Greetings Region 13!

              Upcoming Professional Development Courses in Region 13

Course	Location	Date	Registration
CPPB Review Session	Vancouver, BC	March 13	kbabich@uvic.ca
CPPO Review Session	Vancouver, BC	March 13-14	kbabich@uvic.ca
OPBA Introduction to Public Purchasing	St. Catharines, ON	March 28	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
OPBA Purchasing & The Law	Pickering, ON	April 7	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
Effective Management of Contracts	Victoria, BC	April 21	kbabich@uvic.ca
NIGP Contract Administration	Oshawa, ON	April 30 - May 2	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
OPBA Cooperative Purchasing in the Public Sector	Oakville, ON	May 5	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Introduction to Public Procurement	Wolfville, NS	May 13 - 15	gerry.wilson@avrsb.ednet.ns.ca
NIGP Legal Aspects of Public Purchasing	Vancouver, BC	May 14 - 16	kbabich@uvic.ca
NIGP Performoance Based RFP's	Edmonton, AL	June 2 - 3	lleeks@nait.ca
NIGP Risk Management in Public Contracting	Newmarket, ON	June 5 - 6	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Contracting in the Public Sector	Vancouver, BC	June 9 - 10	kbabich@uvic.ca
OPBA Risk Management Issues in Public Purchasing	Hamilton, ON	June 27	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Sourcing in the Public Sector	Vancouver, BC	July 9 - 11	kbabich@uvic.ca
CPPB Review:  Preparing for the CPPB Exam	Richmond Hill, ON	Sept. 23	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
CPPO Review:  Preparing for the CPPO Exam	Richmond Hill, ON	Sept. 22 - 23	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
OPBA 50th Annual Meeting and Conference	Richmond Hill, ON	Sept. 24 - 26	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Developing & Managing RFP's in Public Sector	Richmond Hill, ON	Sept. 24 - 26	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
OPBA Introduction to Public Purchasing	Richmond Hill, ON	Sept.  24	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
OPBA Electronic Purchasing	Ricihmond Hill, ON	Sept. 25	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Introduction to Public Procurement	Edmonton, AL	Sept. 24 - 25	lleeks@nait.ca
OPBA's Competitive Bidding Issues	Whitby, ON	Oct. 20	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Developing & Managing RFP's in Public Sector	Moncton, NB	Oct. 21 - 23	gerry.wilson@avrsb.ednet.ns.ca
NIGP World Class Procurement Practices	Barrie, ON	Oct. 24	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Sourcing in the Public Sector	Oakville, ON	Nov. 5 - 7	www.opba.ca/insidepages/meetings.cfm
NIGP Planning, Scheduling and Requirements Planning	Edmonton, AL	Nov.  5 - 7	lleeks@nait.ca

Check the chapter websites or e-mail the Chapter President for additional information on these seminars and other chapter activities:

Assiniboia Chapter of NIGP, Doug Zimmer, President Doug.Zimmer@rqhealth.ca

Atlantic Public Purchasing Association Chapter of NIGP, Gerry Wilson, President Gerry.Wilson@avrsb.ednet.ns.ca or www.appa-aapa.ca

Canada West Chapter of NIGP, Ken Sanford, President ken.sanford@epsb.ca
or Linda Leeks, Chapter Pro-D at  lleeks@nait.ca or www.nigp-cwc.ca

Cascadia Chapter of NIGP, John Braybrook, President jbraybro@uvic.ca

Ontario Public Buyers Association, Inc. Chapter of NIGP, Kimberly D. Dooling, CPPB, President   kdooling@oakville.ca or www.opba.ca

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at anytime. 

Gord Sears, CPPB
NIGP Board of Director – Canada and Territories
Manager of Purchasing
Town of Newmarket
gsears@newmarket.ca
905-953-5335

Dopslauf, Gillespie, Glatz, And Meisel Win Board Elections WIth Record-Breaking Voter Turnout

The representatives elected by their constituents via a competitive election are pictured below. These individuals will serve a two-year term effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010.  Congratulations DeWight, Marcheta, Keith, and Judy!

Region 9: Texas

DeWight Dopslauf, CPPB, C.P.M., A.P.P.
Contracts Administrator
Harris County, Texas

DeWight will replace Debbie Nye, CPPO, CPPB,
who was ineligible to run for this Board seat due
to term limits.  Debbie has served on the NIGP Board
since January 2003.



Region 10:  Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma

Judy Meisel, CPPO, CPPB
Purchasing Manager
City of Olathe, Kansas

Judy replaces Carmela Thornton, CPPO,
CPPB, C.P.M. who decided not to seek
an additional term on the NIGP Board.




