NASPO Announces First Ever Academic Forum

The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is partnering with Arizona State University's Department of Supply Chain Management to host its first-ever NASPO Academic Forum, March 19-21, 2017, in Tempe, Ariz.

NASPO and Arizona State are hosting the Academic Forum to bring together educators and state procurement leaders in an effort to address staffing and talent management, one of NASPO's Top Ten Priorities. NASPO and its academic partners will discuss how to best attract new talent to the state procurement workforce.

"The first of its kind Academic Forum is an innovative way to create and extend a dialogue about one of our profession's most pressing needs, which is enriching the procurement workforce of today, while attracting others to the profession," said Dianne Lancaster, Oregon Procurement Policy Officer and co-chair of the event. "We are confident that new approaches and solutions to these challenges experienced by every state will surface from this collaboration."

The invitation-only forum will bring together representatives from the higher education community and state procurement leaders to discuss common challenges states face in the attraction and retention of qualified talent in the profession of state procurement.

"As a professor, it is exciting to play a part in the development of higher education strategies that will prepare students to fulfill a growing employment need in the public sector," said Lindle Hatton, co-chair of the Academic Forum and a faculty member at Sacramento State. "I look forward to the forum as we hear from Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) from across the nation who are searching for new talent eager to begin a rewarding and challenging career of public service."