President's Message

December 6th, 2024

As my term as president comes to an end, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire Association for their support. I found true enjoyment working with the current and past executive board and appointed board members of the GPANJ. These individuals are all considered my second family.

It was great to collaborate with Rutgers University, Southern and Northern Chapters of the NIGP, and the NJ Association of County Purchasing Officials. As a result, I have made new friends and developed professional relationships. We have achieved milestones, overcome challenges, and built a stronger foundation for the future of our profession.

To the incoming leadership, I extend my best wishes. I am confident you will continue to lead the GPANJ with a vision and purpose. Let us continue to strive for excellence, unity, and progress.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for the wonderful opportunity.

December 26th, 2023

Dear Members,
I am truly humbled and honored to stand before you today, grateful for the trust you have placed in me for a second term as President of this incredible association. It has been an extraordinary journey, one filled with challenges and achievements, and I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity to continue serving all of you.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the executive board and appointed members for the hard work that they have all done over the past year. We have discussed visions and goals for the GPANJ Association and members. I have full confidence that we will continue to work tirelessly to make our goals a reality. Together, we have achieved significant changes to better the government Purchasing profession, but our journey is far from over. As I start in my second term as President, I am filled with a renewed sense of dedication and enthusiasm to lead our association forward.

During my first term, together we laid a strong foundation, but now is the time to build upon it. There has been collaboration and unity as a result of our updated website. The Message Board has played a significant role in this. We will continue to strive to ensure that every member's voice is heard and valued. This will be the root of our progress, as we aim to create a supportive environment that assists each individual within our association.

The focus will be dedicated to education, improvement and growth. We will embrace new ideas, technologies, and approaches that will push us into the future while staying true to our core values. Education and support will continue to be pivotal in our efforts to make a meaningful impact on the professional lives of our members.

Legislative issues lie ahead. I am confident that the GPANJ, Southern and Northern Chapters of the NIGP, NJACPO and Rutgers Center for Government Services, in our collective ability will work to confront these challenges. Together, we will navigate the complexities, celebrate our victories, and learn from our setbacks. With your support, I am optimistic that we will achieve greater success in 2024.

In closing, I am honored to serve as your President for a second term. Let us continue this journey together, by our shared vision, and let us make a positive difference within our association and our Purchasing profession.

Thank you once again for your trust, confidence, and support. Here's to a successful and fulfilling second term!

Wishing you all a Wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Sincerely.

Michele Bado
GPANJ President

June 20th, 2023

Over the course of the past year, Members of the GPANJ Board has participated in meetings with the Southern and Northern Chapters of the NIGP, the NJACPO, and Rutgers University to discuss the future of the Purchasing Profession and how to unite all the Purchasing Associations and Rutgers. The NJ Public Purchasing Forum was formed consisting of representatives from each of these and the GPANJ. One of the goals of the Public Purchasing Forum is to provide a united front on State and Legislative issues which impact Public Purchasing. Unified we will strive to improve local government public purchasing in New Jersey.

Over the past ten years GPANJ has conducted their Annual Education Symposium. Beginning in 2024, the GPANJ will be working collectively with the other Purchasing Associations and Rutgers, to create an annual conference which will bring together the Purchasing Profession in larger numbers, creating more opportunity for learning from one another and benefiting the profession overall. Future conferences will be sponsored by Rutgers, and the Associations will participate and assist in the programming. Each
individual attendee at the conference will participate in outstanding educational sessions and benefit from the professional networking during the conference.

The GPANJ recognizes the importance of education and life-long learning by encouraging others and participating in both continuing education and higher education programs. While the Governmental Purchasing Association will participate in the Rutgers Conference moving forward, it will continue to offer educational and networking opportunities for the Purchasing Professional and intends to administer a full day mini-conference annually. The benefits of membership, including the website, message boards, and reduced membership rates to educational opportunities sponsored by the GPANJ will not change.

Registration for the final GPANJ Educational Symposium to be held September 13-15, 2023 is open; register now and participate in the final GPANJ Symposium. We saved the best for last and hope to see you there!

Thank you for all the hard work you do.

