the In-Voice Kentucky Public Procurement Association

December 2011 Volume 32, Issue 4

Special Interest Articles

Members Comment on Conference 2011 KPPA Award Winners

KPPA Committees Need YOU

2011 Board of Directors

Election

KPPA First Timer Report

2012 KPPA Mentorship

Program

Incoming President’s Post

From the Registration Desk

The President’s Post

2011 Outstanding Committee

Members

Silent Auction

2011 Manager of the Year

2011 Buyer of the Year

First Place Essay

The KPPA Cash Flowed and

Fun Was Had By All!!!

Conference Comments

Section Highlights

Tips of the Trade 3

Agency of the Quarter

Local Government News

Personality of the Quarter

Dates to Remember 13

Members on the Move 14

About Our Organization 14

MEMBERS COMMENT ON CONFERENCE By Nancy Sherrow (Education Cabinet)

Some ideas KPPA Members gained from attending Forum that they were going to take back to the workplace.

I am now more aware of generational differences.

That certification is an added benefit.

The need to be detailed on Determination and Findings.

To ask bidders for a redacted copy of their proposal.

Incorporating the negotiation and performance evaluation materials in agency processes.

Communication with co-workers with different mindsets

Give & Take in negotiation process, taking into account more of the other side's position.

What did you like best at Forum?

Tie between the Vendor Expo and the session "The Art of Inclusion: Genders, Cultures, and Generations". I liked the vendor expo because it had a couple vendors I work with directly, so it was nice to put a name with a face. I enjoyed the speaker Jill McCrory because she was excellent! She was able to spark our attention and get us involved, gave us something to take home and think about.

I liked the way the classes had more involvement in the way we do things and not a generalized overview of purchasing.

Overall improvements in the vendor expo and tie-in to the Thursday Night "Vegas" theme.

Diverse speakers with different topics.

I really enjoyed the closing speaker/entertainment, Tom Mabe. I also thought the vendor expo was well laid out in the Convention Center.

I really like the open discussions that were available with the experts.

I really enjoyed staying at the RiverCenter. It was nice to have a change of scenery.

This year the vendors were the best I had seen. Very good representatives for their companies.

Very well organized; very accessible presenters, they allowed for a lot of interaction; classroom-registration-silent auction easy to locate!

I loved that everything was so close and comfortable - from the trip there to each individual session. There was just such a good vibe.

The Vendor Expo was by far the best part of the Forum this year. I honestly don't have a bad thing to say about it.

I liked the games at the vendor expo. It made interacting with the vendors fun. I also enjoyed the speakers we had this year. They were great.

NIGP speakers & the last guy, the comic, was the best you have ever had there.

I really liked the opportunity to discuss getting certified. Great Session!

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2011 KPPA AWARD WINNERS

MANAGER OF THE YEAR Ken Koester (Unified Purchasing Cooperative)

BUYER OF THE YEAR Felicia Biggerstaff (CHFS)

ESSAY WINNERS

1st

Place Winner: Cindy Watts (KYTC)

2nd

Place Winner: Joan Graham (CHFS)

Lottery Drawing Scholarships

$1,200

Winner: Jennifer Houchin (KYTC)

$1,200

Winner: Nancy Sherrow (Education Cabinet)

KPPA Registration 2012 Conference Winner: Wendy Roberts (Education Cabinet)

1st Timers Meeting $50 off 2012 Conference Registration

Winner: Toni Simmons (Education Cabinet)

1st Timers Meeting - $25 Gift Card Winner: Jolene Mentzer (Education Cabinet)

NIGP Lifetime Certification Recipients Ann Hall and Melinda Marburger

2011 Outstanding Committee Member Award Donna Jones and Shelby Luby

Betty Bingham Lifetime Achievement Award Ann Hall

Newly Elected Officers

President: Vice President:

Secretary: Treasurer:

Carolyn Turner (Finance) Ben McCray (KYTC) Stacy Phillips (CHFS) Amy Monroe (GAPS)

Newly Elected Board Members

Ken Koester (Unified Purchasing Cooperative) Carolyn Turner (Finance) Kathy Robinson (Finance OPS) Lindsay Jackson (KYTC) Denise Finn (UK)

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TIPS OF THE TRADE

We want to take this opportunity to Thank all of the vendors that supported KPPA at the Vendor Expo. We had so many this year we had to use two pages –

We really appreciate the support of the Vendors

Accelerated Business Results

Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies

Baumann Paper Company

Bob Hook Chevrolet Inc.

