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Hello AZNIGP Members-

We are already 3 months into 2026 and our chapter has been busy. We have attended the annual Leadership
Summit hosted by NIGP, celebrated Procurement Month, had our first career seminar of the year, and awarded several members Forum scholarships.
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We have a member spotlight on Becki Watson who has been in procurement for 27 years!

We are looking for our next leaders for Vice President and Treasurer for 2027. Applications are located in the document library. If you have questions please contact Susan Holt.

2026 The Purchasing Exchange Issue 1
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If you have ideas, suggestions or want to send pictures of AZNIGP events to be added to future newsletters, please contact the Newsletter Chair, Megan Adams .
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Thank you
AZNIGP Newsletter Committee

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)
• Angelica Ordaz (Yuma Union High School District)
• Tanya Wilson (Arizona Department of Economic Security)

The HUB (Helping Undo Barriers) was established in 2019 following a vision introduced by Sarah Arsenault to Jim Lee, CEO of Grad Solutions. Grounded in the belief that students cannot fully engage in academic learning without first addressing their basic and emotional needs, the HUB model prioritizes Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a foundation for academic success and critical thinking. Recognizing that many students were unsuccessful in traditional school settings due to unmet barriers, the HUB was designed to identify, research, and respond to those challenges in real time. As barriers emerge or trend upward, the HUB adapts by developing targeted supports to remove them. Staffed by graduates who are the face of each HUB, mentors, social workers, and dedicated HUB managers, each HUB is intentionally designed to be a warm, safe environment where students are supported holistically and empowered to become their best selves. To learn more about The HUB go to www.mystudenthub.org.