Procurement Sourcing Best Practices: Key Strategies to Increase Contracting Success

Marcheta E. Gillespie, FNIGP, NIGP-CPP, C.P.M., CPPB, CPM

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Marcheta E. Gillespie, FNIGP, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, C.P.M., CPPB, CPM

• President of NIGP Code and Consulting Services
• Dynamic international speaker, professional consultant and trainer, and experienced thought-leader with 30 years in the procurement profession; possesses a broad and deep range of expertise in numerous areas of public procurement best practices, professional development and leadership, and overall procurement transformation
• In 2021, she became the President of NIGP Code and Consulting Services; former Director of Procurement at the City of Tucson, leading one of the country’s most highly-acclaimed procurement organizations; retired from government service, she now works with public and private industry helping them transform their procurement operations; prior to becoming President, she served as program manager and senior consultant working with Periscope Holdings, Inc (the management corporation for the NIGP Code and Consulting Program); former Chair of the UPPCC Governing Board, was the 2013-2014 President of NIGP and served on the NIGP Board of Directors for 10 years
• 2019 Albert H. Hall recipient and the 2017 Distinguished Service Award recipient, the highest and second-highest honors bestowed upon individuals by NIGP in the public procurement profession
• Can be contacted at 520-940-7194, [email protected], on LinkedIn® Marcheta Gillespie, or Twitter® (@MarchetaG1)

Tara Acton, CPPB

Mohave County

• Began her procurement career in September 2009 with Mohave County; after a 4-year service with the City of Tucson, she returned to the County as their Director of Procure-ment and Central Services in June 2020
• Active leader in NIGP; served as the President of NIGP’s Grand Canyon Chapter from July 2015 through June 2017; served on several committees with NIGP’s Copper Chapter between October 2016 and May 2020; at the Institute level, she has served on multiple committees and task forces since 2015; was elected to the Member Council in 2017; in February 2020 was elected as the Chair-Elect for the Council; shortly after becoming Chair-Elect, the Council’s Chair was appointed to the Governing Board, so she quickly ascended to Chair and has been serving as the Member Council Chair, and ex officio Governing Board Member since February 2020
• Recognized as the Copper Chapter’s 2019 Buyer of the Year, NIGP’s Young Profession-al for 2019, and received the City of Tucson’s Business Services Department Keys to Success Award for her contributions to the City of Tucson as well as the work she has done on behalf of the profession
• Bachelor’s of Applied Sciences degree in public agency service, Northern Arizona Uni-versity; received the designation of Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)

Victor Leamer, CPPB

Spokane County

• Senior Buyer, Spokane County
• With over 30 years of public procurement experience at the county, state department, and state-wide levels, Leamer is currently the Senior Buyer with Spokane County in Washington
• Teaches Sourcing in the Public Sector and the Core Certificate: Foundations in Strategy and Policy for NIGP, the 10-part Learning Lab RFP series, and has presented NIGP webinars on protests, evaluating responsiveness in bids, and contract price adjustments
• Appointed to the NIGP Talent Council in 2021, serves on NIGP’s Content Management Committee, and is a founding member/former vice president of the Alaska/Hawaii Gov-ernmental Procurement Association NIGP Chapter; he is also the programming director of Radio NIGP
• B.A. degree in broadcast journalism, Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA); Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) designation in 2009