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Hello Chapter Members,

 

September Membership Meeting. Please join us on Friday, September 19, 2025, for our Chapter Membership Meeting to vote in the 2026-2027 Slate of Officers, and our Fall Workshop (9:00 AM to 3:00 PM). Joshua Higgins and Renee Lindler with NIGP Business Council member United Rentals present in the morning Beyond the Bid - The Hidden Value of Your Suppliers and Rent vs. Buy - A Review of Total Cost of Equipment Ownership and Ted Phillips with Osceola County presents Federal Compliance sessions in the afternoon. Price is $20 for four (4) contact hours.  The Chapter Membership Meeting is at 9:00 AM and the Fall Workshop begins at 10:00 AM with Lunch at 12:00 PM. Register at July 11, 2025 Membership Meeting and Presentation - Events - Central Florida Chapter of NIGP.

 

🎉 2025 Young Professionals (Under 40) Fall Workshop Raffle 🎉

Win FREE IN-PERSON attendance to our September 19, 2025 Membership Meeting & Fall Workshop — valued at $20 and offering 4 contact hours!

• Date & Time: September 19, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Location: Renaissance Senior Center, 3800 S. Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, FL 32829
• Eligibility:
  1. Under age 40 as of September 19, 2025
  2. Full Chapter Member
  3. Manager approval required to confirm attendance
  4. Only 20 spots available—raffle winners earn their free seats!
  5. Agency-wide allocations based on overall participation

Note: This opportunity is In-Person only. Virtual attendance is not available.

How to Enter: Complete our quick survey by August 29, 2025 for a chance to win!

 

Register on our website Home - Central Florida Chapter of NIGP! You will need to log in to your account, go to Member Resources, and select Surveys. The survey closes on Friday. August 29, 2025.  NOTE: This is the last day to register for the survey.

 

2025 NIGP Chapter Awards.

 

I am ecstatic to inform you that the Central Florida Chapter of NIGP was presented with multiple awards and certificates at the 2025 NIGP FORUM in Denver, CO.

• The coveted 2025 Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award for Membership for our Committee Bootcamp. This is the 3^rd year in a row the Chapter has won an Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award!
• The highest Performance Standard Seal offered by NIGP, the Platinum Seal Award. We are one (1) of twelve(12) Chapters that have achieved this level of standard! This is the 6^th year in a row the Chapter has earned the Platinum Seal Award!
• A Certificate of Achievement for Highest Percentage of NIGP Members Award. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of our Chapter members also hold a NIGP (national) membership.

I am honored to serve as the Chapter's President alongside Vice President Luis Aviles, Treasurer Sean Hynes, Secretary Nick Canjar, and Presidential Advisor Damaris Nazario! Thank you to our fantastic leadership team and Chapter members for your dedication and commitment to our procurement profession!

 

NIGP FORUM July 27 - 30, 2025 in Denver, CO (In-Person and Virtual). Did you attend FORUM?  Would you like to share photos, thoughts,an article about your adventures in the Newsletter?  Please contact Nick Canjar at secretary@cfcnigp.org by August 22^nd.

 

Reverse Trade Show. Join us on Friday, November 7, 2025 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Orlando at SeaWorld!!! 

• Event Registration: Registrations for vendors, agencies, and the room raffle survey are located at Home - Central Florida Chapter of NIGP on the home page.
• Rooms: Scholarship points can be used for hotel rooms the day before and night of the event!  A room raffle is on our website for Chapter Full Members that are registered for RTS full day and live 25 miles from the hotel location. The survey closes on August 31, 2025.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Contact me if you would like to volunteer for RTS! There are virtual opportunities before the event and in-person opportunities on the day of the event.
• Marketing Materials: Sample emails, a flyer, and QR codes have been sent out to the membership. Please use them to market for your vendors to attend.

By-Laws Update. We voted at our May Membership Meeting on Friday, May 23^rd, 2025 to update our By-Laws.  The updates reflect a reorganization of the Board of Directors with three (3) new board positions.  They are as follows:

 

Member Council Chair (NEW)	Membership Representation	Focused on member satisfaction, provides representation to the membership, and oversees the Welcome Committee, Needs Analysis Task Force, Focus Groups, Marketing, and Mentoring.
Talent Council Chair (NEW)	Recruitment and Retention	Human Resources branch for volunteer recruitment, nominating, volunteer evaluation, position advertisements, and student initiatives.
Fundraising Council Chair (NEW)	Fundraising Event Management	Oversees the Reverse Trade Show, identifies new fundraising opportunities, and manages RTS committees, fundraising efforts, and community service.

 

If you are interested in the new Board positions available for the 2026-2027 term, please contact Kristine Rodriguez at kristine.rodriguez@osceolaschools.net.

 

Pro-D Opportunities Scholarships. Our next round of award winners will be announced in September 2025.

 

University of West Florida and Florida APEX Accelerator Reverse Trade Show.

• The University of West Florida, Florida SBDC Network State Office, in conjunction with the Small Business Success Summit, the Florida APEX Accelerator, would love your participation at a Reverse Trade Show. Their Reverse Trade Show is on Monday, August 18, 2025, 9 AM – 12 PM, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa, FL 33607. The number of attendees is approximately 150-200.
• If you are interested, contact Jessica Tenney, Program Manager at Phone: 850.361.3843 or Email: jtenney@uwf.edu to reserve a table for you and advertise your participation at the event.
• Benefits are getting in front of 150+ new small businesses and ongoing collaboration with our organization to help agencies increase visibility to their opportunities and encourage Florida businesses to bid that will ultimately help with our local economy. Last year we were sold out. Plus, several individuals from our APEX and SBDC network will be attending so they will get to connect with them too. 

Engagement. I want to encourage members to evaluate talents and strengths and identify if there are any committees or task forces opportunities that you would be willing to volunteer for in 2025.  Committee chair, member, and RTS positions are available.  We have a lot of work to do as a chapter this year and we can benefit from having active volunteers.  Please do not hesitate to contact me or one of the other board members with any questions you might have. Let’s make this year a fantastic year for your Chapter! 

 

Thank you!

Tabatha Freedman, MBA, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, CPPB

2024-2025 President

president@cfcnigp.org