MPPOA.netFall, 2006 Vol . 35 , No. 4

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Calendarof Events

November 1-3, 2006November 6-8, 2006Class—”Sourcing inthe Public Sector”

November 16, 2006**note date change**Regional Meeting

KalamazooRadisson PlazaHotel

January 19, 2007LEAP ClassDiversity Training

February 8, 2007Regional Meeting

Detroit area—tbd

May 16-18, 2007Annual Conference

TreetopsGaylord

October 8-10, 2008Annual Conference—

Mission Point, Mackinac Is.

it’s a new day at MPPOA

Regional

It’s a new day at MPPOA with a revamped websitethat works for you. The site was created by NewLinear Group, which specializes in websites forother NIGP member organizations. Therefore, it isdesigned specifically to work at an optimal level as atool for our membership.

First, you saw how easy it was to download a copy ofthe newsletter. This is still going to be the maincommunication tool for MPPOA, and will bearchived for your reference.

Keeping in touch with other members has neverbeen easier. You can access the secure membershipdirectory to network with others.

Mark your calendar for the next MPPOA Regionalmeeting to be held November 14 at the RadissonPlaza in Kalamazoo.

Alexander Thomas, Jr.(pictured right) will be thefeatured speaker onSupplier Diversity inConstruction Projects:The Plug and Play EBO(Equal BusinessOpportunity) Model.

Thomas, of the Office ofSupplier Diversity, Equal Opportunity Departmentfor the city of Grand Rapids, is part of a grouptitled, The Monday Group. He will share hisexperience with this successful group, which hasworked in partnership with the Associated Buildersand Contractors of Western Michigan, theAssociated General Contractors of Michigan andthe West Michigan Minority ContractorsAssociation to develop, implement and monitor theEBO construction program.

A brief membership meeting will follow lunch.

Visit mppoa.net, click on newsletter and download aflyer that gives details of the event. Sign up for theevent at the website.

MPPOA.net

Nov. 14Nov. 14

You can renew you membership, sign up for classes,and register for our conferences and regionalmeetings with a click of the mouse. In addition, youcan apply to take advantage of scholarshipopportunities and keep track of your continuingeducation points. CPPB and CPPO certificates arealso available online, in your secure area, wheneveryou need them.

You can even see what actions the board is taking byaccessing “Board Minutes.” They, too, are archived.And, we’ll be hearing from our vendors, as they helpsupport our efforts with display advertisement.

It’s a new day at MPPOA and we’re glad you’re here.

The September regional meeting atHawk Hollow in Bath served up somegreat weather for a golf outing. For moreinformation on the meeting, featuringThomas Quasarano, Assistant AttorneyGeneral for the State of Michigan,see page 3.

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President’s CornerMICHELLE SANDERS-WILSON

Happy autumn and welcome to the Presidents Corner!Hopefully you will find our new website easy to use andfilled with a great deal of information which is beneficialto your individualized needs. On behalf of the entiremembership, a special thanks to the research andtechnology committee for their tireless efforts on thisproject.

August 5th, 2006 commenced “Spanning the Future-Building Professional Bridges” forum in sunny Tampa,Florida. Several members of our chapter attended thisNIGP Forum and returned with armloads of information.

If you were not able to attend the September regionalmeeting held at the beautiful Hawk Hollow Golf Club inBath, MI, you missed an outstanding presentation by TomQuasarano of the Michigan Office of the AttorneyGeneral. This presentation regarding the Michigan’sFreedom of Information Act was quite informative andeducational. Our next regional meeting will be heldNovember 16, 2006 in Kalamazoo. I would like toencourage the entire membership to attend.

I want to congratulate those who passed their CPPB exam(see right). These individuals join a number of membersthat have received MPPOA certification. The ProfessionalDevelopment Committee has been working diligently toarrange learning seminars for members such as“Introduction to Public Purchasing.” Our nexteducational opportunity in Northville, will be held onOctober 16 and 17, entitled “Fundamentals ofLeadership and Management.” To find out moreinformation on this and other upcoming educationalevents be sure to review the website.

Enjoy the changing of the seasons and I look forward toseeing all of you at future regional meetings, seminarsand conferences.

Michelle

Greg Vlietstra, City of Portage, has passed the written portion of theCPPO exam. He will be taking the oral portion in upcoming months tobe fully certified.

Newly certified CPPBs include Sonya James, Detroit Water andSewerage Department; Lynn Lesnick, Wayne County; and MarilynPaulsen-Tomaszewski, City of Rochester Hills. Congratulations to all.

Congratulations, Amy Kraus. Kraus was appointed by Lansing MayorVirg Bernero as the new city treasurer and income tax administrator.

Kraus, a former MPPOA president, is a 17-year veteran of Lansing'sFinance Department, where she served as business services managerand senior purchasing manager. She replaces Jill Rhode, who resignedearlier this year to take a position in the private sector.

"Antonia has all the right stuff to serve as our city treasurer," Bernerosaid in a statement. "She brings an exemplary track record to the job asa manager and finance administrator in a very complexorganization."Among her other credentials, Kraus has her bachelor'sdegree from Michigan State University and a master's degree in publicadministration from Western Michigan University.

moves onKraus

New MembersGail Stone

Road Commission, Oakland County

Kevin WhiteMalindia Westbrook

Sharon VanDykeJacqueline Holland

Linda TalbotJoan Brown

Detroit Public Schools

Ricky Mitchell St. Clair County Road Commission

Michael McElgunn Detroit Public Library

Dan MacLennanLansing Board of Water and Light

Terri GenetteKaren Karasinski

City of Dearborn

Sandy Wiktorowski City of Northville

Clarence McNealWayne County

New CPPBs/CPPO

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Oct.16,17

A seminar titled, “Fundamentals of Leadershipand Management in Public Procurement” is to beheld October 16 and 17 in Northville. Theinstructor is Mr. C. B. Roberts, CPPO, CPPB.

