Date: February 25, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

LIVE WEBINAR:

Cooperative Procurement: What I Wish I Had Known! 

Many entities use cooperative contracts to keep up with workloads, handle emergencies and drive efficiencies. Whether you are brand-new or a seasoned procurement veteran, this session will share the latest within this industry, provide examples of innovative uses being used across CA In this session, and cover the due diligence questions to ask before piggybacking on any other contract than your own. As an interesting perspective, a panel of former public procurement professionals are featured in a “What I wish I had known then…” segment to share how they used cooperative contracts in the past AND what they would do differently now being on the other side.

Objectives:

• Gain the latest intel on the cooperative industry
• Review ways where CA entities are using cooperative contracts to solve problems
• Gain practical insights into the types of questions to ask of the cooperative and supplier
• Learn best practices for utilizing cooperatives as a strategic function
• Understand how to take advantage of other free educational resources 

Presenters: 

Tammy Rimes, MPA – NCPP and former City of San Diego
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 US 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.

Jessica GoForth – OMNIA Partners and former City of San Antonio
Jessica Goforth serves as Vice President of Public Sector Contracting at OMNIA Partners. In her current role she leads a team of Contract Managers, collaborates with lead public agencies throughout the solicitation process, and provides support to public agencies nationwide. With 15 years of experience in procurement and contract management, Jessica has a strong background in overseeing diverse projects including those utilizing federal funds and complex, high-dollar construction projects. Before joining OMNIA Partners, Jessica served in procurement at the San Antonio Water System in Texas (owned by the City of San Antonio, the 7th largest city in the US). She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership & Management. Jessica is also a certified: CPPO, NIGP-CPP, CPPB, and CNP. 

Casey Laurienzo, E&I Cooperative Services and former Florida State University
Casey Laurienzo is the Vice President of Community Engagement & Education at E&I Cooperative Services, Inc., where she leads initiatives that connect and empower educational institutions nationwide. An accomplished leader with over 13 years in contracting and procurement and more than 15 years in project and process management, Casey’s career spans education, state government, and corporate sectors. She began her career in the university environment before joining E&I, bringing a deep understanding of campus needs and opportunities. Casey holds a B.A. in Communication and a Juris Master from Florida State University, along with certifications as a Project Management Professional and Gallup Strengths Coach. She recently completed a Certificate of Specialization in Leadership and Management from Harvard Business School Online and is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership Studies at the University of the Cumberlands.


Dan Marran, CPPO, C.P.M, NIGP-CPP – Sourcewell and former City of Sparks, NV and City of Ventura, CA
Dan Marran has been in the public procurement field for more than 28 years, progressing from a small K-12 school district through two full-service cities in both California and Nevada. In June of 2023 Dan was hired by Sourcewell and currently serves as a Director of Government Accounts. Sourcewell is a public agency based in Minnesota. In the public procurement world, they work for the development and use of cooperative contracts by public agencies of all types and sizes throughout the US. Dan has served the public procurement profession in positions at the local, regional, state and national level over the course of his career including CAPPO, the Nevada Public Purchasing Study Commission, the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council, and NIGP.