Phoenix, AZ – The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) convened its Partnership Forum on September 26-27, 2026, at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona. The event brought together state Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs), strategic partners, and academic collaborators to mark a new phase in how NASPO structures and grows its partner network.

The Forum centered on a shared challenge: public procurement touches nearly every part of state government, yet its value is often unseen by the leaders who depend on it. Over the course of their time together, attendees worked through why that gap exists, how to close it, and what each organization can do to ensure procurement officials have a seat at the table when major decisions are made.

“Public procurement professionals do essential work that too often goes unrecognized, and they frequently operate out of the view of government officials,” said Lindle Hatton, Chief Executive Officer of NASPO. “NASPO is committed to championing these professionals, telling the story of the value they deliver every day, and making sure their impact is seen and valued.”

Naming the Pain Points

Discussions opened with an honest look at some of the obstacles procurement leaders face. Attendees pointed to inconsistent communication with stakeholders and the perception of procurement as a compliance step rather than a strategic partner. CPOs and partners also noted that the results procurement delivers, from cost savings to risk reduction, to faster delivery of services, are often hard to translate into terms that legislators and the public readily understand.

Telling Procurement’s Story

From there, the conversation turned to solutions. Participants discussed the importance of showcasing the positive work being done, maintaining consistent messaging, using data to demonstrate impact, and equipping procurement leaders with the confidence they need to tell the story of the value they deliver.

Additionally, bringing awareness to the profession creates direct value for NASPO’s strategic partners and university collaborators. For strategic partners, a better-understood profession means a larger, more engaged audience of procurement leaders, stronger alignment between their work and state agencies’ needs, and greater visibility for the role they play in advancing public procurement.

For universities, awareness helps build demand. When students and career-changers see public procurement as a meaningful career, graduates find clearer pathways into public service, and institutions strengthen their standing as sources of future talent. Together, these partnerships help close the gap between the profession’s importance and its visibility, and every partner shares in that progress.

Highlighting What’s Working

CPOs and partners also shared successes from their own states and organizations, including examples of procurement teams that have been included in major initiatives earlier in the process.

“Governors rely strongly on state procurement to deliver on their priorities, from infrastructure to technology to public health,” said LeAnne Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of the National Governors Association. “Our partnership with NASPO connects us with the people who make state government work, and it helps turn shared goals into real outcomes for the communities we serve.”

Working Together for a Seat at the Table

A central theme of the Forum was that no single organization can change how procurement is seen on its own. Each partner reaches a different set of decision-makers, whether governors, legislators, state administrators, or human resource leaders, and each can help bring procurement into conversations where it historically may have been absent.

“State chief administrators see every day how procurement touches nearly every part of state government, from the services residents rely on to the dollars we’re trusted to manage. But that value only matters if leaders can see it. The Partnership Forum gave us a seat at the table with NASPO and our peer associations to discuss how to tell that story clearly and bring procurement into the conversations where big decisions are made,” said Elizabeth Whitehouse, Executive Director of the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA).

The Forum also looked ahead to emerging areas shaping the profession’s future, including new collaborative work exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative tools can be applied responsibly in state government procurement. NASPO’s continued investment in these topics underscores its role as a leading voice on where public procurement is headed, not just within the state it represents but across the broader industry.

The Forum highlighted the breadth of NASPO’s partner network across government, higher education, and allied associations. Strategic partner attendees included representatives from NASCA, the National Governors Association (NGA), the North Carolina Department of Administration, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE), and the Council of State Governments East. University attendees included Sriram Narayanan, Professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University, Adegoke Oke, NASPO Endowed Chair, and Thomas Kull, NASPO Endowed Professor of Arizona State University. NASPO board members in attendance included Sherri Maxwell, David O’Neill, Angela Shell, and David Steuber.

“The Partnership Forum brought together the people who shape how states deliver for the public, from procurement leaders to our national partners,” said Sherri Maxwell, Chief Procurement Officer for the State of Colorado and NASPO Board President. “When we sit at the same table and share what’s working, we find better solutions faster. This collaboration makes every state stronger, and it’s exactly why NASPO invests in bringing these partners together.”

Looking ahead, NASPO will build on the Forum’s conversations through round tables in 2027, follow-up meetings with attendees, all with the goal of turning shared insights into practical tools that help procurement leaders communicate their value to executives, legislators, and the public. To learn more about NASPO’s partner program and upcoming events, visit www.naspo.org/partnerships/.

About NASPO: The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence, and integrity. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization that helps its members achieve success as public procurement leaders through the promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies.

Media Contact:

Kate Davila
Creative Accounts Director, NASPO
[email protected]