Cooperatively Speaking

E&I Host: Joe Castelluccio, Director, Business Development
Guests: Naomi Emmons, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer at the University of Kentucky; Rick Gay, Director of Procurement Services at Spring Branch Independent School District; and Taylor Nemeth, Head of Payments at PaymentWorks

With 74% of organizations reporting they were the target of an actual or attempted payments fraud in 2020, the problem is well known -- but not well understood.

In this episode, Joe (in his debut episode!) and our guests discuss the common ways these frauds are successful using real-world examples from higher education and K-12 institutions. You'll learn why the risk inherent to the vendor master is not solved by traditional cybersecurity, common ways in which fraudsters try to trick AP/procurement into changing bank account information, and the processes in place at Spring Branch ISD and UK that thwarted fraudulent attempts.

Helpful Resources:

• E&I's competitively solicited PaymentWorks contract

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities and David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Matt Robeson, National Enterprise Account Manager for K-20 at Carrier

Since March 2020, Congress has allocated $264.5 billion for private, public, K-12, and higher education spending in response to the pandemic. Much of these funds can be used for your facilities project -- including construction -- if you are able to justify the costs as being necessary to virus mitigation. 

In this episode, David, Saul, and our guest Matt discuss the different kinds of funding available for educational facilities (CARES, CRRSAA, ARPA, GEER, ESSER, HERF) and how they can be used to fund your facilities projects. 

Relevant Links:

• Coronavirus Preparedness & Response Supplemental Appropriations Act (CPRSA)
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act (CARES)
• Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act (CRRSA)
• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
• Healthy Buildings:  How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance & Productivity by Joseph G. Allen and John D. Macomber
• ESSER Fund: Frequently Asked Questions
• ESSER / GEER: Frequently Asked Questions
• AASA: School District Funding of ARP Funding
• E&I's competitively solicited Carrier contract

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities  and David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Mark Cartwright, Former Director, Supplier Diversity at E&I*

Join us for part two of our discussion on supplier diversity within the education space (check out part one here!). You'll walk away from this episode with practical, tangible tips on how you can establish your program and build on it to make it truly great.

In this episode, we dive deeper into supplier diversity and how it affects your end-users, your procurement staff, and the suppliers with whom you are partnering. We touch on the importance of diversity at its many levels, and why these programs are not only beneficial for all parties, but also not as difficult to implement or improve as you might think. 

Relevant Links:

• Minority Business Development Agency: state offices for minority & women business enterprises
• National Minority Supplier Development Council
• Women Business Enterprise National Council
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• National Veteran Owned Business Association
• National Veteran Business Development Council
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Development Centers
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
• E&I’s supplier diversity program

*Please note: Though Mark has moved on from E&I since publishing this episode, we believe the information he shared remains important and relevant for our listeners, which is why it remains published.

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Mark Cartwright, Former Director, Supplier Diversity at E&I*

Join us for part one of our two-part discussion on supplier diversity within the education space, particularly for facilities departments, EH&S, and other departments responsible for serving their campus.

In this episode, dive into the history of supplier diversity within the U.S. Find out what's important to schools and universities and how to get the conversation going around supplier diversity. We'll tap into Mark's experience for a look at what works, what doesn't work, and what can be done better to initiate, grow, and sustain a supplier diversity program.

Relevant Links:

• Minority Business Development Agency: state offices for minority & women business enterprises
• National Minority Supplier Development Council
• Women Business Enterprise National Council
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• National Veteran Owned Business Association
• National Veteran Business Development Council
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Development Centers
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
• E&I's supplier diversity program

*Please note: Though Mark has moved on from E&I since publishing this episode, we believe the information he shared remains important and relevant for our listeners, which is why it remains published.

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities and David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Karl Stefan, CIEC, Northeast Regional Manager, Industrial Hygienist, Pure Air Control Services, Inc.

Join us for part two of our discussion on indoor air quality (IAQ) -- and why if it's important, you measure it.

In this episode, Saul and David chat with Karl Stefan from Pure Air about best practices,  what people do right and wrong in their facilities, and key contributors to IAQ that you may not be quite aware of.

Relevant Links:

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Indoor Environmental Quality
• Indoor air quality solutions from Pure Air Control Services
• E&I's competitively solicited contract with Pure Air Control Services

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities and David Manz, Category Business Manager,  Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Kirk Steward, National Product Manager at Sunbelt Rentals

The need for good indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a topic for years, but COVID-19 significantly exposed deficiencies, challenges, and concerns surrounding IAQ.

Now, with facilities teams around the world discussing how to better clean their air, this area of facilities maintenance is more important than ever.

In this first episode, Saul and David chat with Kirk Steward from Sunbelt about supply chain, buying versus renting equipment, and the types of products that are available -- and how to choose through the noise.

Relevant Links:

• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Indoor Environmental Quality
• Indoor air quality solutions from Sunbelt Rentals
• Education equipment solutions from Sunbelt Rentals
• E&I's competitively solicited contract with Sunbelt Rentals

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.

Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].

This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.