Full Conference

November 16 - 19, 2014

Tim Cummins

Rick Grimm

Jon Hansen
Moderator

Chris Sawchuk

Kate Vitasek

Sonia Aranza

John D. Blascovich

Tina Borger

Meriah Crawford

Gwen Dandridge

David Dise

Rise Flenner

Rick Grimm

Jon Hansen

Roselle Harde

Dr. R. Kirk Jonas

The U.S. Department of Labor describes Ms. Sonia Aranza’s work as “Outstanding!”  The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) consistently ranks her among the top speakers at national and international conferences based on audience evaluations.  She is a seasoned global consultant with nearly 20 years experience specializing in Diversity Strategies, Cross-Cultural Communications and Leadership.  Her clients include Chevron, GE Appliances, IBM, NASA, Toyota, Wal-Mart Global, several government agencies and associations.  Respected by her colleagues, Ms. Aranza is a past Chairperson of the Diversity Professional Experts Group of the National Speakers Association.  She earned two Masters Degrees in her areas of expertise and continues to earn certifications from cutting-edge programs across the globe.  Ms. Aranza is a past recipient of the “Outstanding Woman of the Year Award” from the National Association of Professional Asian American Women and she was recently honored “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the United States” after a nationwide search.  More information available at www.SoniaAranza.com

Susan is the Vice President of GenerationsMatter, a workplace and marketplace generational think tank located in Richmond, VA. Susan brings 25 years of professional experience in research, strategic planning and marketing with a proven track record for building business and optimizing operations.

Susan spent the majority of her career with Procter & Gamble in the Consumer Institute, an innovation center focused on exploring and developing unchartered business channels for P&G clients and brands. She has provided marketing and strategic planning consultation to organizations like Walmart, AARP, the Federal Reserve Bank, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, WellPoint and Aetna. Susan is an accomplished leader who helps clients recognize trends, implications and opportunities for their businesses.

GenerationsMatter, a division of the Southeastern Institute of Research, is focused on helping organizations better understand and manage generational dynamics at work and in the marketplace, and provides customized training and tools. The firm has worked extensively helping communities plan for what’s next, working with the cities of Richmond and Norfolk and both large and small counties across Virginia.

Susan has spoken about future trends and strategic planning at many venues across the U.S. She also works closely with the non-profit community in Virginia, teaching at the Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence on landscape assessment and strategic planning to help organizations recognize opportunities and achieve operational excellence.

John Blascovich, CPSM, C.P.M.,  is a Partner of A.T. Kearney with over  28 years of industry and consulting experience with clients in Aerospace, Consumer Products, Financial Services, and Packaging.  His areas of expertise include Strategic Sourcing, Procurement Transformation, and Pre and Post Merger Value Generation.

John leads the A.T. Kearney Procurement and Analytic Solutions (PAS) unit, a global team of consultants with deep expertise in spend categories, sourcing techniques, analytical approaches, and procurement transformation.

Since 1999, John has been the global leader of A.T. Kearney’s global Assessment of Excellence in Procurement research, and has co-authored three significant studies with CAPS Research.  John completed a four year term on the ISM Board of Directors in February 2009.

John holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.

Tina began her public procurement career without knowing it.  After a year at the Northern Virginia Community College, she took a summer job with Loudoun County Government.  Rather than going back to school that fall, Tina stayed with Loudoun County rising from a Purchase Clerk to head of Procurement and earning her CPPO within eight years.  Through VAGP and NIGP professional development opportunities, she developed a commitment to lifelong learning -  completing her Bachelor's degree in 1996 and earning her M.B.A. from Shenandoah University in 2001.  Tina finished her 31 year career with Loudoun County and joined NIGP as Director of Research in 2007.  Still passionate about learning and new challenges, Tina became NIGP's Executive Director for Business Development in 2010 with responsibility for Marketing & Communications, Information Technology, Education, and Research.  She assumed her current position as Executive Director for Finance and Administration in November 2012 and is now responsible for the business-side of a $6 million non-profit organization whose mission is to develop, promote, and support public procurement.

Torski Dobson-Arnold is an international speaker, author, and career coach with Your Career Confidence, LLC (www.yourcareerconfidence.com), a career services firm dedicated to serving the transitioned professional. Torski has changed the lives of over 50,000 students & professionals all across the country speaking for programs such as Rachel’s Challenge, Monster’s Making it Count, and Monster’s Power Seeker Workshops. Torski lives in Richmond, VA and can be reached at torski@yourcareerconfidence.com regarding speaking opportunities and initiating job search strategy coaching programs.

Meriah L. Crawford teaches research and writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, and is also a private investigator, a writer, and an editor. She’s published stories in several genres, as well as essays, a variety of scholarly work, and a poem about semicolons. Meriah's professional experience includes systems analysis, project management, and software testing for companies including Microsoft and Dominion Power, as well as a variety of publishing industry positions.

