Montgomery County Office of Procurement Wins Achievement in Excellence Award from NPI and Four NACo Awards

Per Montgomery County:
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 26, 2022
The successful operations of Montgomery County’s Office of Procurement recently earned the department the “Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award” from the National Procurement Institute. Earlier this year, the department won four National Association of Counties (NACo) Awards for developing innovative and effective solutions.

The award from the National Procurement Institute is the ninth received by the Office of Procurement. The prestigious annual award is presented to organizations that demonstrate excellence based on criteria designed to measure innovation, professionalism, productivity, e-procurement and leadership attributes of the procurement organization.

The Office of Procurement has received 11 NACo awards in the last 10 years. In the past two years, Procurement received eight NACo awards.

The NACo Awards received this year were earned for “Vendor Process Improvements in Purchasing” and “Defining the Scope” projects that included tools such as how-to videos, eBidding and helping businesses put forth the best possible response to County contracting opportunities.

“I am so proud of our many accomplishments and wins this year,” said Procurement Director Ash Shetty. “In May, we celebrated winning four NACo awards showcasing our relentless pursuit of efficiency and transparency in government.  The Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award is external validation that the Montgomery County Office of Procurement conducts its affairs with the highest levels of rigor and process discipline. The Office of Procurement is proud to receive this award yet again on behalf of its talented and hardworking procurement professionals committed to public service.”

The “PRO Launch” project created a web-based data application program to track and process contracting actions for internal and external customers.

The Vendor Innovation Portal was developed in partnership with the County’s Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Solutions (TEBS). The web-based tool allows businesses to introduce their innovative and potential cost and/or time saving solutions to Montgomery County.

The initiatives help increase transparency of the department and allow the vendor community to increase interaction with County departments and the business community in Montgomery County.

“The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce was quick to notice the new energy and fresh ideas that Ash Shetty brought to the table and he was awarded our Public Sector Partner of the Year award in 2021,” said Gigi Godwin, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. “It is good to see his continued success at the Montgomery County Office of Procurement.”

Learn more about the Office of Procurement: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pro.