What does it take to manage procurement for one of the nation’s largest cities? Jedediah Greenfield, Chief Procurement Officer for the City of Houston, joins PMPP to take listeners behind the scenes of city purchasing—sharing memorable wins, creative solutions, urgent challenges, and purchases that made a meaningful impact. He also offers practical advice for municipalities looking to improve competition and for suppliers hoping to successfully work with local government.

Ken Wertz, Executive Director of the National School Plant Managers Association (NSPMA) joins PMPP to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping K–12 school facilities management. We explore facility maintenance funding, indoor air quality, professional development, national advocacy, and the resources school plant managers need to create safer, healthier learning environments.

In this episode, Julie Sands, AIA, LEED AP, PMP, Chief Business Development Officer at TIPS Construction, and Tom Ferrentino, National Director of Sales and Business Development at TIPS Construction, discuss how cooperative purchasing and Job Order Contracting support architects, engineers, and design professionals working on public construction projects. They cover spec protection, quote review, compliant procurement, and how design professionals can stay involved while helping public entities move projects forward through a competitive process.

TIPS is built on relationships, and our Program Managers are at the heart of it. In this episode, we sit down with Program Manager Whitley Allen to learn about her work with members and vendors around Dallas and Waco, Texas.

Winning sales in the public sector is about becoming a trusted partner—not just closing a deal. In the first in-person episode of PMPP, we sit down with Jensen Mabe, TIPS VP of Sales and Business Development, to discuss what makes selling to the public sector different from traditional B2B sales. From understanding budget cycles and building long-term relationships to earning procurement’s trust, they share practical strategies vendors can use to build a stronger public-sector pipeline. 

Nick James from Whiteglove AI joins us to discuss applied AI and how agencies are beginning to use it in practical, meaningful ways. The conversation explores how AI tools can support public sector work, improve efficiency, and help teams navigate emerging technology with confidence.

Aran Raz from the City of Westminster, Colorado, joins PMPP to discuss how his procurement team is using AI to streamline processes and improve efficiency. The conversation explores practical ways public entities can apply AI, build confidence with emerging technology, and rethink the future of public procurement.

Kim Cullen Prather from Beacon Bid joins PMPP to discuss the hidden barriers suppliers face when doing business with government entities. The conversation explores how supplier awareness, AI, cooperative purchasing, and small purchase opportunities can impact vendor participation, competition, and pricing in public procurement.

In this episode of the Purchasing Made Personal Podcast, Mariel Reed, Founder and CEO of Pavilion, explains how public procurement teams can move beyond the “Department of No” and become proactive, strategic partners to the departments they serve. Michael and Mariel discuss improving stakeholder relationships, simplifying compliant purchasing, using cooperative contracts more effectively, and creating procurement processes that help public agencies work faster without sacrificing compliance.

TIPS is built on relationships, and our Program Managers are at the heart of it. In this episode, we sit down with Program Manager Stacey McPherson to learn about his work with members and vendors across South Central US.