Region 11:  Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah

Marcheta Gillespie, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM
Deputy Director of Procurement
City of Tucson, Arizona

Marcheta was appointed by the NIGP Board in
September 2007 to fill the unexpired term of
Bill Brewer, CPPO, C.P.M. This was her first
opportunity to be placed on the election ballot.



At-Large 14

Keith Glatz, CPPO
Purchasing and Contracts Manager
City of Tamarac, Florida

Keith replaces Norma Hall, CPPO, CPPB, CPM,
who was ineligible to run for this Board seat
due to term limits.



The following candidates ran unopposed in the recent election for Board seats.
Their two-year term is also effective July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010.

Region 3:  Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia

Kenneth Koester, CPPO, C.P.M., A.P.P.
Director
Unified Purchasing Cooperative of the Ohio River Valley
Cincinnati, Ohio

This will be Ken’s third term on the NIGP Board.





Region 6:  Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee

Stephanie Creed, CPPO, CPPB
Assistant Comptroller
Pulaski County, Arkansas

This will be Stephanie’s second term on the NIGP Board. 







Region 12:  Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
                                            
David Davis, CPPO
Purchasing and Materials Manager
State of Washington Department of Transportation

David replaces Darin Matthews, CPPO, C.P.M. who decided
not to seek a final term on the NIGP Board.





Region 13:   Canadian Provinces and Territories

Gord Sears, CPPB
Procurement Manager
Town of Newmarket, Ontario

This will be Gord’s second term on the NIGP Board. [ return to top ]

NIGP Board Seeks Candidates To Serve As The Institute's Treasurer

Applications are Due March 21, 2008

The NIGP Board recently modified the eligibility requirements as well as the roles and responsibilities of the NIGP Treasurer position.  Prior to this modification, the NIGP Treasurer was a member of, and elected by, the NIGP Board of Directors as the first of four sequential officer positions leading to the NIGP Presidency.  This meant that the elected Treasurer served in this position for only one year and then moved on to a series of Vice President positions.

As the Institute moves towards a $6 million operation, the Board believes that the Treasurer should hold this position for multiple years in order to provide continuity and a greater understanding of the various financial and risk management issues facing a not-for-profit association.  Therefore, the NIGP Board has adopted the following changes:

•  The Treasurer will be appointed by the NIGP Board from among national member
   applicants interested in serving in this capacity.  The Treasurer will no longer be a
   member of the Board who has aspirations to become the NIGP President.
•  The Treasurer will continue to be an Officer of the Institute and serve on the NIGP
   Board and Executive Committee as a non-voting member.
•  The Treasurer will be appointed for a three-year term (July to June) and the term
   is renewable once.
•  The Treasurer will be a national member and hold a current designation as
   a CPPO and/or CPPB.

The Treasurer will continue to collaborate with NIGP’s professional staff in Herndon, Virginia in the management of budgets, finances, investments, and risk but this partnership will continue on a longer-term basis.  In this capacity, the Treasurer and staff are jointly responsible for all funds and securities of the Institute, for the administration and oversight of the Corporation's financial records, and for compliance with statutory reporting requirements, filing of tax returns, and tax payments.

A detailed list of roles and responsibilities of the Treasurer can be found in NIGP's Board Policy Manual under Section III.C.4.

To be eligible to serve as NIGP’s Treasurer, the candidate shall:

•  Hold national membership in NIGP either as an employee of a national
   Agency Member or as an Individual Member who is currently employed in
   a public procurement agency; and
•  Hold either a current CPPO or CPPB certification issued by the
   Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council.

At a minimum, the Treasurer must commit to three face-to-face Board meetings each year at various locations plus the possibility of occasional telephonic meetings. NIGP does not reimburse the Treasurer for the cost of travel to Board meetings.  All expenses are the responsibility of the Treasurer and his/her governmental agency is strongly encouraged to financially support these travel expenses.

If you are interested in serving the public procurement profession and your association as the Institute’s Treasurer and meet these minimum eligibility requirements, please apply by no later than Friday, March 21, 2008 at 5:00 PM EST.

The application process includes the following items to be submitted by interested candidates:

•  A Letter of Interest
•  The Application for Treasurer
•  Current Resume
•  Short Essay on why the applicant aspires to be the NIGP Treasurer 

The Treasurer Application and all application materials should be sent to Rick Grimm, CPPO, CPPB, Chief Executive Officer, at rgrimm@nigp.org no later than the deadline.   Please contact Rick at 800-367-6447 x235 if you have any questions.

Candidates will be screened for eligibility and then forwarded to the Nominating Committee for consideration. The Nominating Committee, in turn, will submit its recommendation to the full Board for their appointment, which will likely be made during their Spring Board Meeting in May. The appointed Treasurer’s three-year term will begin July 1, 2008.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to share your leadership skills with the NIGP Board and the 15,800 members who rely on NIGP to develop, support and promote the public procurement profession.
[ return to top ]

NIGP Issues Resolution In Support Of Legislative Effort On Behalf Of Procurement Officials In Florida

In support of a legislative effort in Florida to improve the capacity of procurement officials there to competitively solicit and select architectural and engineering services providers, NIGP recently issued this resolution.  This effort is championed by NIGP member Steve Carnell, Purchasing/General Services Director with the Collier County Board of Commissioners and other NIGP members within Florida.  Steve is hoping to see the proposed legislation introduced in the upcoming session of the Florida legislature, which begins this month.  If you wold like to lend your support to this effort, please contact Steve directly at 239-252-8371.

                                                       Resolution

FLORIDA STATUTE 287.055, F.S. - “Consultants Competitive Negotiation Act (CCNA)”

Whereas, public purchasing officials serve the public interest and are accountable to publicly elected officials, and

Whereas, public purchasing officials are charged with maximizing the value of every tax dollar expended, and

Whereas, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. advocates for the prudent expenditure of public funds reflecting ‘best value for the tax dollar”, and

Whereas, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. promotes the use of open, transparent and fully competitive processes for public procurement, and

Whereas, the existing statute limits the discretion and thereby the leverage of public entities in procuring architectural and engineering services in Florida; and

Whereas, the proposed legislation would give public entities the ability to procure architectural and engineering services in a manner consistent with best practices utilized by purchasing agencies in Florida, nationally and throughout the world; and

Now Therefore, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. supports the proposed legislation amending Florida Statute 287.055 to provide public purchasing officials the option of evaluating top firms based on a best overall basis that takes compensation and qualifications into account when evaluating potential professional services providers for award of government contracts.

I certify that the above resolution was adopted by the Board of Directors of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. at its official meeting on January 21, 2008.

Rick Grimm, CPPO, CPPB
Chief Executive Officer and Secretary
[ return to top ]

NIGP Curriculum Essential: Warehousing And Inventory Control

Public priorities don’t always wait for the supply chain to react to needs.  In addition, budgets are too tight for “just in case” inventories waiting for policy-makers to decide whether to install more “children at play signs” or provide additional environmentally-friendly trash bags at parks. 

How does today’s procurement professional proactively prepare to satisfy client needs? 

One answer may be an effective warehouse and inventory control system.   Warehousing and Inventory Control focuses on optimizing the development/ management/ maintenance of a supply chain that includes a warehousing and inventory management strategy.  This two-day seminar enables the procurement professional to gain command of the key elements of a successful operation and provides a guide to complementing procurement activities with prudent inventory management techniques. 

Can these concepts help your procurement function add value to meet often unpredictable demands?  

For a detailed course description, visit Warehousing and Inventory Control.

Chapters or agencies that wish to request a class should complete the Seminar Request Form.

The next Warehousing and Inventory Control class is being offered on April 10 - 11 in Yuma, Arizona and Bellevue, Washington.  The seminar in Yuma, Arizona is hosted by the Desert Southwest Chapter of NIGP and will be presented by Jennie E. Readey, CPPO, CPPB.  To register, email Robin.Wilson@yumaaz.gov.  The Bellevue, Washington seminar is hosted by the Washington State Chapter of NIGP and will be presented by Theresa M. Gerhardt, CPPO, CPPB.  To register, email crobinson@ci.shoreline.wa.us. in Yuma, Arizona. 

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Warehousing and Inventory is a hot topic on NIGP's K-12 Knowledge Community electronic discussion list.   Join our Knowledge Community network today! [ return to top ]

Free Webinar: How To Apply For AEP Award

The 13th Annual Achievement of Excellence in
Procurement (AEP) Award
Tuesday, March 18
1PM - 2:30PM (Eastern)
Registration Deadline:  Wednesday, March 12

Objectives:

•  Review the history of the AEP Award program
•  Examine the AEP criteria
•  Discuss the application evaluation and scoring process
•  Provide helpful hints in submitting an AEP application
•  Understand how and when successful applicants are notified and where the
   trophy is presented

Presented By:

Kathleen Bender, CPPB, C.P.M.
Contract Administrator
City of Tucson
Tucson, Arizona

Beth Fleming, CPPO, C.P.M., A.P.P.
Director of Purchasing
Denton County
Denton, Texas

Cheryl K. Turney, C.P.M.
Purchasing Manager
City of College Station
College Station, Texas

Register Today




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Upcoming Webinar: Tag You're It! How Do Organizations Prepare for an ePro Project?

