Speakers

Misty Griffin is the Director of Business and Financial Services at Riverside Community College District which includes Riverside City College, Norco College and Moreno Valley College. Misty is responsible for the purchasing and budget functions for the District. Misty Griffin has over 25 years of experience at Riverside CCD where she has held various positions throughout the district and the colleges. Misty has a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from San Diego State University.

Paul Butler is a Client Partner with Newleaf Training and Development, based in Valencia, CA. Paul is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) and a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA). Prior to starting Newleaf in 2006, Paul served as a Regional Finance Director for Marriott International Hotels and Hilton International Hotels. He also served as the Director of Finance for Hilton Honors when Hilton’s worldwide HQ was based in Beverly Hills, CA. Newleaf has served 314 clients across 30 states and 8 countries specializing in helping people better manage themselves, lead others and grow business acumen. In 2016, Newleaf opened a second office based in Orlando, FL. Originally from Staffordshire, England Paul has been married to his wife, Gaynor since 1994 and they have two adult children.

Priya Jerome has over 23 years of combined private and public sector experience in managing and overseeing complex supply chain activities globally. Working in the private sector, Priya honed valuable skills in business process improvements to drive overall efficacies and cost savings across the entire supply chain. Over the past 12 years, she has managed the Procurement, Contracting, Central Services and Risk Management activities at two California community college districts, where she successfully implemented web based, fully integrated e-procurement systems and contracts management systems. These implementations were widely recognized for delivering cost, time, process, and productivity efficiencies. Priya joined the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) team as the Executive Director of Procurement, Central Services, and Risk Management in 2018 where she continues to passionately focus her endeavors in providing the best possible educational experience to all students through the services her division provides. She leads a large, centralized division supporting two colleges and the District with a deep understanding of distinctive business needs in education, high currency in codes, statutes and regulations, and a unique private sector perspective for customer service and process improvements. In any given year she oversees an average of 1,500 contracts, 3,600 purchase orders, jointly valued over $210 million and over 25 large publicly procured bids and RFQ&Ps. Priya’s leadership and commitment to excellence has been recognized in the various personal and institutional awards/recognitions she has won. In 2019 she was recognized as the Administrator of the Year at SOCCCD and in 2020 she was recognized as the Southern California Procurement Professional of the Year. In 2021 her District won the much-coveted Orange County Turning Red Tape to Red Carpet Award for Incorporating Innovative Technology for converting SOCCCD into a Fully Online Bidding, Contracting and Public Procurement Organization an effort she spearheaded from start to successful completion. Priya is active in several state organizations in support of community college procurement and risk management initiatives. She is the Vice President of the board for the Protected Insurance Program for Schools and Community Colleges (PIPS), a joint powers authority which is responsible for workers’ compensation insurance claims. She is the Vice Chair of the Underwriting Committee for the Statewide Association of Community Colleges (SWACC), which is responsible for property and liability insurance. She is also a select member of the CollegeBuys program (Foundation for CA Community Colleges, an arm of the CA Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office) advisory group that contributes system-wide towards leveraging combined/streamlining purchasing powers, total cost of ownership, and shared best practices. Within the advisory group, she additionally contributes as a co-chair in the Legislative and Policy Workgroup. Priya holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Queensland Institute of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Rod Herrera is a seasoned procurement professional with over 25 years of experience in the California Community College System and 15 years specializing in public procurement. As the Senior Buyer at Contra Costa Community College District, he brings a wealth of expertise in Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FF&E), ensuring efficient and cost-effective acquisitions that support educational excellence. Rod's commitment to innovation and process improvement was recognized in 2017 when he received the California Public Higher Education Innovation Honors Focus on Efficiency Award. This honor came during his tenure as chairman of the Process Expert Team, where he played a pivotal role in streamlining procurement operations and driving efficiency across the district.

Conducting her business and facilities practice with proficiency and professionalism, Sarah Polito provides general counsel and legal guidance to public education agencies throughout California. She represents clients in a broad range of areas, including real estate transactions, school facilities construction, land use, general procurement, data privacy and Title IX athletic equity. Sarah also handles surplus property disposition, public purchasing, developer fees, general contract review and negotiation and analysis related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Sherman is a principal of Public Agency Law Group. Sherman’s practice is devoted to representing public education institutions in construction, purchasing, facilities and general business matters. He has decades of experience assisting CCDs in navigating the confusing complexities of public procurement laws, rules and regulations. He is a member of the LA County Bar Association and is admitted to practice in all California state courts, all United States District Courts in California and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Tammy Rimes serves as Executive Director of the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP), North America’s Association for educational content, legislative advocacy, and support for cooperative procurement. She also formally served as Purchasing Agent for the City of San Diego, the 9th largest city in the nation and Emergency Logistics Chief during the 2007 Witch Creek Fires that raged for 17 days and destroyed over 2000 homes. Under her leadership, the City consolidated its warehouse operations, centralized all purchasing and contracting operations, and moved to a more customer focused approach. With past sales and marking experience in the airline, retail, electrical utility, and wine industry, she has the unique perspective of working in three different worlds – corporate, government and entrepreneurial.