California Community Colleges Make History at CAPPO 2026
The January 2026 California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO) Conference in San Diego marked an important moment for California Community Colleges, highlighting their expanding leadership and influence in public procurement across the state.
A historic milestone for California Community Colleges was the induction of Jennifer Alford, Director of Procurement, Contracts and Auxiliary Services at San Joaquin Delta College, as CAPPO President. She is the first leader from a California Community College to serve as president in CAPPO’s more than 100-year history. Her appointment underscores the growing leadership role community colleges play within California’s public procurement community.
Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) maintained a strong presence throughout the conference and played an active role in engagement and collaboration. FoundationCCC hosted a booth showcasing CollegeBuys, alongside its SchoolBuys and CivicBuys cooperative purchasing programs, highlighting how these programs support public agencies across higher education, K–12, and local government. FoundationCCC also hosted a networking mixer for California Community Colleges and K–12 districts, providing a valuable opportunity for procurement professionals to connect, share insights, and strengthen partnerships across educational systems.
Community college procurement leaders also contributed thought leadership through multiple conference sessions. Mark Logan, Director of Procurement and Contract Services at Cerritos College, presented “From Yawning to Fawning: How to Make Dry Subjects Engaging,” offering practical tools and strategies to energize presentations, enhance messaging, add visual interest, and elevate overall communication skills. Angelic Davis, Director of Purchasing, Printing and Mail Services at Mt. San Antonio College, delivered “When Procurement Shines: Creating Better Experiences for Your Departments,” where attendees learned how procurement teams are strengthening relationships with campus departments by moving beyond policy manuals and compliance checklists toward intuitive, user-friendly systems designed with collaboration and service in mind.
Behind the scenes, Amy Sterry, Director of Purchasing and Contract Services at Contra Costa College, served on the CAPPO Conference Planning Committee and played a key role in shaping a dynamic and engaging conference experience.
Together, these contributions highlight the leadership, innovation, and collaboration that California Community College procurement professionals bring to CAPPO and the broader public procurement community. The 2026 CAPPO Conference showcased how community colleges are not only participating in California’s procurement landscape—they are helping lead it.
