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2026 Conference

 

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TENTATIVE AGENDA (Last Updated 12/2/2026)

Sunday, February 1
7:00 AM 5:00 PM Registration Open - Attendees & Suppliers
7:00 AM 8:30 AM Breakfast for Pre-Conference Workshops
8:00 AM 4:30 PM Various A La Carte Networking Activities (Golf, Volunteering at the Humane Society, Networking Lunch, Whale Watching)
8:00 AM 4:15 PM

Full-Day Workshops 

  • Public Procurement Essentials: What is in your Toolbelt - Johnnie E. Terry, Jr, CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP
  • Illuminate Your Leadership: A Live2Lead Experience for Procurement Professionals - Lourdes Coss, MPA, NIGP-CPP, CPPO
8:00 AM 12:00 PM

AM Workshops

  • NIGP-CPP Preparation/Overview - Magan Waltari
  • AI Boot Camp - Center for Procurement Excellence
12:00 PM 1:00 PM Lunch on Your Own
1:00 PM 4:15 PM

PM Workshops (up to 2 afternoon half day sessions)

  • CPPO & CPPB Preparation, Derrick Strand
4:30 PM 6:00 PM Welcome Reception
Monday, February 2
7:00 AM 5:00 PM Attendee Registration
8:00 AM 9:00 AM
Breakfast by Chapter Breakouts
9:15 AM 11:15 AM

Opening General Session with Keynote: Tanya Dalton
Purposeful Productivity: The Secret to Creating Impact at Work and Beyond

Are you filling your calendar… or are you filling your soul? People often believe that their big purpose lies somewhere else–in another job or with a different career. They mistakenly think that purpose is out of reach or that they don’t have the ability to make the impact they desire.

We all want to feel like our work matters, that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. The truth is: You don’t need to search for your purpose, it’s hidden in the work you already do.

After experiencing her own burnout, productivity expert Tanya Dalton realized she needed to stop trying to do more, and focus instead on doing what was most important. She had fallen into the achievement trap of setting the wrong goals and chasing too many shiny objects. By connecting her purpose to her work, she scaled her business to 7 figures in just 18 months.

Recent studies verify that people who connect their work to a bigger purpose are significantly more satisfied, more innovative and more motivated. In this powerful keynote, Tanya shares insightful tactics, case studies and entertaining stories that empower audience members to walk out of this experience feeling ready to take action with tools they can bring back to their teams, their families, and their lives.

11:30 AM 12:30 PM
Breakout Sessions #1
  • Alphabet Soup: RFPs, IFBs, RFQs, and More - Umiika Wright, NIGP-CPP, CPPB & Michelle Tapley, CPPB
  • Becoming Truly Productive: The Power of Meaningful Work - Tanya Dalton
  • Constructing Success: Where Public Works and Stellar Procurement Meet - Barbara Mason, NIGP-CPP
  • Estate Planning Essentials - Wills & Trusts - Being Prepared
  • Future-Proof Procurement: Building a Tech-Enabled Procurement Strategy That Delivers - Vince Rivera and Panel
  • How You Can Promote the Value of Procurement - April Pay, CPPO, CPPB
  • Public Finance 101 (exact title TBD) - Mike Mucha, GFOA
  • Sustainability Issues for Cleaning Supply Acquisition - Mike Muscara
12:45 PM 1:00 PM CAPPO Group Photo / AEP Group Winner Photo
1:00 PM 2:15 PM Recognition Lunch (AEP)
2:30 PM 5:30 PM