For more information, or to register for thisclass, please visit mppoa.net. Other educationalopportunities are listed in the Upcoming Eventscolumn.

Karen Zula, City of Riverview, washonored this summer with a retirementparty in her honor, held at Arnaldo’s inRiverview.

Karen, pictured here with her husband,Stephen, ended her career with Riverview,managing the Riverview Highlands GolfCourse.

President Michelle Sanders-Wilson was inattendance to give Zula a Lifetime Mem-bership to MPPOA.

Classwinsaward

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree fromMichigan State University, Mansfield Matthewson obtainedhis first buying position as Senior Buyer for Meijer, Inc.After that, he spent several years buying for Gordon FoodService, and in 2003, he joined the public side ofpurchasing, at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC),where he continues to work today.

Matthewson, a Lifetime CPM, has received the Grand RapidChamber of Commerce “Buyer of the Year” award inconjunction with the Minority Business Celebration. Healso received the Corporate One Award and the RegionalBusiness Service Award from the Michigan MinorityBusiness Development Council (MMBDC). He is active inthe Regional Alliance for Diversity in Public Purchasing, amember of the MMBDC Roundtable, and on the board ofthe West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Healso actively participates in events sponsored by the Allianceof Women Entrepreneurs and the Grand RapidsOpportunities for Women.

In addition to his active business life, Matthewson directsthe choir and plays the piano for his church. He is marriedand has an eleven-year-old son.He enjoys good movies and“on the edge” TV series. Also, he is a member of theMPPOA board and , along with Lynn Zatalokin, is chairingthe Vendor Fair Committee.

Member ProfileMansfield Matthewson

Desiree Quinney has receivedthe Michigan MinorityBusiness DevelopmentCouncil (MMBDC) CorporateBuyer of the Year Award!

Congratulations, Desiree forgetting the recognition thatyou deserve and on a jobwell done.

Desiree Quinney

retires!Karen Zula

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NIGP Forum Tampa welcomes purchasing professionalsNIGP Forum

A full complement from Michigan attended the Forum. Clockwisefrom left: Mike Lasley, Michelle Sanders-Wilson, Mike Meyer,Scott Guzzy, Donny Colley-Andrews, Gail Petross Wells, CheriMcCaffery, Sharon Pickett, Shelia Anderson, Susan Leirstein.

Seated: Michelle Sanders-Wilson & Scott Guzzy.Standing: Gail Petross Wells, Shelia Anderson,Donna Colley-Andrews & Susan Leirstein

Our treasures representing the state hailed from theDetroit Public Schools; The Wayne CountyMetropolitan Airport Authority; the Cities of Troy,Farmington Hills and Midland; and Counties ofKalamazoo and Oakland. Only one of them turnedout to be a pirate in disguise (see photo—center, left)

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on NIGP committeeMcCaffery

Congratulations to the City of Troy and the City of Rochester Hills forreceiving the National Purchasing Institute Achievement of ExcellenceProcurement Award. Also awarded at the Forum—a 35th anniversaryaward to MPPOA .

Tampa was a great location for theNIGP conference, with memberssocializing and networking withother professionals from across thecountry.

Immediate past president, Cheri McCaffery,began her work on a newly formed committee,the Chapter Relations Committee, while inTampa for the NIGP Forum. The work of thecommittee will be to bridge NIGP and itsaffiliated state chapters.

The Committee established objectives andinitiatives, including:

• To develop chapter leadership/governancemanuals and guidelines to help new andexisting chapters;

• To increase communication/guidance/assistance between NIGP and chaptersthrough the Chapter Connection newsletter;

and

• To administer Chapter of Year awards beginning in 2007.

A conference call meeting was held in late September, to prepareeveryone for the Fall Committee/Board meetings to be held n PhoenixOctober 19-21, 2006. Committee members are from the followingstates: Florida, Illinois, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma,Virginia and Washington, to name a few.

Committee service strengthens our state chapter. If you are interestedin serving as a volunteer, contact Belinda Reutter, Member ServicesDirector at breutter@nigp.org. If you have any questions orcomments about the Chapter Relations Committee, contact Cheri atcamcca@kalcounty.com.

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Tom Quarsarano, Assistant AttorneyGeneral for the State of Michigan, explainedthe legalities of the Freedom of InformationAct (FOIA). With vast experience withlitigating FOIA cases, Quarsarano was ableto discuss a variety of tests for the legislation,and gave examples where protectedinformation was challenged.

Members left with a handy booklet whichoutlined the law and explained the mostimportant test cases and their results.

A golf outing was planned inconjunction with the Septemberregional meeting, as an experiment tosee if the membership would support arecreational activity at a time otherthan during the annual conference. Theusual suspects were ready to tee off. Notpictured, Stephanie Robinson, who wasthe winner of the Woman’s awards:“Closest to the Pin,” “Longest Drive,”and “Lowest Score.”

A few members were sorry they hadn’tbrought their clubs and were ready toplay at the last minute.

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