Hello AZNIGP Members-
Wait a second….can you hear that? Is that a humming sound? Well, since it’s too early for bees that sound must be coming from our 22 committees “humming” along as they initiate the important work of our amazing Chapter for the coming year.
We are off and running in a year filled with change, excitement, and rejuvenation as our Board of Directors takes on new initiatives and activities that will continue to provide excellent professional development opportunities and stronger connections for our membership. And it’s not too late to join one of those committees so be sure to check out our AZNIGP website where you can learn more about all of our outstanding committees.
Our Scholarship and Awards Committee led by Diana Landeros, Karie Ingles and Marisa Lucero is hard at work preparing for the upcoming review of our Manager/Supervisor of the Year and Procurement Specialist of the Year submissions. The deadline is coming fast (February 9th) so don’t forget to nominate (or self-nominate) one of our many dedicated and hard working members.
This committee is also still accepting scholarship applications for the upcoming National Forum in Columbus, Ohio. The deadline for Forum scholarships is February 23rd so be sure to review our four different scholarship types (AZNIGP website > login >Member Resources >Documents > Scholarship Info) and submit your application prior to the deadline. Remember, we have more scholarships this year which means more opportunities to win a trip to Columbus!
Speaking of new initiatives, our Community Outreach Committee led by Becki Watson and Jane Scherbing recently conducted a careful review of available charities which resulted in the selection of The Hub (Helping Undo Barriers) as our new Chapter charity. This amazing non-profit is dedicated to helping young people who are struggling to complete their high school education. The HUB provides a mix of support and resources that help students to complete their high school education, learn life skills, and prepare them for improved job prospects and better life outcomes. We will be sharing more information on this charity and how you can help in the near future.
Like a cannon shot, our Reverse Trade Show Committee is moving fast under the leadership of Danielle Hartke and Victoria Wride as they focus on the goal of delivering one of our biggest and most recognized events of the year on May 12th. This will be the 14th year we have hosted this event, but it will be the first time at the beautiful ASU West campus. This event takes an enormous Chapter-wide effort so stay tuned for more information on ways you can help make it truly remarkable.
And you might want to step aside because here comes the hard charging New Professionals/Student Committee led by Xavier Perez and Sage Brenner. This committee has some exciting plans for members who are new or relatively new to our profession. Even more intriguing is their plan to engage with local college students with the objective of informing them about public procurement as a career option. This type of strategic outreach could have significant and long term impact on our profession. Best wishes to this committee as they light up a pathway for the next generation to choose public procurement. Wow!
I told you things were humming! And this is just a small sample of our hard working committees that are forming up and moving forward to continue to drive value for our members. As mentioned earlier, there is still time to join committees so please reach out to the Chair of the committee of interest (AZNIGP website > login> About > Committees > View Members).
On a special note, our Chapter takes great pride in supporting the Pat Tillman Foundation through our sponsorship of the 22nd Annual Pat’s Run taking place on April 11, 2026. The Chapter has purchased 20 spots for members who would like to participate so please visit our website if you would like to take part.
And a big congratulations to Jason Castro and Xavier Perez who recently won scholarships (generously sponsored by 1GPA) to attend the NIGP Leadership Conference in Tucson later this month. In fact, we have a number of members from this Chapter and the Copper Chapter who will be attending so see you all down south soon.
And finally, amid the hustle and bustle of our daily work, it’s sometimes easy to forget the truly important role we play in serving our communities and maintaining the highest level of public trust. We do this through our ethical and rigorous approach in the spending of tax-payer funds. For every thorough step we take, and every careful decision we make, we contribute to the very fabric of our profession and the public institutions we serve. What a truly special role we have and one I am incredibly proud to perform alongside all of you.
Thank you
Michael Greene, CPPO, C.P.M.
AZNIGP 2026 President