Demo Rooms

  • Colbi - Streamline Contractor Prequalification with QualityBidders - Live Demos
  • GovDeals - Driving Sustainability and Revenue Through Surplus Auctions
2:30 PM 3:30 PM
Breakout Sessions #2
  • CalPERS Benefit Basics (Session is 2:30 - 5:00pm)
  • Crystal Balls and Contracts: Forecasting Service Excellence in Procurement - Lilian Lane, CPPB, CPCP,  and Elizabeth Millwee CPPO, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • Lighting the Way: Leading with a Servant's Mindset in Procurement - Lourdes Coss, MPA, NIGP-CPP, CPPO
  • Public Procurement Under Pressure: 2026 and Beyond - Dr. Robert Eyler
  • Street Cred for the Back Office: Raising Procurement's Profile - Carrie Mathes, MPA, CPPO, CPPB, C.P.M., CFCM, NIGP-CPP
  • The Real Reason We Hate IT Projects: And What We Can Learn From Them - Kim Linser
  • Transforming Procurement - The Local Agency Contract Exchange - David Trudnowski, Stephen Hamill, and Panel
3:30 PM 4:00 PM Coffee Break
4:00 PM 5:00 PM
Breakout Sessions #3
  • 8 Steps to Solidify Your Trust in Your Vendors - John Littler
  • CalPERS Benefit Basics (Session Continued from 2:30)
  • Everything California Prevailing Wage - Deborah Wilder
  • How to Optimize Every Dollar - Center for Procurement Excellence
  • Human Services Contracting 101 - Juan Corral, CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, Susan Kessel, CPPB, NIGP-CPP, and Brittany Davis
  • Principles of Critical Thinking - Michael Kolodisner, CPPO
  • Technical Evaluation Methodologies for Procurement - Jessica Burton, NASPO and Lee Ann Pope, NASPO
6:00 PM 10:00 PM Networking Dinner Event at Punch Bowl San Diego (shuttles begin at 5:30pm)
Tuesday, February 3
6:30 AM 7:30 AM Charity Run/Walk
8:00 AM 9:30 AM

Opening General Session & Breakfast
Keynote: Brooke Smith, NIGP-CPP
AI Do: Matching People, Process, and Productivity

Attendees and Medallion Partners Invited

Say “AI Do” to a smarter way of working. This session explores how AI strengthens the bond between people, process, and productivity in public procurement. Learn how to use AI as your trusted partner to simplify tasks, speed up evaluations, and improve accuracy. You’ll see real examples of AI tools that save time and reduce stress, proving that the right match can make every procurement process run smoother.
 
Brooke Smith is the City Recorder and Procurement Manager for Murray City, Utah, with over 20 years of public sector experience. She oversees purchasing, records, and passports, and is known by NIGP as the “AI Queen.” For the past three years, Brooke has been presenting nationwide on how artificial intelligence is transforming public procurement. She serves on national NIGP committees and is recognized for making complex topics clear, practical, and engaging while helping procurement professionals work smarter with AI.
9:45 AM 10:45 AM
Breakout Sessions #4 
  • Being a Better Leader with Cooperative Procurement - Tammy Rimes, MPA
  • Contracts 101 - Make Your Contracts Shine Bright - Jon Manning, CPPB
  • Financial Planning - 5 Key Considerations for Retirement
  • From Crisis to Control: Essential Approaches to Disaster Procurement Success - Dr. Kim Abrego, PT, DPT, Shelley Vineyard, MBA, NIGP-CPP, RTSBA, & Sarah Stanley, CPA, MBA
  • From Chaos to Clarity: Transforming Procurement Filing Systems at a Public Agency - Ehab Azab, CPPO and Kevin Yin, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • How to Make the CPI and the PPI Work for You - April Pay, CPPB, CPPO
  • Public Procurement 2026: Key Trends Shaping the Future - Jeannette Bruno
  • Risk Management - Magan Waltari
9:45 AM 10:45 AM Past Presidents Meeting with Board
10:45 AM 11:00 AM Ribbon Cutting for Expo
11:00 AM 3:30 PM Vendor Expo & Lunch Open (lunch 12pm - 2pm)
3:45 PM 4:45 PM
Breakout Sessions #5
  • 2026 Legislative Update - Ryan Pistochini, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • AEP Award Tips, Tricks and Winning Strategies - Carrie Mathes, MPA, FNIGP, CFCM, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, C.P.M., CPPB, A.P.P., FCCM
  • Cost Evaluation Methodologies - Jessica Burton, NASPO and Lee Ann Pope, NASPO
  • Decoding the eProcurement Marketplace: Essential Factors for Software Selection Success - Panel Discussion
  • Leading Through Change: Diving Innovation and Purpose in Procurement - Lourdes Coss, MPA, NIGP-CPP, CPPO
  • Retirement, Reciprocity and The Mindset - Johnnie E Terry, Jr, CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP
  • Shining Through: Enhancing the Evaluation Process - Jacques Lam, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • The Elite Eight: Your Playbook for AI in Public Procurement Offices - Dustin Lanier, CPPO
5:00 PM 6:00 PM Chapter Leadership Meeting with State Board (Chapter chairs, vice-chairs, secretary and treasurers - incoming and outgoing are invited to this meeting with the board to discuss the coming year)
6:00 PM