Bobcat Company

Brewer Products Co.

Bruce-Longhino Group

BTA/KI

Cardinal Office Products

CBTS

Central Business Systems

CIM Technology Solutions

Contract Sweepers & Equipment Co.

Crown Services, Inc.

Dan Binford & Associates

Dell

Duplicator Sales & Service, Inc.

Employment Solutions dba Secure Shredding Solutions

Enterprise Holdings Inc

Exmark Mfg Co. Inc.

Eye3Data

Fastenal Company

Flav-O-Rich Dairies, LLC

Fleet One

Fort Knox National Company

G & K Services

General Services Administration

Grainger

Grasshopper Company

Graybar

Herman Miller Inc

IKON Office Solutions, A RICOH Company

Indiana Furniture / Chromcraft Furniture

InterfaceFLOR

Ion Wave Technologies

ISS Facility Services Inc

Gold Level Sponsors

Toyota Silver Level Sponsors

Cardinal Office Products OfficeWear ServiceWear Sunbelt Rentals Whayne Supply Xerox

Bronze Level Sponsors

CBTS Fastenal Graybar Ikon PartsMaster RCS Communications Tom Sexton & Associates

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JJ Invision

John Deere Construction & Forestry Co

Kentucky Correctional Industries

Kenway Distributors

Kettle Creek Corp dba Windsor Barrel Works

Kimball Office

Kwalu

Louisville Tractor, Inc.

Microsoft

The Mohawk Group

National Office Furniture

National Workwear

Norix Furniture

Office Depot

Office Max

OfficeWare

Paoli Inc

Partsmaster

Patterson Pope, Inc

Pitney Bowes

Pomeroy

RCS Communications

Rytel Holland Contract / Archoustics

SDGblue

ServiceWear Apparel

SimplexGrinnell

Stringfellow, Inc.

Sunbelt Rentals

Tandem Solution

Tom Sexton & Associates

Toyota

Unbridled Information Technologies

Unisource Worldwide

Whayne Supply Co

Wilson Equipment Co.

Xerox Corporation

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KPPA COMMITTEES NEED YOU! It still isn’t too late to sign up for a 2012 KPPA Committee yet…KPPA is always looking

for a few good volunteers.

Even if you signed up at Conference go ahead and complete the attached link to insure that we have all your information.

Although you can join a committee anytime of the year by contacting the committee

chair; the deadline for sign ups to start off the year is Friday, January 6th.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012_KPPA_COMMITTEE_SIGNUP

2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION By William P. Jackson (PPC)

The following KPPA board members were re-elected to serve another term.

Ken Koester Carolyn Turner Kathy Robinson

The following KPPA members were nominated for election to fill two vacant board positions.

Lindsay Jackson Denise Finn Laura Stephens Lynne McCroskey Louise Keach

Lindsay Jackson and Denise Finn won the election. Congratulations Lindsay and Denise! A motion was made, seconded, and passed to make Carolyn Turner President, Ben McCray Vice President, Stacy Phillips Secretary, and Amy Monroe Treasurer.

KPPA FIRST TIMER REPORT

By Amanda C Moore (CHFS OATS)

This being my first year to attend KPPA, and also my first year being within Division of Procurement, I had no idea what to expect when I got the invite to attend KPPA. Of course I had heard stories, but with it being relocated to Cincinnati, no one knew what to expect. I was overall VERY pleased with my experience attending KPPA and hope to be able to attend in the future! It was wonderful getting to meet people that I have worked with, just putting that name to the face and getting to learn about them personally was great. Also, I was able to meet a couple vendors that I work with directly, which was also a perk! I enjoyed learning more about the buying process, which I haven’t gotten to, work with yet. This was my first time being taken on an overnight trip, let alone a conference of that type, and it was a blast! Will never forget how much fun, while also learning, that I was able to have with coworkers. This trip was an eye opener as to all the details that go along with Procurement, which is very helpful to me since I’m so new to this Division. I know it will be very beneficial for my future!

