Fayetteville purchasing employees awarded state’s first NIGP designation

Joanna Main and Andrea Foren / Courtesy photo

Two employees with the city’s purchasing department are among the state’s first to be awarded a designation by the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP).

Purchasing Manager Andrea Foren and Purchasing Technician Joanna Main were honored with the NIGP Certified Procurement Professional (NIGP-CPP) designation. Only four public procurement professionals in Arkansas have attained the designation.

The NIGP-CPP is a competency-based modular exam that targets mid- to executive-level leaders. Since August 2020, when the first NIGP-CPP exams were administered, 551 procurement leaders across 38 states and five Canadian provinces have earned the NIGP-CPP designation.

Foren and Main each hold a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) designation, and Foren holds a Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) designation.

“I am very proud of this academic achievement by Andrea and Joanna,” said Paul Becker, the city’s chief financial officer. “They have not only done a fantastic job processing bids and purchase orders during their normal course of business, but have continued to expand their knowledge of purchasing best practices and legal requirements, as evidenced by this award.”