County and municipal government agencies that include the State of Wisconsin and Arizona, Maricopa County and the Town of Queen Creek.  Ms. Bauer has served on the Maricopa Association of Governments Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Transportation Committee and the Regional Domestic Violence Council.  She has received a Platinum Excellence award from the State of Arizona for Mass Communications Systems Team and a National Association of County Governments (NACO) Award for Project Management System (PAM). Melissa is a member of the National Institute of Government Procurement (NIGP) and a member of the local chapter of NIGP, Capitol Chapter

Assistant Procurement Manager, City of Little Rock

Procurement Manager, City of Little Rock

Vitesh Patel is passionate about supplier equity, vendor outreach, energy drinks, and butter chicken. He holds a master's degree from the University of Arkansas in Supply Chain Management. Mr. Patel  has worked in various roles in supply chain management over the last ten years. Mr. Patel currently holds the title, Procurement Manager at the City of Little Rock. Outside of work, he can be found being a jungle gym for his two daughters, Amelia and Avah and working at his family businesses.

Administrator of Purchasing, Shelby County Government

Christin Webb is a procurement leader who holds a bachelors degree from the Univ. of Memphis and an MBA from Webster Univ. She is a Certified Professional Public Buyer and NIGP Certified Procurement Professional. With over 15 years of combined management and procurement experience in public and private industry, she serves as the Administrator of Purchasing for Shelby County Government. She is the VP of the Tennessee Association of Public Purchasing and is an NIGP Talent Council member.

Contract Management Specialist, New York State Office of General Services

Carol Neelis is a Contract Management Specialist at the New York State Office of General Services where she is the primary manager of the Vehicle Marketplace. Her duties include the day to day management of the platform which includes the review of vehicle use requests, posting of the documents and the review of results.

Team Leader, New York State Office of General Services

Heidi Langley is a Team Leader at the New York State Office of General Services where she supervises a team of Contract Management Specialists overseeing Fleet related contracts for automobiles, buses, heavy duty equipment, electric vehicle charging stations, vehicle lifts and garage equipment and related parts and supplies.

Executive Director, Center for JOC Excellence (CJE)

Rhonna Endres, CME, FMP, CJP is the Executive Director for the Center for Job Order Contracting Excellence (CJE).  CJE is the national non-profit industry association assisting both governments and contractors with education, certification, credentialing, and best practices for job order contracting. For over 30 years, Rhonna has been an avid voice and subject matter expert on efficient alternative construction project delivery methods. Her early career was served in architecture followed by many years in program management and construction management. She has authored numerous papers serving as a subject matter expert on both higher education and government facilities in addition to her expertise in job order contracting. She teaches workshops on a regular basis, manages the national certification and CJP credentialing programs, and consults on cost savings in JOC procurement.   Rhonna is certified in change management, facilities management, ethical leadership, government compliance, nonprofit compliance, construction management, pursuit management, and is a Certified JOC Professional (CJP).  In addition to her role on the nation’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Council, she serves on national committees advising government facilities and procurement groups. Her undergraduate degree is in interior architecture and her graduate studies were in political science, construction, and leadership.

Chief Procurement Officer, City of Norfolk, VA

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. 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 (Agency Advancement Award, 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 18 times).  Mr. Bevis’s teaching experiences include 23 years as an Instructor for NIGP, independent curriculum and training development for various agencies. Mr. Bevis 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.

After earning her PhD with research designated as “transformative” by the National Science Foundation, Dr. Rebecca Heiss went on to hold multiple appointments in academia and applying her research to solve practical problems in overcoming what she refers to as “biological ghosts” - subconscious behaviors that haunt modern life. She is currently launching a new self-awareness, 360-review app, called Icueity (I-cue-it-ee), to help every individual reach her, or his, full potential, and finishing her new book, Instinct, due to be published in May 2021. She has been honored to speak internationally on her work, including multiple TEDx talks, and has found her calling in helping others recognize the power of biological applications in their lives. Rebecca lives in South Carolina with her spoiled rotten dog, named Guinness, and tries every day to live her life motto: “spread happy.”