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2012 KPPA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

In 2011, KPPA launched the KPPA Mentorship Program. This program pairs a less experienced procurement professional with a more seasoned partner who can offer guidance, encouragement and the benefit of experience. KPPA members who are interested in expanding their knowledge and taking a more active role in the organization will want to take advantage of this opportunity to be mentored by a seasoned procurement professional. KPPA members who are interested in sharing their procurement knowledge and experience as well as encouraging and supporting future KPPA leaders will also want to participate in this exciting program. Members who are interested in participating in the program for 2012 must submit an information form to the Education & Professional Development Committee Chairperson, Kathy Robinson at Kathy.robinson@ky.gov no later than 01-15-12. Comments from the 2011 Mentees:

Invaluable assistance

Extremely beneficial to have someone to assist when I didn’t understand a process

Encouraged me to participate on KPPA committees

Provided guidance and advice on certification

A positive impact on my KPPA involvement

Increased my participation in KPPA and NIGP

INCOMING PRESIDENT’S POST

Hello KPPA Members! On November 4th, 2011, at the KPPA Annual Awards Luncheon,

you elected the new officers for 2012: Carolyn Turner-President, Ben McCray-Vice President-, Amy Monroe-Treasurer, and Stacy Phillips-Secretary. You also elected two (2) new KPPA board members, Denise Finn, from the University of Kentucky, and Lindsay Jackson, from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. David Hecker, from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is also a new Board member who is fulfilling the remainder of Gary Freeland’s term after his retirement. Please welcome, support, and help congratulate all your new officers and Board of Directors! I am so proud to be a member of KPPA and I am really looking forward to working with all of you as the 2012 KPPA President! KPPA belongs to its members and your efforts are vital to the organization! I am looking forward to having more members than ever involved in KPPA this year from across our great state, from all branches of governmental purchasing… city, local government, universities, and state government. For members who wish to pursue training for continued professional growth and as NIGP envisions, “a world in which public procurement practitioners are highly regarded members of a respected professional order”, KPPA offers financial assistance opportunities in the form of scholarships and class fee assistance for certification and recertification points. KPPA also offers financial incentives to members after they have become certified. We hope to continue to give such opportunities for our members in 2012 and far into the future. For the year 2012, I hope to see the largest group of KPPA members in history! I also encourage all members to GET INVOLVED by joining committees so everyone has the opportunity to make KPPA great in 2012!!

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FROM THE REGISTRATION DESK

The Registration Desk Committee Members did an OUTSTANDING JOB this year getting 167 conference delegates registered in addition to passing out conference materials (name badges, bags, books, shirts, & etc.).

Everything appeared to run very smoothly and there was a lot of positive feedback from members. Without the help of the dedicated members of the Registration Desk Committee, the success of the 26

th Annual KPPA

Conference would not have been possible. Your hard work and support is truly appreciated!

THE PRESIDENT’S POST

It is hard to believe that my term as KPPA President is just about over; time has flown by. KPPA has been successful over the last three years, and it is because of all the wonderful members who work so hard to make it the great organization that it is. Our 26

th

Annual Conference was a huge success, and before long, the committees will be hard at work planning the next one. As your outgoing president it is my wish that KPPA will continue to prosper greatly in 2012 and beyond. Thanks to all the KPPA members and the many committee members who helped to make my term as KPPA President very successful. I am at ease knowing the future of KPPA is in Carolyn’s capable hands.

I hope everyone has a happy and joyous upcoming holiday season!!! Joey Beatty, CPPB 2011 KPPA President

2011 OUTSTANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS Our committee members are the best there is! KPPA appreciates all their efforts and time away from work or personal life that is involved to make this organization the success it is. Everyone that volunteers for a committee does a great job; however, every year KPPA committee chairs are asked if they had any members that should be recognized for extra efforts or services that they performed while on their committee.

This year there were two individuals that where recognized for going over and beyond for their work on a committee.

