Attention Procurement Professionals: The Copper and Capitol Chapters of NIGP Are For YOU
by Diana Kerfoot, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB, ACBS and Bill Munch, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB
As members of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO), we are connected to a very large and diverse group of procurement professionals, representing small to large schools’ districts in Arizona. The Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO International) connects you to a more global network of school business leaders. This little article will address the reasons and benefits for joining the local chapters of the Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP). NIGP currently has 2 chapters servicing Arizona. The Copper Chapter with approximately 100 members covers Southern Arizona and the Capitol Chapter with approximately 500 members covers Central and Northern Arizona. This year, for the first time ever the Copper Chapter will host the Capitol Chapter at a virtual Chapter Training Meetlng on July 22nd and the Capitol Chapter will return the favor on September 16th.
Procurement professionals are also eligible to join NIGP at the National level. NIGP is an organization of over 18,000+ members, from all over the US and Canada, representing over 2,600+ government agencies, including school districts. And within the State of Arizona, NIGP has two local area chapters, the Arizona State Capitol Chapter (covering the Phoenix area and Northern Arizona), and the Copper Chapter (covering the Tucson area and Southern Arizona).
These chapters are made up of procurement officials from a variety of state and local agencies, airports, cities, counties, towns, school districts, and so many more.
Have you ever been asked the question, “Are you a member of a professional organization or association”? At some point during your career as a school business official, whether it’s in Finance, Human Resources, Technology Services, Maintenance & Operations, Food Services, Transportation, and of course, Procurement, we’re all approached with the prospect of joining a professional organization or association that relates to what we do every day for our districts.
Personally, we can say that there are a multitude of reasons to join a professional organization and the rewards you receive are abundant, more so when you allow yourself to become involved and engaged. Sharing knowledge with your counterparts from other districts, helping to mentor those new to procurement, looking for new technologies to enhance the value we provide to our districts, seeking professional development offerings to increase our knowledge, earning professional recognition, taking advantage of professional certification opportunities, connecting and building relationships with others who are as committed to our profession as we are, etc., and the list can go on and on!
You can be a member of one chapter, or two, or more. It’s all up to you! Being a member of a professional organization has given us the opportunity to learn not only about procurement with Arizona school districts but has also shown us that we have allies within our profession. We all share the same or similar issues when it comes to procuring goods and services. We can share our experiences, learn from others and understand that while rules between school districts, agencies and states may be different, there’s a common bond in what we do… getting the right product, in the right quantity, at the right time, from the right source, and for the right price, so we can keep our districts running smoothly and efficiently today and for many, many years to come.
As for Diana, she joined the Copper Chapter of NIGP shortly after starting work with the Tucson Unified School District as a Procurement Specialist. It was a great way to engage with other public procurement and purchasing professionals, not just school districts, but other government agencies as well. The Copper chapter meets monthly, offers professional development sessions that cover a variety of relevant procurement topics, the ability to join committees, attend events and engage with vendors who do or want to do business with government agencies, which includes school districts. The Copper Chapter hosts a Reverse Vendor Trade Show annually late in the Fall when the public entities host booths where vendors can visit with public procurement officials in an informal setting. We encourage agencies and districts from outside of Southern Arizona to come and participate, as several agencies from the Copper Chapter also attends the Capitol Chapter’s events to engage with vendors in the Phoenix area.
As a member of the Copper Chapter of NIGP, in turn she became a member of National NIGP because it opened up so many more opportunities to engage with members on a national level, more professional development offerings, the ability to attend events at discounts, website access with community groups based in agency type, free webinars, and so much more. Plus, over the past couple of months, she became a member of the Arizona Capitol Chapter of NIGP!
Being that this group is located in the Phoenix area, and so many of its members are connected with committees and legislative personnel, those decision makers for school districts and for our procurements. She’s looking forward to being kept abreast of what’s currently being talked about, any possible changes in rules, and being able to connect with those at the pulse of procurement.
Bill became a member of the Capitol Chapter in 1989 when he started his career at the State Procurement Office and is currently Chapter President. In 2012, he began his journey at VSMG and recognized that if he was going to be regularly advising procurement professionals across the State, joining the Copper Chapter and becoming active at the National level was a perfect fit. We currently have over a dozen procurement professionals that are members of both chapters for many of the reasons already discussed. Nearly all Chapter members ultimately become National Members as well.
The Capitol Chapter boasts many of the benefits listed above and also host a Statewide Regional Conference and Vendor Expo annually in October. The Conference is an opportunity to attend professional development sessions and visit with close to 100 vendors all in one setting. Like the Copper Chapter, the Capitol Chapter hosts a Reverse Vendor Trade Show in the Spring every year. Both Chapters also actively assist individuals in obtaining the same professional certifications we both have. The benefits of membership enhance and expand on all the knowledge we receive from AASBO.
Being that we’re all members of AASBO, what can we say that you don’t already know? Whether you’re in procurement, or in any of the other amazing fields or tracks that AASBO covers, this organization is the BEST! As we all know, school district rules, regulations, and statutes are a little different than any other government agency. Being a member of AASBO gave us the opportunity to not only learn where to find the rules but showed us how to understand why they are there and how to make sure we’re being compliant within our districts. The connections and friendships we’ve made, either inside or outside of procurement, have been so important to us over the past several years.
AASBO gives you the opportunity to learn from your peers, see best practices in action, allows you to share your insight and knowledge with others by presenting at AASBO conferences held in person and virtually, and AASBO members never hesitate to reach out to each other, share information without issue, and stay informed regarding those important and “hot” issues that affect school districts in Arizona. And as members of AASBO, we’re also members of ASBO International. At TUSD, we’re afforded the opportunity to provide our entire district staff with ongoing professional development to continue to increase our knowledge while allowing us to see what’s being done around the world when it comes to K-12 education.
If you’re interested in being a part of any of these other organizations associated with your profession, have questions or want to maybe join a meeting to see what it’s all about, please do! Reach out to us and we’ll give you information, steer you in the right direction, and set you on the path to amazing experiences. Don’t wait, be engaged and get involved today!
Diana Kerfoot is the Director of Purchasing for Tucson Unified School District and may be reached at
Diana Kerfoot. Bill Munch is the Procurement Compliance & Training Officer for VSMG and may be reached at
Bill Munch.
I hope you enjoyed the article above and feel free to use the information to help recruit for our chapters at your entity. Remember to check out the calendar on our website to register for upcoming NIGP Courses and opportunities. Yes, there is still time to register and attend Forum in Denver on July 27th.