GPC 2023 Exhibitor Training Speakers

Deputy Commissioner, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Jim Barnaby serves as the DOAS Deputy Commissioner of State Purchasing. Prior to joining DOAS on December 1, 2021, Mr. Barnaby served as Strategic Sourcing Director for the University System of Georgia before retiring in October 2021 with more than 25 years of service. During his service with the University System of Georgia, Mr. Barnaby worked at Georgia Perimeter College as the Director of Logistical Services where he launched eProcurement and the Georgia First Marketplace. He served in the United States Army for over 20 years and retired as a First Sergeant. As an Army Infantry First Sergeant and Platoon Sergeant, he dedicated most of his time to leading, planning and logistics. Some of the highlights of his military career were serving nine years in Europe, training new recruits as a drill sergeant at Ft. Benning, Georgia and receiving the Bronze Star for actions in Desert Storm. His last duty assignment was at North Georgia College, where he served as a military instructor. After retiring from the Army, Mr. Barnaby remained with North Georgia College and began working in Auxiliary Services. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management, he was hired as the college’s Procurement Officer and the Director of Materials Management. During his time there, he established new procurement processes and launched the new PeopleSoft eProcurement Module. Mr. Barnaby earned his National Certification as a Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and a Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO).

Small Business & Supplier Diversity Manager, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Julian Andrea Bailey leads the Division’s efforts to facilitate communications and engagement with minority-owned, woman-owned, and veteran-owned businesses. Julian joined DOAS in 2013 and has established a strong knowledge base in state procurement operations, policies and systems. She has successfully implemented and managed numerous training programs on navigating the procurement process and systems in the state of Georgia. In addition, Ms. Bailey oversees the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification program. Prior to joining DOAS, she worked with the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Center at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute. Ms. Bailey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Howard University and a Master of Business Administration degree in Management from Troy University. She is a Professional Certified Marketer with the American Marketing Association.

Group Category Manager, Goods, Strategic Sourcing, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Rick is the Group Category Manager for the Goods team in the State Purchasing Division for the State of Georgia. In this role, Rick is responsible for leading a team of procurement professionals charged with sourcing enterprise wide tangible commodities. His team’s statewide contract portfolio includes contracts such as Office Supplies, MRO, Guns and Ammunition, Generic Drugs, Liquid Propane Gas, Diagnostic Instruments, Biological Supplies, Hospital and Medical Supplies, and Police Pursuit Vehicles just to name a few. The Goods team’s statewide contract portfolio is valued at over $340M. Rick earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Valdosta State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Strayer University. Rick has over 30 years of procurement experience. He is a Certified Purchasing Manager (lifetime designee) through the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) as well as a Georgia Certified Purchasing Associate.

Supplier Outreach Specialist, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Lanique Bradley earned her B.S. in Advertising Communications with a concentration in Media Planning and Buying from St. John’s University. She currently serves as the Supplier Outreach Specialist for GA Department of Administrative Services, State Purchasing Division. Supporting suppliers across the state by providing professional development and training opportunities of how to access, submit and secure bids and contracts with the peach state, she is helping to grow the base of suppliers! Lanique also drives development of communications collateral to ensure delivery of relevant communications through various media channels that help expand businesses.

Small Business & Supplier Diversity Specialist, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Crystal joined DOAS in November 2022. She is responsible for assisting with activities relating to the Small Business and Supplier Diversity Initiative, including the minority business enterprise (MBE) certification process, as well as supplier training and outreach efforts. Prior to joining DOAS, Crystal worked for the Georgia Department of Transportation as a DBE Coordinator. With 17 years of experience in customer service, human resources, operations management, and small business development, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role. In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Crystal holds a certification in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix. Presently, she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree with a minor in finance and will graduate in June 2023.

Business Consultant, UGA Small Business Development Center

Supplier Session Speaker

Howard Dent’s work with the UGA SBDC is buoyed by his belief that real success is the success you share. His mission is to use his 25-plus years of experience in banking and finance to help aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow their business and help existing owners take their business to the next level. Prior to working at the UGA SBDC, Howard held positions at various financial institutions, including Credit Suisse, WF Commercial Capital and Wells Fargo Bank, where he and his team were responsible for raising over $3 billion in capital. Howard was founding Principal and President of a mortgage finance company where he oversaw the accounting, finance, marketing and human resources functions. Prior to that, he started a specialty-finance focused business consultancy.

Director of Small Business Outreach, Georgia Department of Economic Development

Supplier Session Speaker

Allen previously served as the Director of Creative Industry Partnerships working with Georgia’s thriving music, film and digital entertainment industries. Prior to his work with GDEcD, Allen was a senior consultant in the private sector, specializing in corporate solutions for many Fortune 500 companies, including IHG and UPS. He also worked in public affairs, leading corporate coalitions devoted to pro-business legislation and initiatives. A member of Governor Brian Kemp’s Transition Committee, Allen has also worked with various elected officials at the state and federal level. Allen’s academic credentials include a Master in Science in International Affairs from Georgia Tech and Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Furman University. He is a proud native of Gainesville, Georgia and resides in Atlanta.