Donna Jones

Vendor Recruitment Committee

Shelby Luby Registration Committee

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SILENT AUCTION By Amy Monroe (GAPS)

Every year during the Fall Conference, KPPA holds its annual Silent Auction to raise money to assist with the professional development opportunities that KPPA offers throughout the year. KPPA’s members reap the rewards through seminars/workshops, awards, and scholarships as a means to further individual professional education. Every year agencies and individuals do a great job by showcasing their talents with some awesome donations. This years KPPA Silent Auction raised $1,980! Over the past 5 years, KPPA has raised $9,138 through the Silent Auction for professional development opportunities. All KPPA members should be extremely proud of that accomplishment. Another group that should be proud this year is the Office of Procurement Services (OPS); they unseated the Division of Engineering & Contract Administration (DECA) from their reign as the 4 time champions of raising the most money at the Silent Auction (a 4 year total of $1,677). Congratulations OPS, this year $115 was raised with their Poker Night

donation! KPPA would like to thank all of our Members and Vendors that participated and supported the Silent Auction; its success would not have been possible without you! A special thanks to all of the Silent Auction Sub-Committee Members for all your help and hard work, it is

truly appreciated!

YEAR AMOUNT RAISED

2007 $2,330

2008 $1,236

2009 $1,973

2010 $1,619

2011 $1,980

TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED $9,138

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2011 KPPA MANAGER OF THE YEAR Name of Nominee Ken Koester

Professional Certifications CPPO, C.P.M., A.P.P.

Yrs of Public Procurement Experience 29 years

Contributions to purchasing (i.e., initiation of innovative concepts, assistance with implementation of new ideas, serve as a member of a special task force or agency team, etc.)

Ken instituted an on-line bidding system that not only streamlines the bidding process, but also allows the Unified Purchasing Cooperative to track when a bid is received by the bidder, when it is opened and when it is submitted.

Contributions to professional development (i.e., publication of an article on purchasing, served as a trainer or assisted in seminar training, etc.)

Ken has conducted a presentation at the KPPA forum five out of the last six years. He has conducted seminars on the Value of KPPA/NIGP Membership, Value of Professional Procurement Certification, and Legal vs. Ethical Procurement as well as serving as the facilitator for many Open Forums at the KPPA conference. Ken created the first KPPA tri-fold membership brochure that was updated as necessary and used until recently. Ken made a formal recommendation to the KPPA Board of Directors to implement the KPPA Lifetime Achievement Award. The award had become a new KPPA tradition and is presented at each annual KPPA conference. Ken also has served as a workshop presenter at the annual NIGP forum and often introduces other speakers at the forum.

Contributions to the employing entity (i.e., assisted in the development or revision of manuals for purchasing personnel, vendors, etc.)

The Unified Purchasing Cooperative has been eligible for the UPPCC “Excellence in Achievement” since 2000. Ken has applied for it three times (2008, 2010 and 2011) and received the award each of those years. When Ken was named as the Director of the Unified Purchasing Cooperative it had approximately 250 members. Under Ken’s leadership, the membership today totals approximately 400 members. Members include Ohio schools, but also schools and public agencies from Kentucky and Ohio. In 2000, the Cooperative lost $20K. However, through Ken’s efforts the Cooperative generated enough income in 2010 that $100K was returned to the members. In 2011 at least another $200K is earmarked to be returned.

Contributions to KPPA (i.e. served as an officer, on the Board of Directors, on committees and/or chairing committees, etc.)

KPPA President, 2008 KPPA VP, 2000 and 2007 KPPA Board of Directors 1996-2000 and 2004-present Currently, Ken serves as the vice chair of the KPPA Nominating Committee. During his time on the KPPA Board of Directors, he has served as a chair of almost every committee and he has served as Secretary, Vice President and President. Ken was the chair of the Chapter of the Year committee and was instrumental in KPPA’s successful application for the 1999 NIGP Mid-size Chapter of the Year.

Contributions to NIGP (i.e., attended the NIGP annual forum and classes, served as a panelist for a breakfast session at the NIGP annual forum,

President, NIGP 2010/11 Vice President, NIGP 2001/10 Board of Directors, NIGP 2001-Present Governance Committee, NIGP Chair 2009/10 Finance Committee, Chair NIGP 2008/09 Council Member, National Council for Public Procurement and Contracting, 2008/10

Any additional pertinent information that might be applicable to the nomination (i.e., a narrative that describes why you feel this individual is deserving of the Manager of the Year award) Attach additional sheets if necessary

