I am the "Procurement Sherpa," guiding and leading my fellow school business officials through procurement laws, statutes, regulations, rules, policies, and procedures. I am an award-winning procurement professional with extensive leadership experience in increasingly responsible administrative management positions with the US Military, State and Local Government, Academia, Corporate Business, and Public Education. I've worked in the school business for the past 29 years. I am a Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) through the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and a Registered School Business Official (RSBO) through the Association of School Business Officials for Maryland and the District of Columbia. I'm also a Registered Texas School Business Administrator (RTSBA) and Certified Texas School Business Official (CTSBO) through the Texas Association of School Business Officials. From July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007, I served as the President of the Association of School Business Officials of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
I graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (1978). I earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Troy University (1991) and my MBA from the University of Houston - Clear Lake (1997). I am also a graduate of the United States Army Command & General Staff College (1988).
I am a published author internationally, nationally, and regionally and I have also presented as a public speaker at regional and national conferences. Upon graduation from Stephen F. Austin, I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U. S. Army Field Artillery. I served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army and United States Army Reserve for 30 years culminating with my assignment as a Lieutenant Colonel with the U. S. Army Command & General Staff College and Acting Battalion Commander of the 10th Bn (CGSC) 6th Bde (PD) 80th Div (IT). As a Boy Scouts of America member, I earned the Eagle Scout Award.
The Fort Bend Independent School District Office of Business Services manages the entire supply chain from beginning to end, ensuring the uninterrupted flow of goods and services needed to operate the district cost-effectively and efficiently. We encourage our schools/offices to purchase products from established contracts while at the same time minimizing the financial risk to the district's annual operating budget and bond program. Business Services adheres to the highest code of conduct and ethical standards. FBISD is Texas’ sixth largest, with more than 80,000 students, and one of the most diverse in the nation. Working and learning cohesively alongside families with more than 100 languages and dialects, the schools work with students, their families, and the community to address each student’s unique needs. FBISD currently has 82 campuses: 11 high schools, 15 middle schools, 51 elementary campuses, and five specialty schools to address students' academic and vocational interests. With more than 13,000 full-time employees and substitutes, the District is the largest employer in Fort Bend County.
Business Services endeavors to provide exceptional customer service while striving for continuous improvement in the business process. Our highest priority is to deliver total customer satisfaction at all times. To that end, we try to develop a pathway to "Yes" that anticipates our customer's needs, Identifies and champions those opportunities that lead to developing and implementing new services and methods to meet or exceed customer requirements and expectations. Over the last 29-plus years, my business initiatives have saved the districts I've worked at over $86 million. I believe every dollar saved is a dollar that is returned to the classroom to educate our children. My vision for my business team is to be the premier K-12 business platform in the nation. Throughout my career, I have strived to offer a fair and equitable bidding environment encouraging minority and small business participation in all contracts. During this time, my procurement teams have issued contracts valued at $1.5 Billion to MWBE vendors. In November 2017, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner named my HISD Procurement Services Team Community Partner of the Year for their work with the city's Mentor Protégée Program.
2012 - 2025 fourteen-time Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO) Award of Merit for Purchasing Operations Recipient at three different districts
2005 - 2024 twenty-time National Procurement Institute Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award Winner in four different districts
2009-2023 Five-time NIGP Accredited Quality Public Procurement Department Recipient at three different districts
Specialties: Procurement Process & Procedures, eProcurement, Contracting, Leadership Training, Professional Development