The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) proudly partnered with the District of Columbia Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) to deliver an engaging and educational experience for sophomores, juniors, and seniors at H.D. Woodson High School in Washington, DC. Held on November 14, 2024, the event aligns with NASPO’s mission to elevate the public procurement profession and build talent pipelines that will shape the future of procurement leadership. This event was made possible in part through NASPO’s sponsorship of Ramsey Solution’s Foundations in Personal Finance course, with H.D. Woodson School chosen as a sponsored school.

“We were thrilled to facilitate this incredible opportunity for DC students to discover how procurement drives government operations and public service goals,” said Brandi Ann Willard, NASPO Director of Partnerships. “DC’s commitment to outreach and workforce development sets a powerful example of how public agencies can engage and inspire the next generation of procurement leaders.”

The visit featured an insightful presentation by Courtney Lattimore, Chief Learning Officer with the DC OCP, who highlighted the critical role procurement plays in government. Students learned about key concepts such as budgeting, cost analysis, and risk management and how they relate to financial literacy and public procurement.

“The event went great! It was an exciting milestone in our outreach efforts to DC students,” said Lattimore. “The students were engaged and actively participated in a group activity focused on the requirement development phase of the procurement process. With over 60 students in attendance, many expressed an interest in internships or visiting our office, which is incredibly promising. I look forward to exploring these possibilities for them.”

NASPO and the DC OCP thank H.D. Woodson High School and teacher Latara Thompson-Meyers for hosting and helping coordinate this successful event.

NASPO encourages its members to collaborate with local high schools to introduce students to careers in public procurement and help make procurement a career of choice for the next generation entering the workforce. NASPO is also hosting a State Procurement Job Shadow Challenge among member states, where the state that engages the most students will earn the opportunity to send a high school student to the 2025 NASPO REACH conference to further explore and learn about the procurement profession. States can contact NASPO’s Partnerships Team for support in creating and facilitating these opportunities.

About NASPO: The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) is a non-profit association dedicated to advancing public procurement through leadership, excellence, and integrity. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization that helps its members achieve success as public procurement leaders through the promotion of best practices, education, professional development, research, and innovative procurement strategies. To learn more, please visit www.naspo.org. 

About OCP: The Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) was established by DC law in 1997 and provides contracting services for 79 agencies and offices of the Government of the District of Columbia. The mission of OCP is to partner with vendors and District agencies to purchase quality goods and services in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost, while ensuring that all purchasing actions are conducted fairly and impartially. In Fiscal Year 2025, OCP estimates it will manage the purchase of $6.1 billion in goods, services, and construction. Learn more about OCP at www.ocp.dc.gov.

Media Contacts:
Kate Davila
Director of Marketing and Communications
National Association of State Procurement Officials
kdavila@naspo.org

Cody Leihgeber-Carpenter
Communications Director
Government of the District of Columbia
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Cody.Leihgeber-Carpenter@dc.gov