Agenda

Monday, April 14

  • 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

    Foyer/Boardroom

    Registration / Lunch

  • 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

    • Jennifer Keiper

    Welcoming Remarks & Introductions

    • Jennifer Keiper

  • 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Tammy Rimes

    Keynote: If Your Customers Had a Choice, Would They Choose You?

    Procurement is often at the hub of all activities within their organizations – responding to leadership goals, meeting operational needs, and ultimately serving faculty, students, and surrounding community. Customer service is such an important component of your role. Can you answer this question – would you win an “Oscar” for your performance? Through this session, discover how to create your own personal brand and 5 ways to improve your customers’ experience. While you can’t control everything across your educational institution, begin to take a more active role in marketing your worth, expertise and contributions. Strive to be MVP for your organization and create a stellar experience for your customers.

    • Tammy Rimes

  • 1:50 PM - 2:45 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Angelic Davis
    • Priya Jerome

    The Evolving Role of Procurement Leaders Best Practices

    As procurement continues to evolve from a transactional function to a key strategic component within institutions, procurement leaders are increasingly expected to “wear many hats” to drive institutional success. This presentation, The Evolving Role of Procurement Leaders, will explore how procurement professionals must adapt to this changing landscape, taking on new responsibilities that span risk management, supplier diversity, sustainability, technology integration, and more.

    Drawing upon their collective procurement expertise, Angelic Davis and Priya Jerome will explore how to align procurement with institutional strategic objectives. They’ll address critical challenges and discuss how to transform procurement from a transactional function into a strategic driver of institutional success. This presentation will empower procurement leaders with the knowledge and inspiration to become versatile leaders who can navigate today’s dynamic environment and propel their institutions forward.

    • Angelic Davis
    • Priya Jerome

  • 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

    Foyer

    Collaboration Break

  • 3:00 PM - 3:40 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Hugh Lee

    Legal Updates and Implementations

    This presentation will highlight new legislation and its implications on California community college districts and review other recent changes in the law.

    • Hugh Lee

  • 3:40 PM - 4:00 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Jennifer Alford
    • Mark Hua
    • Ramona Mellgoza

    Wearing the Certification Hat: Advancing in Procurement

    Enhance your professional development and expand career opportunities by earning industry-recognized procurement certifications. This session will explore key certifications, their benefits, and how they can help you stay competitive in the evolving procurement landscape. Learn practical steps to get started and maximize your professional growth.

    • Jennifer Alford
    • Mark Hua
    • Ramona Mellgoza

  • 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Sherman Wong
    • Mina Hernandez
    • Christopher Fallon
    • Carrie Everts

    Wearing Many Hats: The Critical Role of Facilities Use Agreements Across Departments

    In this session, we’ll explore the importance of Facilities Use Agreements in managing Civic Center spaces and the challenges of coordinating across multiple departments. Learn how these agreements serve as the foundation for ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient use of facilities while balancing the needs of various stakeholders. By wearing many hats and collaborating across district departments, you can streamline processes, mitigate risks, and ensure that the Civic Center serves its community effectively.

    • Sherman Wong
    • Mina Hernandez
    • Christopher Fallon
    • Carrie Everts

  • 5:15 PM - 7:15 PM

    Private Opening Reception

    The event is open to district attendees, Corporate Roundtable partners, and Platinum and Gold Sponsors.

Tuesday, April 15

  • 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

    Boardroom

    Breakfast

  • 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Angelic Davis
    • April Marin

    Achieving Excellence in Procurement Certification: A Roadmap to Success

    This session will delve into the journey of achieving excellence in procurement certification, offering practical insights and actionable strategies from two experienced procurement representatives who have successfully navigated the process.

    • Angelic Davis
    • April Marin

  • 8:50 AM - 9:50 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Paul Butler

    Time Management: Overcoming the 5 Most Common Time Challengers

    In this busy world of increasing noise, it’s vital that we’re clear on our highest priorities and that we manage our energy – that we plan weekly and prioritize daily. We must execute best practices consistently to better manage emails, phones, and interruptions, overcome procrastination, and be able to run and contribute to effective meetings. In short, we need to be more focused than ever.

    Paul will offer practical strategies to combat email overload, phone distractions, interruptions, procrastination, and meeting inefficiencies, inspiring you to optimize productivity and achieve a better work-life balance.

    • Paul Butler

  • 9:50 AM - 10:15 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Jorge Burwick
    • Adrian Brennan-Evans

    CollegeBuys Updates: The Hats We Wear to Support the Work You Do

    CollegeBuys will provide an update on statewide contract offerings and strategies to continue fostering collaboration and innovation within the California Community College purchasing community. This will be followed by updates from our professional workgroups.

    • Jorge Burwick
    • Adrian Brennan-Evans

  • 10:15 AM - 11:20 AM

    Rousseau Suite

    Exhibit Hall

  • 11:20 AM - 12:25 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Jake Smithwick

    Confronting the Workforce Storm: Demographics, Technology, and the Future of Higher Education Procurement

    Recent reports show 60–80% of employers are struggling to fill key positions. The construction sector alone must hire over 439,000 workers in 2025—just one example of the broader labor crisis. For higher education procurement, shrinking birth rates and an aging workforce threaten budgets and project timelines. This session is a wake-up call on the risks coming and the strategies to stay ahead—leveraging technology, closing training gaps, and strengthening workforce resilience to future-proof procurement.

