President's Message

As we enter the final months of the year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the tremendous accomplishments of our chapter and thank each of you for your ongoing engagement, support, and commitment to the public procurement profession. WANIGP continues to thrive because of the dedication of our members, volunteers, and agency partners.

One of our exciting developments this year was the appointment of new co-chairs for our Emerging Professionals Program, effective May 1. Please join me in welcoming Kristin Boone (King County Procurement and Payables) and Melissa Irwin (City of Ridgefield) into these leadership roles. Their enthusiasm and commitment will help continue the growth and success of this important program.

This summer, our annual Mariners Family & Friends Event was another tremendous success, bringing together more than 120 members, family members, and guests for an afternoon of networking and fun. Special thanks to Vivian Nguyen, Social Events Committee Chair and thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this event so memorable.

WANIGP was also well represented at the 2026 NIGP Annual Forum & Exposition in Columbus, Ohio, with nearly 40-chapter members in attendance. Your participation demonstrates our chapter's commitment to continuous learning, professional development, and advancing excellence in public procurement.

Our chapter continues to grow at an impressive pace. During the past 90 days, we welcomed 14 new members and two new member agencies. We are excited to welcome Sno-Isle Libraries and King County Library System to the WANIGP community. Today, our chapter represents more than 470 members across 142 agencies. We continue to receive membership inquiries on a regular basis, and we are incredibly grateful to all of you for spreading the word about the value of WANIGP membership.

In October, we successfully hosted our Fall Conference, and I would like to extend a special thank you to Sound Transit for providing the venue. More than 40 members attended in person and benefited from a variety of timely and relevant presentations. We are especially grateful to our presenters, many of whom are fellow chapter members:

Topics included apprenticeship utilization for awarding agencies, public works, purchasing services, and tariffs. Thank you to each presenter for sharing your expertise and helping strengthen our profession.

Our Lunch & Learn Committee continues to provide valuable educational opportunities throughout the year. If you have missed a session, I encourage you to visit our YouTube channel where recordings are available for viewing. In addition, our final bi-monthly Emerging Professional Roundtable of the year will focus on the Procurement Annual Year-End Cycle. Be sure to register today at 2026 Emerging Professional Program Round Table Session - Events - Washington State Chapter of NIGP.

As we continue to expand opportunities for member engagement, planning for the Area 8 Spring Conference is fully underway. The planning team is hard at work developing an outstanding conference experience focused on professional development, networking, and collaboration across our procurement community. We look forward to sharing additional details in the coming months. The best way to stay informed about conference updates, registration information, and important announcements is to visit 2027 Area 8 Regional Spring Conference - Events - Washington State Chapter of NIGP regularly.

Giving back to our communities remains an important part of who we are as a chapter. To kick off the holiday season, WANIGP will participate in the Food Lifeline Sort & Repack Volunteer Event on November 16 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. I encourage everyone who can participate to join us. Please use the volunteer registration link Sort & Repack - Afternoon (Ages 10+) and sign up today.

As we look ahead, there are several important opportunities for member involvement:

Our final major event of the year is the WANIGP Holiday Party. If you have not already done so, please complete the event survey today. The survey closes on November 9, and the sooner we hear from you, the better we can plan a successful and enjoyable event for everyone.

Finally, please mark your calendars for our 2027 Annual Business Meeting, Honors and Awards Event , scheduled for January 21 at the Bertha Knight Landes Room, City of Seattle. Event Registration is ready click here to sign up today. Meeting agenda is forthcoming.

As your President, I am honored to serve this outstanding chapter. Thank you for your continued involvement, your willingness to share knowledge, and your dedication to advancing public procurement throughout our region. Together, we continue to strengthen our profession, support one another, and create meaningful impact in the communities we serve.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and celebrating another successful year together.

Warm regards,

Ginny Justiniano, NIGP-CPP, CPPB
President, WANIGP