TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Public Schools has been awarded the prestigious 25th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® award for 2020 from the National Procurement Institute, Inc.

“This is the 16th consecutive year we have successfully applied for the award,” said Melanie Webster, BCPS purchasing manager. “This award validates the effort that we put forth toward continuous improvement. Every time we learn a new process, set a new goal, or take a new chance, we move ourselves forward.”

“Our school system, the 25th largest in the nation, has an annual operating budget of $1.74 billion,” said Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “The work of our purchasing office, and indeed the work of the entire Department of Fiscal Services, is essential to maximizing our resources and supporting high-quality instruction and services. We are so proud of and thankful for the excellent work they do.”

The AEP Award is earned by public and nonprofit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence through innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership, and e-procurement. For 2020, there were 188 successful applicants, including 40 counties, 69 cities, 15 higher education agencies, 22 school districts, 34 special districts, five state agencies and three others.

In addition to the National Procurement Institute, Inc., the AEP is sponsored by the California Association of Public Procurement Officials, Canadian Public Procurement Council / Conseil canadien des marchés publics, Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials, National Association of Educational Procurement, National Association of State Procurement Officials, NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement, and Texas Public Purchasing Association. The AEP is supported by the Airport Purchasing Group, OMINA Partners, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council.