    • Jake Smithwick

  • 12:25 PM - 12:35 PM

    BAYVIEW LAWN

    Group Photo

  • 12:35 PM - 1:45 PM

    Beach

    Lunch on the Beach

  • 1:45 PM - 2:25 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Garth Kwiecien
    • Maritza Rodriguez-Vivas
    • Jody Togonon
    • David Delgado

    CCC Purchasing for a Community College: How to Do Even More with Even Less

    This session will explore the evolution of procurement in higher education, examining historical challenges and current realities. We will discuss the impact of reduced staffing, budget constraints, and the growing importance of sustainability. Delving into the future of procurement, we will be focusing on best practices for contract management, leveraging centralized resources, and optimizing procurement processes. We will also address the critical balance between centralized and decentralized procurement needs within a higher education institution.

    • Garth Kwiecien
    • Maritza Rodriguez-Vivas
    • Jody Togonon
    • David Delgado

  • 2:25 PM - 3:00 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Kyle Hyland

    Legislative Update on Community College Facilities and Procurement

    Kyle Hyland will provide a general overview of the 2024-25 legislative and budget cycle as it pertains to the California Community College system, with a focus on facilities and purchasing.

    • Kyle Hyland

  • 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

    Rousseau Suite

    Exhibit Hall

  • 4:00 PM - 4:20 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Jennifer Keiper
    • Kelly Rosas
    • Linda Melendez

    A Bayside Chat: How Districts Use CollegeBuys Agreements

    Join us for a relaxed bayside chat and learn how to optimize your purchasing with CollegeBuys contracts. We’ll explore finding agreements, securing competitive quotes, and navigating approvals, guided by real-world experiences from two district purchasing experts.

    • Jennifer Keiper
    • Kelly Rosas
    • Linda Melendez

  • 4:20 PM - 5:00 PM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • John Geraghty
    • Misty Griffin
    • Majd Askar
    • Gilda Izad-Panahi
    • Beau Oliver

    Streamlining Travel Management: Riverside CCD's SAP Concur Implementation Success

    This presentation will detail how RCCD streamlined the entire travel process: from requests and approvals to booking flights, car rentals, and hotel reservations to expense reports. Additionally, we have issued over 500 declining balance credit cards that integrate with Concur. This approach alleviated financial burdens on travelers and eliminated the need for cash advances, while simplifying expense report reconciliations.

    We’ll share our implementation journey, highlighting the essential support from Huron Consulting in configuring approvals and compliance controls, as well as the invaluable assistance from the Concur team during rollout. Attendees can expect practical tips for a smoother transition to the Concur system, with a strong focus on change management to help staff adapt and maximize the effectiveness of the program.

    • John Geraghty
    • Misty Griffin
    • Majd Askar
    • Gilda Izad-Panahi
    • Beau Oliver

  • 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

    Boardroom/Foyer

    Networking Mixer

  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Morays

    Sunset Social

Wednesday, April 16

  • 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

    Boardroom

    Breakfast

  • 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Hsiawen Hull
    • Dr. Anthony Maciel
    • April Marin

    Developing Effective Collaboration for IT Procurement

    Involving your District’s IT department in procurement decisions is key to ensuring secure, accessible, and successful technology purchases. This workshop, led by experienced IT Leaders who have cultivated strong collaborations with their Procurement teams, will provide practical insights into effective communication with IT professionals. Learn how collaboration ensures informed decision-making at every stage—from evaluating vendors to assessing risks and defining technical requirements. Discover how including IT in key decisions, such as contract terms, cost evaluation, and vendor negotiations, enhances outcomes while safeguarding data and ensuring compliance.

    The session will also cover the impact of well-crafted contract language and negotiation strategies on risk management and long-term success. Strengthen your District’s procurement process by learning how effective IT involvement drives better, more informed decisions. Don’t miss this chance to gain valuable tips for fostering productive IT and procurement relationships.

    • Hsiawen Hull
    • Dr. Anthony Maciel
    • April Marin

  • 9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Sarah Polito

    Contracting Pitfalls and Opportunities: Best Practices for Negotiating Common Contract Provisions

    Join us for an informative session led by an experienced education attorney, sharing best practices and practical tools for contract review and negotiation.

    This session will equip attendees with the essential knowledge and strategies to navigate common contract terms, mitigate risks, and streamline the negotiation process. Whether you are new to contract management or looking to refine your negotiation skills, this session will provide valuable insights to enhance your approach by flagging common pitfalls and highlighting opportunities.

    • Sarah Polito

  • 9:45 AM - 10:00 AM

    Foyer

    Collaboration / Checkout Break

  • 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM

    Aviary Ballroom
    • Ben Cayabyab
    • Rod Herrera

    Why We Do What We Do--Part 2!

    We all know a lot of what we do is governed by legal requirements…that’s part 1. Part 2 are factors that we don’t often think about, but are major factors in the way we procure things in the public world, such as ethics, public perception and sustainability.

    With the help of a few colleagues who will give us examples of how these factors affected them, this session will go explore these factors to make us think about how much these things affect the way we procure now and in the future.

    • Ben Cayabyab
    • Rod Herrera

  • 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

    Aviary Ballroom

    Roundtable Discussion

    Ever have a purchasing question you did not know the answer to? The open forum is a safe space to learn and collaborate where you can ask questions, discuss procurement issues, and solicit advice from your purchasing professional peers.

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