2018 Cronin Awards for Procurement

NASPO is excited to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the 2018 Cronin Awards from our member states!  With criteria focusing on innovation, transferability, service improvement, and cost reduction, the Cronin Awards recognize outstanding state procurement initiatives and provide well-deserved appreciation to the state and its procurement personnel who have accomplished projects that have resulted in distinct benefits to their residents. Last year, in its 40^th year, the Cronin Awards saw a record number of submissions and we are encouraging our members to continue the tradition by submitting, even more this year!

Have you ever wondered how the Cronin Award got its name?  NASPO was founded in 1947 at a meeting of state purchasing officials in Chicago, Illinois. The meeting was originally designed to seek ways and means for states to secure property distributed under the Surplus War Property Disposal Act of 1944. While at the meeting, George Cronin, the state Purchasing Agent for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, urged the formation of an ongoing, formal organization of state purchasing officials as an effective vehicle to address specific public procurement issues and provide a network for resolving problems. The other attendees agreed and elected Cronin as president. George Cronin was the first president of NASPO and is the namesake of the NASPO Cronin Club and the annual George Cronin Award for Procurement Excellence. He remained active in NASPO activities after his retirement in 1957. Cronin was known as a trailblazer in the public procurement field and established the ground rules and operative procedures for centralized procurement within the Commonwealth.

Last year NASPO members presented three trailblazing states with a bronze, silver, and gold award for their innovative forethinking in state procurement.  Tennessee was awarded the Bronze Cronin award for their work on Collaborative Value Development, New York was awarded Silver for their Information Technology Manufacturer-Based Umbrella Contracts submissions, and Utah was given the Gold award for their work on ValuePoint Cloud Solutions Procurements.  Click HERE to learn more about NASPO’s George Cronin Awards for Procurement Excellence and the innovative projects NASPO members are working on every day!