​Meriah Crawford

CEO, International Association for Contract & Commercial Management

In his role as President/CEO of IACCM, Tim works with leading corporations, public and academic bodies, supporting executive awareness and understanding of the role that procurement, contracting and relationship management increasingly play in 21st century business performance and public policy.

Prior to IACCM, Tim's business career included executive roles at IBM and a period on the Chairman's staff, leading studies on the impacts of globalization and the reengineering of IBM's global contracting processes. His earlier career involved the banking, automotive and aerospace industries, initially in Corporate Finance and later in commercial and business development. He led negotiations up to $1.5bn in value and his work has taken him to over 40 countries.

Tim's writing is extensively published and he has acted in an advisory capacity to government bodies in countries that include the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan, as well as regular briefings to senior managers at many of the world's largest companies.

Gwen Williams Dandridge is a former veteran television news anchor. Currently, she serves as an instructor in the Mass Communications Department at Virginia State University as well as Director of Academic Communications at the University. Prior to coming to VSU in August of 2008, Gwen (Williams) enjoyed a long stint in television and radio news, working six years in radio then transitioning into television in 1992. During her 23 year broadcasting career, Gwen served her viewers in many capabilities including weekend weather anchor, morning weather anchor, talk show host, producer, news reporter, weekend anchor, and her longest stint as co-anchor of weekday Good Morning Richmond.

In 2005, Gwen hit the pinnacle of her journalism career when she received a Broadcasters Emmy Award for the excellence of her work. Gwen is a native of Clinton, North Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech Communications from North Carolina State University and her MBA degree from Salem International University.

David Dise has worked in the public sector for over 30 years. He currently serves as director of the Department of General Services for Montgomery County, Maryland, directing procurement, facilities management, fleet maintenance and operations, real estate acquisition and disposition, planning and development, and capital project design and construction services for all county departments. Prior to this he served as Director of Montgomery County’s Office of Procurement, deputy director of Purchasing and Supply Management for Fairfax County, Virginia and chief procurement officer and chief of engineering technical resources for Fairfax Water, one of the nation’s largest public water utilities.

He has successfully developed and directed a wide range of intergovernmental functions, created and led engineering, procurement and other multi-discipline operations, and is experienced in achieving success through leadership by overcoming institutional obstacles, managing change, and motivating staff.

David has been active in the American Public Works Association (APWA), the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), the Virginia Association of Governmental Purchasing (VAGP), the Institute for Supply-chain Management (ISM), and the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (NECCC), serving on the board of directors and committees for these organizations. He has also chaired or participated in various intergovernmental, business and private sector committees throughout the National Capital Region.

David has published and contributed to research papers on public policy, developed and conducted seminars on management, procurement, negotiations, professional development, and public-private partnerships.

Risë Flenner, CPA/PFS, JD

Tax Partner, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP

Risë has spent nearly 15 years in public accounting including time at two of the Big Four firms.  After graduating from the University of Baltimore School of Law, Risë started her public accounting career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP. During her time there, Risë worked with small to medium sized businesses and their owners, with the high net worth individual group and then concentrated on estate planning including business secession, planned giving and charitable trusts.  She then went to work for KPMG where her client base was also comprised of small businesses and their affluent owners; many of whom were real estate developers, managers and builders.

In 2009 Risë joined Dixon Hughes Goodman in the firm’s Norfolk office where she continues to focus on similar clients.  Risë is well versed in Partnership, S-Corporation, Trust and Estate, Gift and Individual tax compliance and consulting.  Her client relationships are not limited to the tax arena; she is viewed as a trusted personal and business advisor.

Rick Grimm, CPPO, CPPB became NIGP’s 5th Executive Vice President/CEO in January 1998 after his election to its Board in 1995.  Rick holds a Business Administration Bachelors Degree (University of Miami) and a Public Administration Masters Degree (Florida International University).  He worked for 23 years in county government, public school districts with 12+ years in public procurement management.  He holds a Certified Public Procurement Officer Certification (CPPO) and a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) designation from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council.

As the Editor and lead writer for the PI Social Media Network’s Procurement Insights Blog, Jon Hansen has written close to 3,000 articles, papers as well as five books on subjects as diverse as supply chain practice, public sector policy, emerging business trends and social media.  Besides being a much sought after speaker internationally, Jon is also the host of the highly acclaimed PI Window on The World Show on Blog Talk Radio, which will air its 900th episode in 2014. A two-time Ottawa Finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, out of a group of 15,000, Blog Talk Radio named Jon Hansen as one of their top 300 hosts.

Roselle Harde is the senior director of business development for the International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM), specializing in activities for public, private and global entities.  She possesses extensive experience building and leading interdisciplinary commercial teams for a number of the top successful Fortune 100 companies including Lockheed Martin, CSC and Hughes Aircraft Company.

