The Public Purchaser. A Message From our President. The Newsletter of the Southeast Texas Association of Public Purchasing

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1 Second Quarter Newsletter 2016 Greetings!!! Well summer is almost over so I hope everyone had an opportunity to take some time off away from the office and spend it with family and friends. SETAPP s first ever vendor show, that was not part of the Lone Star Conference, was an outstanding success. Veronica Douglas did a fantastic job on the venue and with getting vendors. Regina Spencer and Paige McInnis handled all the registration duties. Due to the team efforts of everyone we had over 55 registrants and 33 vendors. Special thanks to the following vendors who where Program Sponsors: Buffalo Specialties, Buyboard, Burgoon, Directron, Office Depot, Premier GPS Tracking, Servicewear Apparel, Uretek and US Communities. At the June quarterly meeting the special election to replace Danita Hill who was our Treasurer was held and the membership voted for Christopher Kaminski to become our newest Executive Board member, congrats Chris! Also, Debbie Carpenter, Education Chairperson, drew the names of the twenty members that will participate in the one day NIGP training thanks to the grant awarded to SETAPP from US Communities. Remember if your name was drawn and you re not able to attend please contact Debbie right away so a replacement can go in your place. A HUGE thankyou to Richard Gay with HISD for hosting and guaranteeing the NIGP training classes this year. Each of the classes have had at least 20 participants. Debbie Carpenter and Richard are working on future dates for more classes so please stay tuned. I look forward to seeing each of you at the October meeting in Missouri City and at any time that you have any suggestions or concerns please reach out to me. Debbie Kaminski 2016 President Debbie.kaminski@fortbendcountytx.gov The Public Purchaser The Newsletter of the Southeast Texas Association of Public Purchasing A Message From our President Facebook - Instagram setapp.nigp

2 The Executive Board of Directors have entered into a contract with Chapter Manager to design a new website for SETAPP. Chapter Manager is used by over half of the NIGP Chapters and has a lot of fantastic tools that we believe will be beneficial to you. The new site will be going live very shortly and you will register for luncheons through the site and pay your dues as well. In addition, each member will create a login and have access to areas such as the member listing. There is also an area for documents and files and photos. We are all very excited and hope you will be too. You will receive an when it goes live.

3 Member Spotlight Shirley Brooks-Johnson Shirley Brooks-Johnson works for the City of Houston in the Public Works and Engineering Division where she is a Senior Buyer, but she has been in public procurement for twenty-eight years. Shirley started working at the young age of thirteen for the Young s TV Repair Shop as a receptionist. She enjoys reading, exercising, traveling and watching the Family Feud TV show. You may not know that Shirley is a licensed minister and has a ministry by the name of Young Ladies Going to the Next Level in Christ. This ministry is for ages She really likes to laugh and two of her favorite comedians are Steve Harvey and Martin Lawrence.

4 Member Spotlight Sheila Smith Sheila Smith is a Procurement Analyst with the City of Missouri City. She has been in public procurement for fifteen years; however, her very first job was selling men s shirts at Foley s. Sheila loves spending time with family, friends and her 4-legged child, Murphy. Not to mention she likes the casinos too! Sheila is very passionate about her job at the City and wants to make sure things are done as they should be.

5 How Group Travel Can Save You Money Submitted by Chris Kaminski Article on MSN Lifestyle Website Traveling solo or with a friend can be fun, but it can also be expensive. A budget-friendly solution to consider before hitting the road is traveling with a group. Affinity group travel, which typically consists of 10 or more like-minded people heading to the same destination, is often cheaper than traveling alone or with just a few people. Using their collective bargaining power, group members can receive discounts on tickets and lodging, plus gain access to advantages such as flexible travel arrangements. Groups can also often get last-minute flight and accommodation deals, whether booking through a travel agency or independently. 1. Save on Flights. Members of a travel group can save on airfare when flying together to a common destination. While some airlines offer special group fares, many provide group members a standard discount, usually between 5 and 10 percent, as long as 10 or more people book the same flight. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, for instance, offer a 5 percent group travel discount on published fares. Southwest Airlines grants one round-trip airfare free of charge for every 30th passenger in a group, plus special discounts off published fares. JetBlue does not guarantee a discount but may offer one for groups of 20 or more. Special rates and discounts vary according to the type of travel group, time of year, and destination, and not every airline offers a deal. 2. Save on Trip Packages. In addition to organizing the group's trip, travel agencies can score discounts and special ticket rates for a larger group. Liberty Travel finds the cheapest airfare for groups in addition to offering payment plans for group travelers, a perk that's not usually extended for travelers who fly by themselves. 3. Save on Road and Rail Travel. Bus and train tickets can also be cheaper for group travelers. Amtrak discounts fares for travel groups of 20 or more, giving those who travel together to the same destination a 10 percent discount on their train tickets. 4. Save on Lodging. Travel groups booking several rooms in the same hotel on the same night can get a generous discount on each room booked. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts offers a discount to groups needing multiple rooms per night, though discounts can change depending on the season and number of rooms booked. Group travelers can also cut lodging costs the old-fashioned way -- by sharing rooms or suites. 5. Other Perks. Many people join a travel group for the money-saving perks but also a host of other reasons, such as safety or companionship. Travel groups help travelers reach and explore a destination without having to worry about logistics or language barriers. The organizers also take care of accommodations and itineraries, allowing travelers to enjoy themselves stress-free. 6. Joining a Travel Group. There are travel groups for almost every interest and type of traveler, including groups for women, students, and different nationalities, many with their own websites. Travelers can also connect through Meetups and online matchmaking services for solo travelers. Many clubs require membership dues, which cover the costs of meetings and other expenses. Some travel groups also require each member to have travel insurance, which can cover emergency medical care and any expenses resulting from lost luggage or a stolen passport. As with all insurance policies, rates for travel insurance vary according to destination, total cost of the trip, trip duration, and the traveler's age.

6 The 2nd Quarter meeting was held at the Houston Community College. The event was a vendor expo, lunch, and round table discussion. We also held the special election to replace our Treasurer so congratulations to Christopher Kaminski who was elected to the position.

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8 Congratulations to our 2016 Manager of the Year Alan Phillips Congratulations to our 2016 Buyer of the Year Veronica Douglas

9 In Memory Wayne Newman Division Manager City of Houston Derrick McClendon Division Manager City of Houston Remember for all meetings that if you re unable to attend you are still responsible for the lunch fee.

10 2016 SETAPP Officers and Chairpersons President Debbie Kaminski, CPPB Fort Bend County Phone: (281) Vice-President Veronica Douglas, CPPB, PSCMC Houston Community College Phone: (713) Secretary Jaime Kovar Harris County Phone: (713) Treasurer Christopher Kaminski Harris County Phone: (713) Immediate Past President Alan Phillips, CPPB, CTPM City of Missouri City Phone: (281) Awards & Scholarship Committee Chairperson: Veronica Douglas, CPPB, PSCMC Houston Community College Phone: (713) Budget/Finance Committee Chairperson: Christopher Kaminski Harris County Phone: (713) Education/Certification Committee Chairperson: Debbie Carpenter University of Houston Clear Lake Phone: (281) Legislative Committee Chairperson: Lucy Felan Texas Department of Transportation Phone: (409) Membership Committee Chairperson: LaTanja Bolden City of Houston Phone: (832) Program & Facilities Committee Chairperson: Regina Spencer, CPPB City of Houston Phone: (832) Public Relations Committee Chairperson: Ashell Waller Houston Community College Phone: (713)