Regards,
Michele Bado
President

January 27rd, 2023

Greetings members of the GPANJ,

Let’s put our best foot forward as we continue in 2023. I am grateful for the opportunity bestowed upon me to serve as your President. I am looking forward to working with a great group of professionals, the GPANJ Board and Members of this wonderful Association.

Before we know it our Annual Symposium will be here. The Symposium Committee has already begun the planning phase and scheduled sessions with valuable content and brilliant speakers. The final program schedule will be posted in the near future. I hope to see both new and familiar faces at the Symposium, September 12-15, 2023 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.

I encourage all members to continue communication through the association’s website, with the use of the Message Board. This tool has and will continue to provide much needed assistance to many of us. GPANJ’s IT and Board support is moving our newly created platform forward using the most current technology.

We are always looking for new ideas to assist the GPANJ on the various committees. Get involved, it is your association!  Please contact me if you are interested in serving on the following volunteer committees; Legislative Committee, By-Laws Committee, or Professional Development Committee. Feel free to discuss any interest that you may have with me at our upcoming member’s meeting that will be held at the Historic Grafton House, Hamilton, NJ on March 16 @ 12 noon.  I hope to see you there.
 
Thank you all for the work that you do!
Regards,
Michele Bado
GPANJ President

December 23, 2022

Dear Members,

As the year winds down, so does my term as president.  I would be remiss if I did not reach out to you all one last time.  It has been my extreme honor and privilege to serve as your president for the past three years.  I have learned so much professionally and personally from this experience and I have each of you to thank for it.  I know that I leave you in the best hands possible, that Michele Bado will be an incredible president, supported by the best Executive Board. 

My wish for each of you is that you stay passionate in what you do, you lean on each other when you need to, and you celebrate life to the fullest.  Always remember today is promised tomorrow is a gift.  May love, laughter and happiness radiate within you for all of your days.

Wishing you all the absolute best Holiday Season Ever and may your New Year be Healthy and Happy!

Fondly,

Lori Siemon

President, GPANJ

September 23, 2022

Dear Members,

As always I hope this message finds you well. I just wanted to reach out to say Thank You to the members that were able to attend the Symposium last week. I truly hope that you enjoyed the sessions, were able to gain some knowledge, and had time to interact with the vendors. If you have any topic ideas or suggestions for the next symposium, please feel free to share with me. To those of you that were unable to attend, please know that you were missed.

In closing, our next membership meeting is Thursday, October 20th. You can register for this meeting on our website. It is also the election of officers for 2023. I hope to see you there!

Stay well, stay safe!!

Sincerely,

Lori Siemon

President, GPANJ

February 25, 2022

Dear Members,

As always I hope this message finds you well. It has been almost two months since the launching of the new website. Slowly but surely we are ironing out the kinks and headed in the right direction. In an effort to build the specification library, if you have any that you would like to share with the membership, please email them to me at president@gpanj.com

We will also be sending out a weekly update to share news and events with you. It is our goal to keep you informed on current matters happening in the government that affect the work you do. Also, time is running out to obtain your CEUs from the 2021 Symposium. If you have not already completed the survey, please do so. Effective March 12, 2022 access to the survey and CEU retrieval will no longer be available.

In closing, our next membership meeting is Thursday, March 10 th . You can register for this meeting on our website. I hope to see you there!

Stay well, stay safe!!

Thank you,

Sincerely,

Lori Siemon

President, GPANJ

January 3, 2022

Dear Members,

Hello and welcome to the new Governmental Purchasing Association of New Jersey (GPANJ) website.  The goal in creating this new website was to not only update the look and feel of the website, but to make it user friendly and more informative.  It is our intention to constantly update the website with news of changes to laws, professional development opportunities, events, meetings and much more.  Please take a moment to navigate the sight and visit often.  Should you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please email me at President@gpanj.com. 

It is my sincerest wish that you enjoy the new website, that 2022 brings you, your families and the entities you serve great health, peace of mind, prosperity and rejuvenation.  May you all start this New Year with hope in your hearts and peace in your mind!
I truly look forward to serving you this year!

Sincerely,

Lori Siemon

President