Join Chief Procurement Officials from Florida and Maine as they discuss how their teams in the Central Procurement Office have pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jaime Schorr (ME) and Roz Ingram’s (FL) staff have not only responded to the needs of their agencies and citizens related to the pandemic, but they have also both been affected by recent hurricanes along the East Coast. Schorr and Ingram will discuss efficiencies and best practices learned over the last few months, as well as increased collaboration with leadership in their states. Despite these dramatic challenges, both CPOs are optimistic looking ahead to 2021.

During these unprecedented times, the importance of strong procurement teams, procedures and technology has been spotlighted. This session will help attendees understand how to empower procurement to achieve two of your most important initiatives today - supplier diversity and emergency response.

Just as we all use tools like Yelp, TripAdvisor and Angie’s List in our personal lives to find the best restaurants, hotels and contractors, states are selecting the best suppliers by using reviews from government employees in different jurisdictions – or their own – to make more informed decisions. Join us for an interactive panel discussion with Curt Topper, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of General Services and Doug Carlson, Deputy Director of the Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, as they talk about how they are leveraging modern technology and reviews from thousands of government employees to improve state procurement. The session will be moderated by [former NASCA Board Member] David Yarkin, Founder and CEO of Procurated, the nation’s largest supplier ratings and review platform for the public sector.