It goes without saying that no one member of KPPA has accomplished as much for the association as Ken Koester. He has set the bar very high for the rest of the KPPA members. Ken is self motivated yet his motivation is not self centered. His motivation is derived from his desire to provide the members of KPPA and NIGP levelheaded and reliable leadership. Ken has demonstrated insightful and progressive thoughts and ideas not only during his years in leadership positions with KPPA and NIGP but even prior to being in leadership roles. However, as a KPPA and NIGP officer and board member, Ken led both boards through some difficult and controversial circumstances. Regardless of how uncomfortable or unpleasant the situation, Ken handled each professionally and confidently. He puts others at ease through his optimistic management of complicated tasks. Ken’s enthusiasm for KPPA and NIGP is contagious. He has been very encouraging to other KPPA members and motivated many, including myself to get involved in KPPA and NIGP leadership. Many KPPA current and former KPPA Directors were encouraged by Ken to serve on the board. He also encourages KPPA members to serve on NIGP committees. As President of NIGP, he appointed and re-appointed many KPPA members to NIGP committee positions.

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2011 KPPA BUYER OF THE YEAR

Name of Nominee Felicia Biggerstaff

Professional Certifications CPPB

Yrs of Public Procurement Experience 9 years

Contributions to purchasing (i.e., initiation of innovative concepts, assistance with implementation of new ideas, serve as a member of a special task force or agency team, etc.)

Felicia created a new Department of Public Health (DPH) Contract request form to streamline the process of receiving contract information from the end users. This year Felicia volunteered to serve as a tester for the new e-MARS 3.9 Upgrade System

Contributions to professional development (i.e., publication of an article on purchasing, served as a trainer or assisted in seminar training, etc.)

For the past two years Felicia has served as a trainer for DPH presenting Contract training sessions for the Health Services’ using departments. These sessions cover the laws, procedures, and processes involved with Personal Service Contracting. Felicia earned her CPPB in 2005 and has since earned enough points for recertification.

Contributions to the employing entity (i.e., assisted in the development or revision of manuals for purchasing personnel, vendors, etc.)

Felicia serves as the lead subject matter expert on contracting and e-MARS issues within DPH and as such is responsible for assuring compliance with the personal service contracting laws, policies and procedures. Felicia is currently assigned to the DPH Quality Initiative Task Force to improve processes within DPH. This includes prioritizing contracts depending on levels of risk.

Contributions to KPPA (i.e.. served as an officer, on the Board of Directors, on committees and/or chairing committees, etc.)

Felicia has served as a member of the KPPA Conference Committee in 2009, 2010, and 2011 during which time she obtained quotes and ordered merchandise for the delegate bags. She has been a QCT volunteer and served on the KPPA Newsletter Committee in 2010. Felicia has been a KPPA member since she joined public procurement.

Contributions to NIGP (i.e., attended the NIGP annual forum and classes, served as a panelist for a breakfast session at the NIGP annual forum,

Felicia has attended three NIGP Annual Forums.

Any additional pertinent information that might be applicable to the nomination (i.e., a narrative that describes why you feel this individual is deserving of the Manager of the Year award) Attach additional sheets if necessary

Felicia really deserves the KPPA Buyer of the Year Award since she has had vast experience in both the procurement and personal contracting processes working in several different Cabinets (Finance, Corrections, Transportation, and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services); but she has always been loyal to KPPA by attending the KPPA Conference and serving as a member for the past 9 years. Felicia always stresses and exemplifies the importance of procurement knowledge in her Department of Public Health

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First Place Essay Winner “The Importance of Contract Performance Evaluations”

By Cindy Watts (KYTC)

