Hello AZNIGP Members-
As we wave goodbye to March and welcome April, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge some important events from our March Career Seminar, where we formally celebrated Procurement Month.
First off, a big thank you to the 1GPA team for kindly sponsoring this event at the beautiful Willow Conference Center. And congratulations to our Specialist of the Year awardee, Victoria Wride (Arizona Department of Child Safety) and our Manager of the Year awardee, Alicia Ruiz (City of Tempe). They will now go on to compete for national titles at the NIGP Forum this August in Columbus, Ohio. These prestigious awards recognize and celebrate their talents and contributions to both their organizations and the AZNIGP Chapter.
I would also like to recognize and congratulate our Forum scholarship recipients:
1GPA Sponsored Scholarships (2)
Journeyman Scholarships (3)
- Jess Romney (City of Mesa)
- John Snow (City of Tempe)
- Tasia Grzecka (Arizona Department of Child Safety)
$1,000 Scholarships (5)
- Heather Hodgman (City of Mesa)
We are currently accepting applications for the four (4) remaining $1,000 Forum Scholarships. If you are interested in attending, please complete and submit your application to Diana Landeros by April 14, 2026. And by the way, if you took some photos of your team celebrating Procurement Month please send those to our Newsletter Chair, Megan Adams and our Social Media Chair, Selena Leon.
Now that we have summarized March, let’s take a look at what is happening in April. Our Chapter is sponsoring 20 members to participate in this year’s Pat’s Run on April 11, 2026. This 4.2 mile run/walk honors the memory of Pat Tillman and his extraordinary service to our country. Best wishes to the following members who will be participating:
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Athena Begay
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April Conti-Farris
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Bobbi Juarez
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Debra Tidball
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Denise Guevara
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Emily Ngo
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Eveline Vanda
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Emerly Antonio
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Becki Watson
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Haydee Melendez
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Jerri Hogue
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Joshua Dukelow
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Jeremiah Weiner
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Jane Scherbing
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Joyann George
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Larry Woo
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Michael Gale
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Mike Day
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Roger Spivey
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Susan Holt
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Another important event in April is the State Procurement Office’s (SPO) five-year update to the Arizona Procurement Code. SPO is seeking feedback on its proposed rule revisions. Written comments are due by April 24th, and you may also attend the virtual session on April 28th to provide verbal input. For more information on the proposed changes and how to submit feedback, please visit: https://spo.az.gov/regulatory-agenda-notices
Our Reverse Trade Show Committee is hard at work preparing for the 14th Annual Reverse Vendor Trade Show, which will be held at ASU West on May 12, 2026.
We need your support in two areas to ensure this event is a success. First, we are seeking public entities to sign up and host a table. Our goal is to have at least 40 public entities participate and support our vendor community. This year’s fun and creative travel-themed event will provide a great opportunity to network while enjoying the beautiful ASU West campus. Lunch will be provided for all agency attendees.
Second, we ask for your help in promoting the event. Please continue spreading the word within your networks to ensure local vendors are aware of this event. You can register to attend and download the event flyer by visiting the AZNIGP website and clicking on the banner link for “2026 RVTS” If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, Danielle Hartke or Victoria Wride.
Thank you for your continued support of one of our signature events of the year.
I hope you all have a productive and enjoyable April. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you
Michael Greene, CPPO, C.P.M.
AZNIGP Chapter President