Dinner on Your Own - FREE Night

Consider joining one of our evening tours (additional ticket required)

Wednesday, February 4
7:30 AM 8:30 AM
Breakfast by Agency Type Breakouts
 8:45 AM  11:45 AM  

Demo Rooms

  • Staples
  • Southern Computer Warehouse
8:45 AM 9:30 AM Business Meeting, Installation of Officers & Raffle
9:45 AM 10:45 AM
Breakout Sessions #6 (5 to 8 sessions)
  • 2026 Legislative Update - Ryan Pistochini, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • Bright Stars: Onboarding Procurement Talent & Building Bridges to Excellence - Ariel Gill and Dewayne Ford
  • Don't Panic! A Nonlegal Guide to Analyzing and Responding to Bid Protest - Nicole Chapman
  • Shining a Bright Light on Construction: The Elements of Construction Contracts and Projects - Greg Tatar
  • Shining Together: Engaging Stakeholders to Strengthen Procurement Outcomes - Lourdes Coss, MPA, CPPO, NIGP-CPP
  • The Case of the Missing Compliance: a FEMA Disaster Recovery Mystery Presented by Sourcewell
  • Why You Aren't Getting Enough Bidders and Creating Positive Procurement Outcomes - Alex Capps
11:00 AM 12:00 PM
Breakout Sessions #7 (5 to 8 sessions)
  • AI-Powered Procurement: Transforming the Purchasing Process
  • Alternative Delivery in Action: Where Service Meets Innovation - Erin Lawrence, CPPB
  • Clearing the Air: The Next Phase of California's Public Agency Zero-Emission Vehicle Deployment - Andrew Reyes, CARB, Christopher Pieper, and Christine Plasting, CPPB, NIGP-CPP
  • From Yawning to Fawning: How to Make Dry Subjects Engaging - Tammy Rimes, MPA & Panel
  • Procurement Leadership Toolkit - Ryan Pistochini, CPPB, NIGP-CPP and Andrew Becker, CPPB
  • Mentor Matchup - Johnnie E Terry, Jr., CPPB, CPPO, NIGP-CPP
  • When Procurement Shines: Creating Better Experiences for Your Departments - Panel Discussion w/Angelic Davis, CPPO, NIGP-CPP, Albie Udom, Landon St. James, CPSM
12:00 PM 1:30 PM

Networking Lunch with Closing Keynote Supervisory Special Agent Mathew Zeman, FBI

The Reg Flags of Contract Corruption - The presentation will highlight some of the “Reg Flags” which have been identified in contract corruption using examples from past investigations into Contract Corruption.

Mr. Zeman began service as a Special Agent in 2001 with the U.S. Customs Service and was assigned to the Key West, Florida office.  In 2005 he entered service with the FBI and was assigned to the San Diego Field Office.  After serving a brief tour in Washington D.C. at FBI Headquarters in 2014, Mr. Zeman worked as an Assistant Legal Attache at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Czech Republic for three years and then returned to San Diego in 2019 as a Supervisor first in charge of the office’s money laundering squad and then transitioning to his current assignment in Public Corruption.  Throughout all of Mr. Zeman’s career he has almost exclusively investigated criminal enterprises.  Those enterprises have encompassed human and drug smuggling, criminal street gangs, prison gangs, organized crime groups emanating from the regions of the former Soviet Union, and several other criminal groups.  On several occasions, Mr. Zeman has been an instructor of organized crime investigation strategy for foreign law enforcement partners.

