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2026 IAPPO Spring Conference

About this event

Key Sessions & Highlights

With an estimated 11.0 CEUs available, our schedule is packed with actionable insights and networking:

Know Thyself – Grow Thyself – A Continuous Journey: A dynamic opening session on self-leadership by T. Suzette Moore.
Street Cred for the Back Office: Raising Procurement’s Profile: Learn strategies from Carrie Mathes on how to elevate the status of your procurement department within your organization.
Mentorship and Rekindling Your Inner Fire: Michelle Croft shares how to find renewed passion and purpose through the power of mentoring.
Designing Success - How Great Specs Drive Great Contracts: A deep dive into the technical mastery of specifications with Tara Cummins.
Supplier Trade Show: A two-hour dedicated window on Thursday to connect with industry partners and discover new solutions.
Roundtable Breakout Sessions: Targeted discussions for City, County, K12, and State professionals to share specific challenges and successes.

Meet Our Distinguished Speakers:

T. Suzette Moore, MS, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB

Founder of Inspired Growth LLC & 2025 NIGP Distinguished Service Award Recipient

Suzette brings over 30 years of public sector leadership, including her former role as Chief Procurement Officer for WMATA, where she managed a $2.2 billion annual spend. A certified Maxwell Leadership team member, she is dedicated to strengthening middle management through coaching and transformational leadership.

Carrie Mathes, MPA, FNIGP, CFCM, NIGP-CPP

Chief Procurement Official, Orange County Government (Florida)

Carrie is a Fellow of NIGP and has served as the Chair of the Governing Board for NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement. With over 25 years in the field, she currently serves as the AEP Officer for the National Procurement Institute.

Michelle Croft, NIGP-CPP

Procurement Manager, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

With 25 years of experience, Michelle currently leads procurements for the airport’s $5 billion expansion program. She is a dedicated mentor in the NIGP program and a graduate of Texas A&M University.

Tara M. Cummins, MBA, CPPO, CPPB, NIGP-CPP

Purchasing Agent & NIGP Area 1 Chapter Ambassador

Tara is a transformational leader with a 20-year career in public service, having spearheaded procurement transformations across large public agencies in Connecticut. She serves as the Vice President of the Public Purchasing Association of Connecticut (PPAC).

Sponsorships Opportunities Hotel Accommodations

AGENDA (Subject to Change)

Wednesday, April 1st (3.0 Contact Hours)

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Welcome/Check-In (Redbird D)

1:00 – 2:00 PM

Know Thyself – Grow Thyself – A Continuous Journey: T. Suzette Moore (Redbird D)

2:00 – 2:15 PM

Break

2:15 – 3:15 PM

Sourcewell (Redbird D)

3:15 – 3:30 PM

Break

3:30 – 4:30 PM (Breakout Sessions

• Roundtable (City/County/K12) (Fell A)
• Roundtable (State) (Fell B)
• Wellness Room/Quiet Meditation/Chair Stretching (Beaufort Room Between 3:15 - 5:00 PM)

4:30 – 4:45 PM

Sponsorship Segment (Redbird D)

4:45 – 5:00 PM

Meet the Board (Redbird D)

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Philanthropy Project Activity

6:00 – 8:00 PM

New Member & Attendee Networking Experience – Fiala Brothers

Thursday, April 2nd (5.5 Contact Hours)

7:00 – 8:00 AM

Breakfast (Breakfast Included) (Redbird C)

8:00 – 9:30 AM

Positive Leadership Leads to High-Performing Teams: T. Suzette Moore (Redbird D)

9:30am - 9:45am

Break

9:45 – 10:45 AM

Mentorship and Rekindling Your Inner Fire: Michelle Croft (Redbird D)

10:45 – 11:00 AM

Sponsorship Segment (Redbird D)

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Street Cred for the Back Office: Raising Procurement’s Profile: Carrie Mathes (Redbird D)

12:00 – 12:15 PM

Sponsorship Segment (Redbird D)

12:15 – 2:15 PM

Lunch (Included)/Supplier Trade Show (Redbird C/Prefunction)

2:30 – 3:30 PM

Can You Relate? Expanding Your Sphere of Influence: Carrie Mathes (Redbird D)

3:30 – 3:45 PM

Sponsorship Segment (Redbird D)

3:45 – 4:00 PM

BREAK

4:00 – 5:00 PM - Breakout Sessions

Specification Development: Tara Cummings (Fell A)
Collaborative Construction Delivery Methods and Risk Mitigation: Michelle Croft (Fell B)

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Announcements/Philanthropy Project Activity (Redbird B)

6:00 – 10:00 PM

Networking Experience / Social – Redbird C & D)

Friday, April 3rd (2.5 Contact Hours)

7:00 – 8:00 AM

Breakfast (Breakfast Included) (Redbird C)

8:15 – 8:30 AM

NIGP Career Concierge Program: CoMakiya Baskin-Smith (Redbird D)

8:30 – 10:00 AM

The Human Side of Procurement: Creating Value at Every Touchpoint: Andrew Hennig and Katherine Tople (Redbird C)

10:00 – 10:15 AM

BREAK

10:15 – 11:15 AM – Breakout Sessions

• Certification Prep: Tara Cummins (Fell A)
• Legislative Review: Breakout Session (Fell B)

11:15 – 11:30 AM

BREAK/HOTEL CHECK-OUT

11:30 AM – 12:00 PM

IAPPO ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING (Redbird D)