Hello AZNGP Members-
“And the winner of the 2026 Outstanding Chapter Award for Advocacy and Outreach goes to… The Arizona State Capitol Chapter!!!” And the crowd goes Wild!!!
I am so happy to announce that our Chapter received this distinguished award at the 2026 NIGP Forum, held last week in Columbus, Ohio, in recognition for our 2025 Reverse Vendor Trade Show (RVTS).
The 2025 event was led by Lisa Goodman and Susan Holt, along with a stellar committee that helped our Chapter break new ground. The team created a new sponsorship program that generated significant new revenue and, for the first time, developed an event brochure to enhance the experience for attendees and participating vendors. The event brought together more than 600 vendor representatives and over 30 public entities, creating an incredible opportunity to connect, build relationships, and learn more about doing business with Arizona’s public entities.
None of this would have been possible without the involvement of more than 100 Chapter members who attended the RVTS representing their organizations. The RVTS truly takes a village to put on, and this award reflects the amazing work of our entire Chapter. We received an award banner that was presented to us at the Forum, and we hope to have that at our next in-person event in September.
We had around 60 members attend the 2026 NIGP Forum in person, and many more attended virtually. What a great opportunity to spend time with like-minded professionals and take part in numerous educational sessions, keynote speeches, and social events throughout the week. If you have not been to an NIGP Forum in person, please think about joining us next year when it will be held in Kansas City, Missouri. You will love it! For those of you who attended in person and took some photos, please feel free to forward those to Karie Ingles and Selena Leon who can ensure we share those with our membership.
I would also like to recognize some very cool individual accomplishments at this year’s Forum. Selena Leon was recognized as a 2026 NexGen Leader and Xavier Perez and Diana Landeros were recognized for their recent NIGP-CPP achievement. Jenn Myers was selected to present one of the national award categories. And we were very excited to share in the excitement felt by the Copper Chapter as one of their own, Nora Corral, won the 2026 NIGP Procurement Specialist of the Year Award. Arizona made quite a showing at this year Forum!
Coming up fast, on September 15th, we will conduct an in-person Chapter Training Meeting at the ADOT Stack, so please sign up and join us. We will be hosting the State Procurement Office represented by Louis Anaya and Amber Whitney, who will present on timely topics including cyber security awareness and other SPO initiatives.
If certification is on your mind, please don’t miss the CPPB/CPPO training beginning on September 10th, led by Maria Hernandez. This is a great way to study and prepare for the upcoming exams while joining other professionals who are pursuing certification, too.
I hope you’re getting excited about our Regional Conference that is rapidly approaching. On October 22nd, we will convene at the Phoenix Convention Center for this outstanding event being planned by Vice President Diana Landeros and her amazing committee. Registration is open so please visit the AZNIGP website and register for the Regional Conference and Vendor Expo. We have some great speakers and even better topics, so please register and come join us for an amazing day of professional development and networking.
Finally, attending Forum this year once again reminded me of the important role that we all play within our organizations. Our jobs are very demanding and require an assortment of skills and attributes that I believe are truly unique to our profession. And our jobs can be stressful as we manage tight deadlines, difficult contract administration issues, and facilitation challenges, all while balancing the needs of our organizations within a vibrant, dynamic marketplace. The keynote speakers at this year’s Forum were smart to pick up on that theme and delivered messages focused on the importance of treating ourselves with kindness and understanding. They reminded us that, at times, we can get down on ourselves through negative self-talk and non-productive rumination. But they also encouraged us to overcome those negative tendencies by becoming our own best and most caring friend and supporter.
So, as we charge forward to meet the challenges that await, let’s never forget that we are truly a special group of professionals with a profound mission. One Plenary session speaker made an amazing observation, “People meet your energy before they meet you.” What a great reminder to us all that our energy is visible, palpable, and telling. Let us create positive energy, the kind of energy that conveys excitement, confidence, caring, and support to our colleagues, suppliers, family and friends. Creating that positive energy begins with the way we treat ourselves day in and day out. So, be good to yourself, be kind to yourself, and be forgiving to yourself and each other.
With renewed energy and a continuing commitment to the high standards of our profession, let’s make September an amazing month of success and accomplishment.
Thank you
Michael Greene, CPPO, C.P.M.
2026 Chapter President