In my agency we issue contracts for both services (personal and professional) and commodities. Although we issue these various contracts it is up to the Districts and other Departments to keep us informed of what is going on with the contracts and to take care of the administration of the contracts. NIGP defines Contract Administration as “following the award of a contract, the management actions that must be taken to assure full compliance with all the terms and conditions contained within the contract document, including price. Action steps that assure that the contractor is in full compliance with the entire contract.” Part of that administration is keeping a performance record, which includes contractor performance evaluations. Since the issuing agency is not always aware of how the vendor is performing it is the contract administrators’ responsibility to document any problems and convey those problems to the vendor by maintaining a performance record. NIGP defines Performance Record as “documentation of a vendor’s past history regarding reliability, on-time delivery, quality issues, and other data that allows the buyer to evaluate overall performance.” Contract performance evaluations are an important and vital part of contract administration and an important part of a vendor’s performance record. Performance evaluations let the vendor know what areas need to be improved upon. These evaluations also let the issuing agency know what problems that the agency administering the contract is encountering. These evaluations may also help other agencies to know how that vendor performed and if the vendor met the expectations. It is the contract administrators responsibility to document the problems and any contact with the vendor about the problems to the issuing agency via a performance evaluation and other forms of supporting documentation. If the issuing agency is not made aware of any problems then without documentation there is no way to substantiate why a vendor should have their contract terminated due to non-performance or bad performance. Performance evaluations are documentation that can be helpful if the agency administering the contract wishes to terminate the contract. If the vendor protests the termination, the agency must have strong supporting documentation and a performance evaluation is an important and vital supporting document. At my agency there have been several times where having a performance evaluation has given us leverage in terminating a contract because the evaluation as served as our supporting documentation. On the contrary the lack of performance evaluations or the lack of accurate information contained in a performance evaluation has caused issues when a District or Department is unhappy with a vendor’s performance. Therefore lack of performance evaluations and other supporting documentation has meant that the Cabinet must continue to do business with the vendor because the issuing agency did not have anything to support terminating the contract. In my opinion contract performance evaluations are very important and very useful if done accurately. Also contract administrators need to use the performance evaluations as a way to communicate both good and bad things with vendors so that everyone is on the same page with what is expected.

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THE KPPA CASH FLOWED AND FUN WAS HAD BY ALL!!! By Denise Finn (UK)

Wow! Was that a great vendor expo or was that a great vendor expo? I have attended quite a few over the years and I must say that this year’s KPPA Vendor Expo was one of the best. It was enjoyed by both vendors and by attendees alike, and the KPPA money was flowing. The Vendor Recruitment Committee decided to follow the conference’s Vegas theme by supplying the vendors with KPPA cash (with pictures of our esteemed Executive Board) that they could share with members that visited them in their booths; each vendor had a set amount of cash to share and it was the vendor’s choice on how much cash each member could receive; they really made us work for it. I’ve never carried that much “cash” around at one time. The interaction that I witnessed between our members and the vendors was incredible. Our members, of course, collected the KPPA cash that the vendors had to offer, but they also took the time to have meaningful conversations with the vendors. Kudos to our KPPA membership!!! I received the following quotes from some of the vendor’s that attended.

“As a first-time vendor, I was very impressed with the participants at the KPPA Conference. Each person I spoke with seemed to have a genuine concern for buying quality products and saving their organization money in the process. AEPA will definitely be back as a vendor next year!” Ann Buden, AEPA “In all my years and all the different vendor shows I've attended, the procurement people at the KPPA show truly showed more interest in listening to new ideas than I've ever experienced at any vendor show in the past. I would like to thank the KPPA for organizing the show and making it possible for Pitney Bowes to attend.” Larry Stokely, Pitney Bowes “It was very informative and helpful to have the chance to interact with so many purchasing managers in one forum. I learned a great deal during the event.” Scott Kalina, Toyota Motor Sales, USA “Overall we thought the location, theme, food and the layout of the facility was well done. The attendees were friendly and several thanked us for being there and supporting the KPPA“ Ken Lennon, Office Max.

But have you ever thought about all the work that goes into the vendor expo or all the people that are involved in planning it. Following is a “behind the scenes” look at planning a vendor expo from an e-mail interview with Amanda Greer, our 2011 Vendor Recruitment Committee Chair; When did you start working on the vendor expo?

Planning for the vendor expo actually starts the year before but gets in full swing after the first Board meeting of the year when prices are set and everything is agreed to. The first “mail out” (typically an email) is sent out early with a discount for early registration; we had 76 vendors register this year.

How did you come up with the idea for the KPPA cash?

We came up with the idea of the vendor cash when we were brainstorming on ideas for games. We knew the theme for the 2011 conference was “Las Vegas” so we were trying to tie that in with the vendor expo, thus the idea to give away cash. We did not want to take away from the vendors’ time by playing games.

What is your favorite part?

My favorite part of the vendor fair is meeting the vendors before the actual show begins. It gives me an opportunity to talk with them, and put a face to a voice, as most of them I have talked to on the phone numerous times before the show.

And your least favorite part?

The least favorite would have to be the stress leading up to the expo. There are a lot of last minute details that need to be worked out, things that go wrong the day before or the day of. There were booth spaces that were not in the correct places and food booths that needed to be moved around. We had vendors show up that were not registered, so we try to find places for them or ones that showed up to deliver large equipment that had not scheduled for the early arrival. Luckily, the convention center was very easy to work with, so the stress was kept to a minimum.

