Speakers

Dr. Jake Smithwick is the Director of Education with the Center for Procurement Excellence and is a professor at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. Jake and his team have assisted hundreds of owners improve performance outcomes across thousands of projects ($15+ Billion of procured services in healthcare, insurance, construction, IT, auxiliary services, design, and more). His industry experience also includes six years in the US Air Force Reserve (civil engineering squadron).

Jennifer Keiper currently serves as Senior Director of Procurement Services at the Foundation for California Community Colleges, where she oversees business development efforts and program operations for the CollegeBuys program. One of her key roles is to sustain core business lines, diversify procurement opportunities, improve operational efficiencies and lead the department’s compliance efforts. Jennifer and her team work closely with the Chancellor’s Office, the Advisory Group and key stakeholders across the 73 districts to ensure their needs are being reflected in systemwide agreements, while simultaneously collaborating with corporate and intersegmental partners to increase access and cost-savings for students, colleges, and the system as a whole. Jennifer has over ten years of experience in California’s public sector, eight of which have been dedicated to contracting in higher education within the CCC and UC systems. In her previous role as Contracts Officer for UC Davis Health, she was responsible for negotiating business contracts for UC Davis Medical Center, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing. Jennifer earned her bachelor of arts in political science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and her juris doctorate in public interest from UC Davis School of Law.

Jody Togonon is a Contract Compliance Officer for the San Francisco Community College District and manages the District’s numerous procurement contracts. He has been in this role since 2017 and previously worked for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office as a compliance officer. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Dominican University of California in San Rafael, California. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he currently resides in the East Bay with his wife and three children.

John Geraghty is the Controller at Riverside Community College District and he manages Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Central Cashiering, Asset Management, and Bookkeeping for Auxiliary services. John has 30 years of experience with 15 years in higher education and he has been at Riverside Community College District for the past five years. A technology enthusiast with a passion for optimizing systems, John has a deep interest in leveraging technology to streamline operations. Upon his arrival at RCCD, he found the Concur travel system installed but not yet fully optimized. He has since worked to enhance the system, transforming it into an efficient tool for managing travel through integrations with Concur, Bank of America, and Cal Travel. John earned his Associates degree in Business Administration from Pasadena City College. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge. John is a licensed CPA which he maintains in an active status.