A message from your NASPO President

A Message from the President

Greetings Fellow NASPO Members,

Delivering on-point professional development for procurement staff and developing meaningful collegiate educational opportunities for the future procurement workforce are important priorities for the NASPO Board of Directors, and a focus for me as President of NASPO.

While substantial progress has been made recently through Procurement U offerings and the upcoming inaugural Academic Forum, the Board and I agree there are significant opportunities for growth and expansion upon which we must capitalize. To help achieve these goals, the Board recently voted to establish a NASPO Director of Professional Development position, which we believe will strengthen the educational initiatives we have worked hard to cultivate over the last several years, while also enabling us to do much more.

The Director of Professional Development will report directly to the Board in order to most effectively spearhead our higher education and professional development initiatives. Due to the substantial strategic partnership engagement that this person will seek to foster and build upon, we believe this organizational structure will be more conducive to a fluid exchange of ideas as this new position evolves, while building upon the continued strong support NASPO receives through our long-time relationship with AMR Management Services.

The work of the Professional Development Director will be fully supported by funds made available through our wholly-owned, nonprofit subsidiary, NASPO ValuePoint. Active recruitment for the Director of Professional Development position has begun and the Board hopes to make a hiring decision soon.

The upcoming Academic Forum March 19-21 in Tempe, Arizona, is a direct outgrowth of the emphasis the Board has placed on addressing challenges faced in the attraction and retention of qualified talent into the field of state government procurement. This newly created position will be critical to the ongoing support and expansion of NASPO's strategic partnerships and relationships with fellow professional organizations like the National Contract Management Association and NIGP. I'm really excited about the possibilities that may grow from this effort and I look forward to what the future holds for the public procurement profession.

If you have not already done so, please make plans to join your colleagues at the Academic Forum or NASPO Exchange (March 12-14). Although the name has changed, members will continue to have the same unique opportunities to meet one-on-one with suppliers eager to learn about your individual state's procurement requirements and unique needs. I certainly hope you will meet me in St. Louis!

Sincerely,

Larry Maxwell, NASPO President

State of New Mexico

A New Way to Submit Reimbursements

Now Available! Online Reimbursement System - DMS

We have created secure reimbursement portals for NASPO and NASPO ValuePoint travel expenses . This new process allows you to complete a reimbursement request and attach documentation directly to our Disbursements Management System (DMS), from any location, expediting the reimbursement process.

Please review the Online Reimbursement Tutorial & Quick Guides on the new Reimbursement Resource Page to get started! SHARE this public page with central procurement office staff that may be involved with submitting NASPO or NASPO ValuePoint travel expenses.

Upcoming Conferences

The NASPO Exchange is Almost Here!

NASPO is gearing up for the 2017 Exchange and final preparations are underway for some of the new elements on the agenda you won't want to miss!

Learn the value of teamwork from former NFL Coach and current ESPN Analyst Herman Edwards.

Network at the Regional and Commodities and Services breakouts; get ready for an enhanced discussion with a fun, frosty new format.

Partner with state procurement representatives and suppliers for an in-depth discussion of critical State-Supplier Relations issues.

Preparations continue for the first-ever, NASPO Academic Forum. With over 65 registered attendees and 30 states represented, the Academic Forum will bring together academic partners and state procurement leaders to discuss the existing needs in the procurement workforce, recruitment of new talent, development of long-term competencies to meet the everchanging landscape of public procurement, and much, much more.

Identified as on the top issues facing state procurement, NASPO hopes that this event will be the first in a series of strategic efforts to provide tangible solutions to meeting this challenge. Hosted by Arizona State University, the 2017 Academic Forum will take place March 19-21, in Tempe, AZ.

NCMA Interviews Sarah Allen of Hawaii

The February edition of NCMA's Contract Management features an interview with NASPO's Sarah Allen, administrator and CPO of Hawaii. Sarah talks about what led her to a career in procurement, what's needed to attract young people to the field and what she does when she's (seldom) off the clock. Read Sarah's interview here .

