Pre-Requisite: Fundamentals of Purchasing, ISM Online (Requires separate registration)

Member $545 (Non-member $695) • Online registrations will receive a $50 discount. Register via the Public Power Academy.

Questions? Contact the Education & Training Department at 423.648.2464.

Business Ethics for the Purchasing Professional
Purchasing professionals procure goods and services from many sources for their utility. Their strategies, methods and decisions have a major effect on their company’s business, reputation and bottom line. Ethical standards and conduct are a critical component of the purchasing process. Dr. Kimball E. Bullington, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Middle Tennessee State University, will discuss the importance of ethics as it relates to those in purchasing.
(Download Presentation)

TVPPA Vehicle Incentive Program, Transformer Buying Group,
TVPPA Purchasing Certificate, Valley Supply Chain Committee
John Cooke, top left, TVPPA’s Chief Financial Officer, will update attendees about the fleet discount program available to TVPPA members. He will also address the latest developments with the Transformer Buying Group. Danette Scudder, top right, TVPPA’s Training Administration Manager, will provide a status update on the Utility Purchasing Professional (UPP) certificate program, and will ask for feedback from conference participants on the effectiveness of the current curriculum and delivery format. (Download Presentation)

Smart Grid Overview
What can improve customer service, reduce operational costs, and empower consumer participation? Smart Grid can. Mike Ingram, P.E., Senior Manager of Demand Response at TVA, is responsible for establishing TVA’s policy to support Valley-wide smart grid implementation. He will address the unprecedented opportunities coming from the intersection of two core building blocks of our economy – utilities and communications. (Download Presentation)

Emergency Planning for Purchasing
Steven L. Gwin, P.E., Manager of Engineering, Warren RECC, will share experiences and lessons learned from the Ice Storm of 2009. A significant portion of Warren RECC’s northern territory was devastated by the worst ice storm to hit Kentucky in 100 years. Listening to his experiences will provide insights, ideas, and solutions to take back that will enable you to be better prepared for your next emergency. (Download Presentation)

Vendor Perspective from
Former Utility Employees (panel)
Utility personnel turned supplier representatives will share information that will assist you in short- and long-term efforts, including lessons learned, planning, communication, emergencies, commodities, agreements and relationships. Panelists include Jeff Nelson, top left, United Utility Supply Cooperative/DECO Supply, Robby Kelley, top right, HD Supply, Van Bonin, bottom left, Stuart C. Irby Company, and Joel Wright, bottom right, UtiliCor. (Download Presentation)

The Basics of Contract Bonding
for Purchasing Agents
What are the types of bonds and how do I qualify for them? What are the benefits of bonding? How does bonding help agents qualify vendors and contractors? Deborah Lipscomb, top left, Progressive Bonding Solutions, Victor W. Alexander, Sr., top right, Alexander and Associates Inc., and Louis N. Farringer, Jr., bottom, BB&T Cooper, Love, Jackson, Thornton & Harwell, have more than 75 years of insurance and risk management experience among them. They will address these questions and others that may arise about bonding issues. (Download Presentation)

Results & Findings from Pre-Conference
Purchasing Survey
What you do with supply chain management, procurement, and purchasing at your utility is very important to the utility’s bottom line. Prior to the conference TVPPA will E-mail a survey asking about various aspects of the purchasing processes at your utility. The results of this survey will be discussed during separate sessions for municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.

Download Municipal Results as an Excel file here.

Download Cooperative Results as an Excel file here.

Click here for a link directly to the online survey.

Achieving Peak Performance by Inventory Management
Effective inventory management is essential to the successful operation of any concern, and can mean millions to the bottom line. Mike Babineaux, President/CEO, Babineaux Educational Services and Training, Inc., will review the basic concepts of inventory management and systems; examine A, B, C and cycle-counting as inventory control methods; describe how to categorize inventory values and performance indicators, and provide tips you can use to determine the best inventory management system for your utility.
(Download Presentation)

Commodities Update: Cost, Availability, Future
Executives from two utility vendors will share the latest information on costs of raw materials used in manufacturing commodities purchased by utilities. They’ll review how supply and demand impacts availability and the cost of components, as well as how these and other factors help suppliers gauge trends so that customers receive materials they need, when they need them. Panelists are Eddie Moak, left, Vice President for Utility Sales with Stuart C. Irby Company, and Rick Morrison, right, President of UtiliCor. (Download Eddie's Presentation) (Download Rick's Presentation)

Being A Survivor In Tomorrow's Workplace
How do you plan for tomorrow when you’re overwhelmed by the demands of today? How do you carve out a leadership niche within your organization? Veteran businessman and humorist Fred Landiss, Vice President of F&M Bank, answers these questions and more. As the 12th largest bank chartered in Tennessee, much of F&M’s growth has been attributed to the offbeat but powerful strategies Landiss spearheaded. He will share how to survive and be successful in an unpredictable and hectic workplace.