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This year the most challenging aspect of the show was running out of the vendor cash. Thankfully I had a great committee who immediately pitched in to get that taken care of. The show would not have been a success without them. This year, thanks to a great committee, excellent venue and staff, it was the least stressful I’ve had and the most fun. I was lucky enough to be on the Vendor Recruitment Committee and I have to say it was a blast!! Yes, my hands still hurt from cutting cash, and I’ve never had so many paper cuts at one time, but I can say it was worth each and every one. Here’s to next year’s vendor expo; you have quite an act to follow!!!!

CONFERENCE COMMENTS

The conference was very informative as usual. This year’s vendor fair was a big success that leads into a fun casino night for everyone. KPPA Conference was the best experience, not only do you obtain a wealth of knowledge you also learn about the failures and lessons learned by others. I appreciate hearing from the ones that had bad experiences, because they care enough to share so maybe others wouldn’t have to go through what they did. The networking opportunities and the vendor expo are great ways to learn and know the people who can help you with your purchasing. I really enjoyed my time at the KPPA conference this year. This was my fourth year attending and I have to say, it gets better every year. It’s amazing how much knowledge you can absorb, not just from the classes, but from the experience of other members. I feel like I always bring something new back to share with my home office and to me that is what the conference is all about. I’m already looking forward to next year! I’ve been with the State almost 25 years and I continue to learn every day. I always say that “if you learn at least ONE thing, the conference was a success. And I did learn.” Huge thanks to all the individuals that helped make this year’s conference GREAT! It was really great getting to network with other agencies, gathering useful information and getting to actually meet some of our vendors. I had a blast.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Dec

Dec 24 – Christmas – State Holiday Dec 26 – Christmas – State Holiday Dec 30 – New Years – State Holiday Jan

Jan 12 – NIGP Webinar: Best Practices in Contract Monitoring and Performance Management Jan 19 – NIGP Webinar: Spend Analysis & Spend Management Basics: How to Get Started & Identify Savings Jan 26 – NIGP Webinar: What's in the Fine Print and Why: Standard P.O. Terms and Conditions for Goods

Feb

Feb 16 – NIGP Webinar: What's in the Fine Print and Why: Standard P.O. Terms and Conditions for Services

Mar

KPPA Purchasing Month activities to be announced later Mar 1 – NIGP Webinar: What's in the Fine Print and Why: Standard P.O. Terms and Conditions for Construction

Mar 8 – NIGP Webinar: From Good to Great: The On-Going Journey of Purchasing Card Solutions

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MEMBERS IN MOTION

Congratulations to Gary “Mr. Hospitality” Freeland on his retirement. Gary retired the end of October from the Education Professional Standards Board. Enjoy Gary, KPPA will miss you! Debbie Mathews moved from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Procurement Services to the Finance and Administration Cabinet, Office of Procurement Services in October.

Earl Gresham was promoted to the Administrative Branch Manager over the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department for Medicaid Services, Administrative Services Branch in October.

About Our Organization

The Kentucky Public Procurement Association (KPPA) was established in May of 1985 as the statewide chapter affiliate of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and chartered in October of 1990. Membership Eligibility: Kentucky Public Procurement Association (KPPA) membership is open to all public officials (elected and non-elected), agents, officers and employees of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its political subdivision, school districts, and city and county governments. No membership dues are assessed, as established by KPPA by-laws.

The Purpose of KPPA is to:

Promote and encourage professional development and competence through continuing education, seminars and training of public officials;

Promote cooperation and understanding among public agencies and officials;

Provide a professional forum for the exchange of ideas, research, and experiences among public procurement officials;

Support and promote continuing improvements in the field of public procurement;

Support the principles and concepts of effective competition, increased public confidence and equitable treatment of all persons involved in public procurement, and;

Support ongoing improvements in public procurement through seminars and technical workshops

********************************************************************************************************************************************* To contribute information, make suggestions on content, or provide comments please contact the KPPA Newsletter Committee members.

Nancy Sherrow (Co-Chair) Denise Finn Lynne McCroskey Leah Settle Tom Stratton (Co-Chair) William Jackson Amy Monroe

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We’re on the Web! See us at: http://kppanigp.org