Tampa City Council publicly recognized the city’s purchasing department after the group received the National Procurement Institute’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement award for the nineteenth consecutive year.

Purchasing Director Deanna Faggart introduced her staff and outlined the annual application process, noting the award recognizes continuous improvement, professionalism and best practices in municipal procurement. Faggart singled out staff members (including Michelle Blizzard, who compiles the annual application) and named several members of the purchasing and inventory teams present at the meeting.

Council members and the chief of staff praised the team for performance during recent hurricane response operations when procurement staff worked long shifts to bring supplies into the city for recovery. Chief of Staff John Bennett highlighted the group’s work through hurricane periods, noting staff slept in the operations center while managing procurements.

Why it matters: The award signals consistent adoption of procurement best practices and ongoing internal reforms. Council members said they rely on purchasing staff to manage transparency, vendor compliance and emergency procurement during disasters.

What’s next: Councilmembers thanked the team and asked staff to continue reporting on procurement improvements and transparency measures already underway, including the city’s broader records and document-management efforts.