Manager, Contract Management & Marketing, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Dr. Carl A. Hall, Esq. is a native of Memphis, Tennessee. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee at Knoxville, John Marshall Law School and Madison University. He has over twenty five years of professional procurement and contract management experience, in both the pubic and private sectors. Dr. Hall is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and has also served as an adjunct professor at Strayer University for five years. He has served in several positions within the State Purchasing Division. He currently leads the Contract Management team for the Department of Administrative Services, State Purchasing Division.

Contract & Price Analysis Manager, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Travis Horsley is on a mission to utilize data analytics and concepts to improve efficiency in the public sector. He is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a dual-BS in International Affairs & Modern Languages and Public Policy, with a MS in Public Policy from the same alma mater. A Georgian by birth, he enjoys the nexus of technology and humanities. Striving for a customer-centric focus of government services, he supports State Purchasing Division of the Georgia Department of Administrative Services in their auditing and recovery efforts.

Deputy State Purchasing Officer, Strategic Sourcing, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Clarence Ingram serves as the Deputy State Purchasing Officer for the State Purchasing Division. He most recently served as the Group Category Manager within the Strategic Sourcing Unit of State Purchasing, where he was responsible for negotiating and implementing statewide enterprise agreements, spend management, customer and supplier relationship management, cost reduction, and savings maximizing strategies in the areas of Information Technology and Professional Services. Mr. Ingram has been a successful practitioner of strategic sourcing concepts for over 20 years. Prior to joining DOAS, Mr. Ingram held leadership positions with Xerox Corporation, BellSouth Telecommunications, AT&T and Advance Micro Devices. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, and a Master’s from Rochester Institute of Technology and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Statistical Data Analyst, Strategic Sourcing Unit, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Training Speaker

Alex Irby joined the Department of Administrative Services in June 2018. Alex transferred to the Data Team in March 2019 and is responsible for validating the spend data from Statewide Contracts in Georgia. Alex received his bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of West Georgia. Alex earned his Georgia Certified Purchasing Associate (GCPA) certification and is currently pursuing the Georgia Certified Procurement Manager (GCPM) certification.

Director of Specialty Programs, UGA Small Business Development Center

Supplier Training Sessions

Most recently Carolina has led multiple divisions with the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development program, overseeing its Multicultural Business Division, International Trade Center, and the new Treasury program State Small Business Credit Initiative. Prior to joining the UGA SBDC, Carolina worked as director of the WEDA/SBA Metropolitan Atlanta Women’s Business Center and CNN. Carolina holds a bachelor’s in marketing and a Master of Business Administration with concentration in Finance and Accounting from Georgia State University School of Business. Carolina’s areas of expertise include procurement, minority business certifications, mergers and acquisitions, business planning and valuations, corporate financial management, business case analysis, capital formation, allocation, and return analysis.

Director of Audits, State Purchasing Division, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Gerald Schaefer joined DOAS in June 2015. He is responsible for cost recovery audits and administrative fee reviews of statewide contract suppliers and p-card and procurement audits of state entities. Prior to joining DOAS, Gerald worked as a performance auditor in the Georgia Department of Audits, and as an internal auditor for the City of Atlanta and for the Georgia Department of Education. Gerald has over 20 years of auditing experience and holds the following professional certifications: certified public accountant, certified internal auditor, certified fraud examiner, certified information systems auditor, and certified government financial manager. Gerald has also earned the GCPA and the GCPM, which are procurement certifications issued by DOAS. Gerald earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Missouri.

IT Business Analyst II, Information Technology, DOAS

Supplier Training Speaker

Joel Wilcox currently serves as an IT Business Analyst II with the IT Division of the Department of Administrative Services.  Mr. Wilcox supports the Team Georgia Marketplace™ Procurement Card and Supplier modules, and the Georgia Procurement Registry. He has been with DOAS/State of Georgia for a little over 2 years. Previously, he spent 10 years as a Senior Business Analyst in the Financial Industry. Mr. Wilcox was born and raised in Georgia (he's a Grady baby). He considers himself an excellent chef and loves a great movie. Mr. Wilcox is an avid reader and aspiring artist. 

Senior Business Analyst, Information Technology, DOAS

Supplier Session Speaker

Kiaja Williams has over 20 years of experience in application development/support and system analysis. As the Business Analyst Manager for the Team Georgia Marketplace™ enterprise system, she is responsible for the development, implementation and support of the Team Georgia Marketplace™ enterprise suite that includes PeopleSoft Financials Procurement, Supplier Portal, Georgia Procurement Registry, eSource, and Jaggaer. Prior to joining DOAS, Kiaja worked in various roles for IBM Global Financing and IBM Systems and Technology Group. Ms. Williams graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.