NASPO, NASCA Host State Governments Partners Meeting

On Monday, January 30, 2017, NASPO and the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) hosted a meeting of nine state government partner associations to discuss each organization's top policy priorities and identify common issues shared among the associations represented.

Partner associations participating in the meeting included:
* National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO)
* National Association of State Facilities Administrators (NASFA)
* National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT)
* National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD)
* National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE)
* National Conference of State Fleet Administrators (NCSFA)
* National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO)
* National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)
* National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA)

This group first met in January 2016 following a panel discussion held at the October 2015 NASCA Institute. At that meeting, several of the partners recognized an overlap of shared interests and common challenges between these state government affiliated associations. This year marked the second annual meeting of this group, which grew by two member associations over the first year's attendance.

You may read a recap of the meeting here. To learn more about this event, or other partner activities, please contact Jill Midkiff, Director of External Relations.

Survey of State Procurement Practices at a Glance

In case you missed the release of the 2016 NASPO Survey of State Procurement Practices last Fall, c heck out the 2016 Survey Infographic as a quick snapshot of the main data points and trends regarding state procurement practices nationwide based on survey results .

CLICK HERE to view state responses to NASPO's 2016 Survey of State Procurement Practices.

Support Green Purchasing Initiatives in your State!

NASPO is here to help! The Green Purchasing Technical Assistance (GPTA) Funds will continue to be offered to all state central procurement offices this year. The total amount available to each state is $10,000. Get your application in by October 1^st.

The 2017 GPTAF Policy, Application Form, and Reimbursement Form are available in Member Central on the NASPO Network. Please review the GPTAF Policy before submitting your state's application.

Application Deadline: October 1, 2017
Period for Review & Notification of Approval: 30 days from application
Reimbursement Deadline (for approved projects): December 8, 2017

Thank you for your interest in green purchasing! We are excited to support your state green purchasing initiatives.

Send your state application, reimbursement requests for approved applications, or any questions related to the GPTA funds to [email protected].

Fall 2016 UPPCC Class Announced

NASPO would like to extend our congratulations to those in state procurement that have successfully completed the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council's (UPPCC) certification exams and have recently been granted the designations of Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) and Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB). Congratulations on all your hard work to become the UPPCC's new class of Certified Public Procurement Officers and Certified Public Procurement Buyers!

Newly granted CPPBs

Mr. Spencer Hall, CPPB, State of Utah Division of Purchasing, Salt Lake City, UT

Ms. Amy L. Risley, CPPB, State Controller's Office, Denver, CO

Mrs. Jennifer L. Shourd, CPPB, Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, Springfield, IL

Mr. Benjamin Lee Baggett, CPPB, Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem, OR

Mr. Paul N. Brady, CPPB, State of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

Ms. Kimberly A. P. Shelley, CPPB, State of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ

Ms. Kimberly R. Taylor, CPPB, Governor's Office of Information Technology, Denver, CO

Newly granted CPPOs

Mr. Steven J. Haynes, CPPO, State of Montana, Department of Administration, Helena, MT

Mrs. Diane Holley Brown, CPPO, CPPB West Virginia Purchasing Division, Charleston, WV

Ms. Dianne L. Lancaster, CPPO, State of Oregon, Salem, OR

Mr. Kelly R. Mix, CPPO, Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Salem, OR

A complete list of the all the newly certified individuals can be found on the UPPCC website.

As part of their preparation for the exam, several of the new certificants participated in the Procurement U Fall 2016 CPPB Exam Prep Course. If you are preparing to take either the CPPB or CPPO exams this year check out the exam prep courses.

Welcome New State Members!


Erin Kellam Interim Deputy Commissioner of Strategic Sourcing State of Indiana Department of Administration 402 W Washington St Rm W479 IGCS Indianapolis, IN 46204	Andrew Giroux Chief Procurement Officer State of Maine Division of Purchases Burton M Cross Bldg Fl 4, 9 State House Station 111 Sewall St Augusta, ME 04333-0009	Jim Colangelo Chief Procurement Officer State of Michigan DTMB-Procurement 525 W Allegan St Lansing, MI 48913

NASPO's mission is to help our members achieve success as public procurement leaders in their states through promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies.