Dear NASPO Members,
The 2016 How to Market to State Governments Meeting enjoyed record attendance this year, with more than 510 government officials and suppliers participating. This is the only NASPO function open to private sector suppliers, who had the opportunity to
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One-on-ones are an opportunity for suppliers to meet directly with state procurement staff to learn state requirements and needs.
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learn about doing business with state governments directly from state procurement officials during the
popular one-on-one
sessions, roundtables and networking functions. In addition, attendees took advantage of several education sessions and discussion forums. Spark sessions, which are 15 minute presentations used to ignite discussion on emerging issues, proved to be a popular model for educational offerings. Topics this year included green purchasing, e-procurement, IT procurement reform and legislative trends.
The NASPO Cares service event was a new addition to the conference. Teams of suppliers and procurement officials worked side-by-side to build Lego cities using 32,500 Legos. After the networking event, the Legos were given to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlanta and more than 3500 kids will benefit from the donation.
I would like to express special thanks to the State of Alabama's State Purchasing Director and Chair of the Conference Planning Committee Michael Jones, along with all members of the Conference Planning Committee and the entire NASPO staff, especially Molly Marsh and Kristy Howard, for building and hosting such a successful event.
It was great to see everyone in Atlanta and I hope you take advantage of
future NASPO opportunities
to come together to learn and network with peers this year. Please also make plans now to attend the 2017 NASPO How to Market to State Governments Meeting, which will take place March 12-14 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Thank you,
P
aul Mash
NASPO President
Utah Deputy Director/Deputy Chief Procurement Officer
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Attendees got creative with the Legos and added this signage to their Lego city.
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Next year is NASPO's 70th anniversary, and the 75th anniversary is just around the corner! We would like your help in planning the celebration.
Please take a few minutes to share your feedback and ideas with us. Your input will support the preparation efforts of the Anniversary Task Force.
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Workforce Webinar Series: Millennials in State Procurement
April 20, 2016 at 1:00 PM ET
What attracts millennials to procurement? How do you maximize the transfer of knowledge and experience between seasoned professionals and the workforce of the future? Hear from millennials on these topics and much more, Wednesday, April 20th at 1 p.m. ET
NASPO is proud to invite NASPE, the National Association of State Personnel Executives to this educational webinar series. Please note this webinar series is available to NASPO and NASPE members only.
Contact Jordan Henson at
[email protected]
if you have any questions about this webinar.
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Georgia Shares Their Process After Ranking #1 in Governing's Purchasing Power of the States Report
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Governing
columnists
, Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, interview Lisa Eason, the current deputy commissioner of Georgia's purchasing office, and her predecessor, Leslie Lowe, who retired in 2015. They get the inside scoop on how Georgia earned the #1 ranking on
Governing's Purchasing Power of the States report
released in February.
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Op-Ed on State Procurement Centralization and Authority Published in Route 50
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Professional Development Funds: 1st Quarter Concluded
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First quarter reports for Professional Development Fund usage are in the process of being distributed. Remember, each member state has $21,200 to invest in training and education. The policy is available in
Member Central if you need to recall qualifying expenses.
We appreciate everyone using the updated submission form and new email account - [email protected] - to send us your requests. Feel free to reach out to Courtney McCarty at [email protected] with any questions about utilizing 2016 funds.
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Cronin Nominations Now Being Accepted
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Do you have a project going on in your state that you are excited about?
NASPO wants to give
your state the recognition it deserves through the George Cronin Awards for Procurement
Excellence.
Nominations for the 2016 Awards are now being accepted and we want to encourage every state to share what they have been working on, big or small, not only for a chance to be recognized, but also as an exciting way to share ideas and innovative solutions among the states.
Every state/territory is permitted to submit up to three entries per year. The top five finalists
will be invited to participate in the Annual Conference, September 25 - 28 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to present on their submission at the Cronin Luncheon, and are also featured as part of the Cronin Finalist Webinar Series, which is hosted by NASPO each year to allow finalists to share their submissions with the entire membership.
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State Training Coordinators Conference
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May 21 - 22, 2016
Birmingham, Alabama
Registration is now available for the inaugural Procurement U State Training Coordinators Conference. This event is an opportunity for NASPO members who coordinate state procurement training efforts to come together to share peer-to-peer solutions, identify curricula needs, learn about instructional methodology and exchange training resources.
Attendees will appreciate expert presentations, discussions and exercises on state and UPPCC certifications; principles of adult learning; instructional methodologies and examining evaluations versus assessments.
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Michigan Chief Procurement Officer and NASPO Board Member Jeff Brownlee (back row, far right) served as a judge during the 5th Annual Public Policy Challenge National Invitational. NASPO is a proud sponsor of the event. Hosted by the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, the competition challenges teams of graduate students to develop a policy proposal and civic campaign plan to achieve significant change in their community. Teams are required to determine not only what ought to happen, but how to build the necessary leadership and political support to actualize their ideas.
Congratulations to 2016 National Invitational winner
Ballot Ready from the University of Chicago.
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NASPO ValuePoint Resource Tab
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You can now access your NASPO ValuePoint forms, policies, and current Compass Newsletter issues in the NASPO Network under the Resources tab.
Click here to access now!
Recent additions include:
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Partner Event: Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
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SPLC's Summit brings together leading sustainable purchasing experts and practitioners from a wide variety of sectors and regions to share best practices, build valuable relationships, and co-develop programs for guiding and benchmarking institutional leadership in sustainable purchasing.
2016 Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Summit
Tuesday, May 24 - Thursday, May 26, 2016
Kellogg Conference Hotel at Gallaudet University, 800 Florida Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002
Attendees include:
Senior leaders in procurement and supply chain, sustainability, marketing and business development, policy, standards and certifications, consulting, and public interest advocacy.
Please use the code NASPO2016 to receive a 10% discount.
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