Ms. Harde was the Americas Contract Management Lead for Accenture LLP, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.  She provided leadership and direction for over 250 contract management professionals supporting the commercial and public service business units. Prior to Accenture, she was the Director of Contracts and Procurement for Raytheon Systems Company where she managed cross-functional teams supporting the end-to-end contracting lifecycle.  A champion for small business, she has also worked with a woman-owned firm where she was instrumental in capturing new business and making significant contributions to the long-term profitability and stability of the company.

Ms. Harde is the recipient of the 2013 Executive Woman of the Year award from the National Association for Professional Women, the International Women’s Leadership Association’s Woman of Outstanding Leadership award in 2013 and the Worldwide Who’s Who for Excellence in Contract Management in 2012.

She is a graduate of the Contracting and Procurement Programs from The George Washington University and The American University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. R. Kirk Jonas, Director of Research Compliance and Integrity, University of Richmond

Kirk Jonas is the Director of Research Compliance and Integrity at the University of Richmond.  Prior to his current work, Kirk also served as the Director of the University of Richmond Research Institute (2004 to 2007) and Interim Associate Provost (2007 to 2009).  From 1977 to 2004, Kirk served as an analyst and Deputy Director with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), the research and oversight arm of the Virginia General Assembly.  He was appointed to the Governor’s Performance Management Advisory Committee by Virginia Governors Jim Gilmore and Mark Warner.  In recent years, Kirk has served as a consultant, including work with the Kingdom of Jordan, where he has helped the USAID establish a performance-based audit capability in the Jordan Audit Bureau.  He is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as a staff officer in the 3rd Infantry Division.  Kirk has taught many classes at the University of Richmond, including Public Policy Decision Making, The Business of Government (a class on privatization), and Reinventing Government, Again (a class on reform).

Irene Marnell, CPSM, CTL, MPS-SCM&L, CPCM, CPSD.  Irene has served in various board positions for the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), She is presently on the board of the ISM Risk Management Group and was president of ISM-Northern Virginia for the 2013-14 term.  She holds a Masters in Supply Chain Management and Logistics from Penn State and multiple certifications from supply management, contracting, and logistics organizations (ISM, NCMA, ASTL).  Irene teaches CPSM and CPSD certification classes.  Irene's experience includes several Fortune 100 companies including AT&T, Alcatel-Lucent Technologies, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, and AmerisourceBergan. She is presently Sr. Director at National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in Arlington, VA where she is responsible for leading the Supplier Management Organization.

Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader

Mr. Sawchuk has over 15 years of experience in supply management, working directly with Fortune 500 and midsized firms around the globe and in a variety of industries to improve all aspects of procurement, including process redesign, technology enablement, operations strategy planning, organizational change and strategic sourcing. Mr. Sawchuk is a regular contributor to business publications, a frequent presenter at industry events, and co-author of ePurchasingPlus. He has been recognized by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine as one of its “Pros to Know.” Mr. Sawchuk’s background includes engineering and operation roles with both United Technologies and IBM.

John C. “Jack” Tracy has over 40 years of procurement and contracting experience.  He has worked for IBM, BankBoston, Digital Equipment Corporation where he held senior procurement and contracts management positions. He started his procurement career as a procurement officer in the U.S. Air Force.

A graduate of the Suffolk University School of Law (J.D.), he has B.S. from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University and is a lawyer. He has experience across a broad range of types of procurement (manufacturing, services, outsourcing, general procurement, software, and construction) and for a broad number of commodities.

 After retiring from IBM Jack wanted to share all he had learned about contracts during the course of his career. He has done that in several ways. He wrote a book “Negotiating Procurement Contracts – The Knowledge to Negotiate” that is available on Amazon.  He writes a companion blog called “Knowledge to Negotiate” with over 600 posts. Jack is also a frequent participant on many LinkedIN forums about contracts and procurement.

Lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce, author, educator and business consultant Kate Vitasek is an international authority for her award-winning research and Vested® business model for highly-collaborative relationships, Her practical and research-based advice for driving transformation and innovation through highly-collaborative and strategic partnerships launched a book series that includes: Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules That Will Transform Outsourcing, Vested: How P&G, McDonald’s and Microsoft Are Redefining Winning in Business Relationships and Getting to We: Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships.

Vitasek has been featured on Bloomberg radio multiple times, NPR, and on Fox Business News. She also has been featured in over 300 articles in publications like Forbes, Chief Executive Magazine, CIO Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Journal of Commerce, World Trade Magazine and Outsource Magazine.

Passionate in her quest to help companies transform their business relationships, Vitasek inspires and motivates business leaders with five proven “rules” for achieving transformational results.  Following the Vested mindset and methodology shifts a relationships from a “What’s in it for Me” to a “What’s in it for We” foundation and outcome based business model.  Skeptics walk away believers when Vitasek shares powerful, real-world examples of companies (big and small) that have achieved transformational results by adopting a Vested mindset and business model for highly-collaborate, win-win relationships

The Hampton Roads Convention Center • 1610 Coliseum Drive • Hampton, Virginia