1:45 PM 2:45 PM
Breakout Sessions #8
  • Ethics - Magan Waltari
  • Negotiation Ploys and Tactics: What They Don't Teach You in Procurement 101 - Masih Bahadori
  • Procurement Unplugged: Bright Ideas for Big Impact - Michelle Wilson
  • Special Rules for Federal Prevailing Wage - Deborah Wilder
  • The Secret to Writing Better Contracts - Michael Kolodisner, CPPO
  • What to Expect When You Retire - Panel Discussion
2:45 PM
Conference Concludes and Attendees Depart
Thursday, February 5
9:00 AM 12:00 PM New Board Orientation/Meeting (State Board - Candidates running for board positions should anticipate attending this event. Contact the office with questions)

Be sure to read all policies carefully and call if you need clarification - When registering for the conference you will be asked to confirm that you accept the conference policies as outlined here.

Payment Policy: We accept payment in the form of a check (made payable to CAPPO), cashier’s check, or credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express). All payments must be received in full by Friday, January 16, 2026.  If we do not receive payment by Friday, January 16, 2026, your spot may be released to other potential attendees.We understand that many agencies pay for conference registrations through purchase orders; CAPPO does not accept POs. The PO process is for your agency's internal process. Please let your agency’s fiscal or business office know that the final payment form is due no later than Friday, January 16, 2026. For those who register to pay later by check, it is your responsibility to cancel by the cancellation deadline otherwise you are liable for payment of your registration.

Cancellation Policy:  All cancellations must be received in writing before 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Monday, January 5, 2026 and are subject to a $35 administrative fee. Cancellations received in writing by 5:00 PM Pacific Time on Monday, January 5, 2026, will be refunded. A $35 administrative fee will be subtracted from the total refund. No refunds after Monday, January 5, 2026. For those who register to pay later by check, it is your responsibility to cancel by the cancellation deadline otherwise you are liable for payment of your registration. Please send your cancellation request to admin@cappo.org and follow up with a phone call to 831-464-4896 to ensure it was received.

Substitution/Transfer Policy: Transfers can be made in writing before Friday, January 23, 2026, or onsite for a $35 administrative fee. If you are transferring a member to a non-member attendee, the difference in registration fees will be charged as well.

Conference Policies:

  1. By registering, you agree to adhere to the CAPPO Event Code of Conduct.
  2. By registering, you hereby authorize and grant CAPPO the right to photograph or record you, along with editing into a photo gallery/short film/webinar, which may include other recordings and material. You also authorize and grant CAPPO the use of the name and likeness, voice, or other information concerning participants; and screen or place the recording/materials online, including social media.  
  3. Presenters may express a wide variety of opinions and views which do not necessarily represent the opinions and views of CAPPO and/or you as an individual. The presenters were selected because of their expertise in their respective subject areas and to provide you with a diversity of views on a variety of topics to enhance your conference experience.

LIABILITY POLICY / ASSUMPTION OF RISKS: By registering for this event, I hereby assume all of the risks of participating in all activities at CAPPO Events, including but not limited to: any risks that may arise from the negligence or carelessness of CAPPO, their subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, partners, contractors, agents, representatives, volunteers, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Host”) and/or from dangerous or defective equipment or property owned, maintained, operated or controlled by the Host.

(A) I WAIVE, RELEASE, AND DISCHARGE the Host from all liability, including but not limited to: Liability arising from the negligence of the Host or myself, for my death, disability, personal injury, property damage, property theft, or any other damage or actions of any kind which may affect or impact me in any way arising from the Conference. 

(B) I INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND PROMISE NOT TO SUE the Host from all liabilities or claims made as a result of my participation in the Conference, whether caused by the negligence of the Host, myself, or otherwise.