NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement to Present Award at NIGP Forum

Melville, N.Y. – Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., is pleased to congratulate our own Lourdes Coss, Business Development Executive, Strategic Accounts, for receiving the 2018 Integrity Award from NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement. This prestigious award will be presented August 22 at a special luncheon during the 2018 NIGP Forum, held this year in Nashville, TN, August 19-22.

"I am humbled and honored to learn that I would receive this award," stated Ms. Coss, "and excited to also be participating in the Women in Procurement: Songs of Strife and Success panel discussion at the 2018 NIGP Forum." Panel moderator Marcheta Gillespie, owner of MG Procurement in Tucson, AZ, stated the goals of the session as "bringing awareness amongst our peers of issues and opportunities facing women today, aligning with the #PressforProgress Movement, and providing positive role models to other women by offering mentorship, information, and the benefit of our collective experience." The panel will discuss building a network, sharing successes, and taking advantage of support systems to increase opportunities in procurement. "I'm delighted to have Lourdes as part of this panel and am so pleased to see the formal recognition of her character," added Ms. Gillespie.

"I commend Lourdes Coss on this crowning achievement of an illustrious career in public procurement," said Paul Murphy, VP Major Accounts and Vertical Markets. "Ethics and Service are two integral components of Canon Solutions America's public procurement values, and so we are thrilled that the NIGP Board is recognizing Ms. Coss in this way, and pleased to have her participating in the NIGP Forum and Women in Procurement panel discussion."

As further evidence of her commitment to the advancement of public procurement, Ms. Coss is on the board of The Global Council for the Advancement of Women in Procurement (@GCAWP). This group provides an information exchange, a discussion forum, and a voice for all women involved in the professions of procurement, sourcing, and supply chain. The objectives of the organization are to provide insights, counsel, and awareness for the purpose of improving career opportunities and eliminating gender unfairness and mistreatment in the profession.

Ms. Coss describes GCAWP's purpose as, "the sharing of articles and information, fostering mentorship opportunities, and providing a discussion forum for the open exchange of ideas. A future goal is to seek sponsorship for different organizations in order to further the mission of helping women's growth and development in the procurement field." The group is open to anyone (regardless of gender) who is interested in the objectives and the profession.