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Through the RMGPA Scholarship Program I was able to attend this year’s NIGP Forum in downtown 
Denver. It was my second Forum, having attended in Seattle in 2012. If you haven’t been to Forum 
there are many opportunities afforded attendees: training presentations, networking, and social interaction
 to name a few. I attended the Legal Learning Path, one of a few paths where you can go into a topic in
 depth over several days and earn a completion badge. The others were Negotiations, 
Contract Management, and Construction. All sessions were recorded for later viewing (up to 60 days) 
if there were ones where you had to choose between two of interest. 

Procurement professionals from all over attend Forum. I met a group of ladies from the Northern Mariana Islands
 who traveled an entire day to get to Denver with stopovers in Guam, Japan, and Los Angeles. They were new to 
NIGP and eager to learn all about different state procurement codes and practices. We had several keynote speakers 
to inspire us and many session tracks depending upon your interest. One of the more unique sessions presented 
cooperative purchasing in the guise of a television cooking show! And, although we did not win, RMGPA
 was a finalist for the Outstanding Chapter Award for Professional Development in addition to qualifying as a Gold Seal Chapter. 

Attending Forum made me realize that, in my almost 20 years in public procurement, I have gained a lot of knowledge that would be useful to pass on to newer practitioners. 
I was inspired to develop a Lunch and Learn session on redlining vendor agreements, which I hope to present in the near future. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend 
and benefited from the experience.