Thursday, April 3
1PM - 2:30PM (Eastern)
Registration Deadline:  Wednesday, March 12

Course Objectives:
 
•  Learn why your agency should automate:  knowing
   your vision, what you should achieve, cutting costs, etc.
•  Discover what options you have within the market.  Should you put the
   pieces together or have an instant ERP?  What in-house opportunities are there?
•  Find out what you need to do to prepare including a SWOT analysis,
   policy assessment, and environment assessment

                                             Presented by:
                                        
                            Marcheta Gillespie, CPPB, C.P.M., CPM
                                  Deputy Director of Procurement
                                      City of Tucson, Arizona

                                           Register Today  [ return to top ]

Onvia Government Spending Survey Identifies 2008 Growth Opportunities

 State and Local Procurement Activity Expected to Stay Level or Increase

Despite a slowing economy and projected local budget shortfalls, 80 percent of purchasing officials plan to maintain or increase government spending activity in the year ahead compared to 2007, reports a new survey from Onvia (NASDAQ: ONVI), a leading provider of comprehensive market intelligence.

The 2008 Onvia Government Procurement Outlook, available at www.onvia.com, summarizes the findings of a January, 2008 survey of 1,400 purchasing officials at state, local and educational entities.

“Our findings are good news for many businesses selling to the government,” said Michael Balsam, vice president of products and services at Onvia. “Government spending for infrastructure should continue to help compensate for the residential construction downturn. Based on our research, the other big opportunities for 2008 will be for information technology vendors and companies selling to the educational sector.”

“Overall, it is a very impressive report,” said Rick Grimm, NIGP CEO.  “It does a great job of looking at the diversification of the various sectors – both by geography and by agency type.” 

Highlights from the Onvia Government Procurement Outlook include:

•  43 percent of buyers surveyed project an increase in government spending
   activity across 2008.

•  37 percent of buyers surveyed expect levels to remain the same as 2007.

•  Government infrastructure and construction procurement will grow which will
   benefit businesses such as architects, engineers, and companies providing
   building products and construction services. Overall, 41 percent of agencies
   plan to increase spending activity on infrastructure in 2008 and 38 percent
   plan to maintain current spending activity levels.

•  IT procurement continues to accelerate, in keeping with modernization plans
   and security and privacy initiatives. According to survey respondents, 82 percent
   of agencies will increase or maintain IT procurement activity for hardware and
   for telecommunications; 83 percent will increase or maintain IT procurement
   for software and services.

•  School districts responding to the survey are preparing for the largest
   year-over-year government spending activity increase compared to other
   segments, while municipal governments facing revenue shortfalls say they
   will spend more cautiously than other segments.

•  The South Central U.S. region anticipates the most growth in government
   spending activity, while New England expects more moderate growth rates.

This information was reprinted from a press release written by Patricia Chen, Marketing Communications , Onvia, Inc.

About Onvia
Onvia (NASDAQ: ONVI) helps businesses achieve a competitive advantage by delivering timely and actionable sales opportunities and information. More than 8,500 subscribers across the United States rely on Onvia as a comprehensive resource for industry-specific information needed to make intelligent sales decisions. Onvia offers unparalleled coverage of government purchasing activity in addition to commercial and residential projects in development for markets such as architecture and engineering, IT/telecom, business consulting services, operations and maintenance, and transportation. Onvia was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

  [ return to top ]

Call For Papers: Procuring Our Infrastructure

The spring issue of The Source will focus on the topic of infrastructure.  In the next 20 years, the cost to build and maintain roads and bridges and to create and maintain systems that deliver electricity, water, sanitation and telecom services, will swell to $30 trillion. 

The Federal government may bear the broadest responsibility to keep America's gears turning, but state and local governments are accountable for supplying more than half of the money and all of the manpower to build and maintain the country's vast ground transportation network.  States also have regulatory oversight of 85 percent of dams and help fund drinking water and wastewater system. (Source:  stateline.org 2008 Report). 

What criteria do you use when spending infrastructure dollars? Do you have a plan? And where is the procurement dollar better spent—building new or repairing existing infrastructure?  These are just a few of the questions we would like to address in the next issue of The Source. 

We invite you to share your experiences by submitting a paper or article to cpatin@nigp.org by Friday, March 21.  Your published work is also an opportunity to receive two recertification points.

We look forward to your submissions.

  [ return to top ]