Cooperatively Speaking

E&I Host: Joe Castelluccio, Director, Business Development
Guests: Naomi Emmons, Deputy Chief Procurement Officer at the University of Kentucky; Rick Gay, Director of Procurement Services at Spring Branch Independent School District; and Taylor Nemeth, Head of Payments at PaymentWorks
With 74% of organizations reporting they were the target of an actual or attempted payments fraud in 2020, the problem is well known -- but not well understood.
In this episode, Joe (in his debut episode!) and our guests discuss the common ways these frauds are successful using real-world examples from higher education and K-12 institutions. You'll learn why the risk inherent to the vendor master is not solved by traditional cybersecurity, common ways in which fraudsters try to trick AP/procurement into changing bank account information, and the processes in place at Spring Branch ISD and UK that thwarted fraudulent attempts.
Helpful Resources:

• E&I's competitively solicited PaymentWorks contract

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.
Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].
This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities and David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Mark Cartwright, Former Director, Supplier Diversity at E&I*

Join us for part two of our discussion on supplier diversity within the education space (check out part one here!). You'll walk away from this episode with practical, tangible tips on how you can establish your program and build on it to make it truly great.

In this episode, we dive deeper into supplier diversity and how it affects your end-users, your procurement staff, and the suppliers with whom you are partnering. We touch on the importance of diversity at its many levels, and why these programs are not only beneficial for all parties, but also not as difficult to implement or improve as you might think.

Relevant Links:

• Minority Business Development Agency: state offices for minority & women business enterprises
• National Minority Supplier Development Council
• Women Business Enterprise National Council
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• National Veteran Owned Business Association
• National Veteran Business Development Council
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Development Centers
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
• E&I’s supplier diversity program

*Please note: Though Mark has moved on from E&I since publishing this episode, we believe the information he shared remains important and relevant for our listeners, which is why it remains published.

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.
Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].
This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Mark Cartwright, Former Director, Supplier Diversity at E&I*
Join us for part one of our two-part discussion on supplier diversity within the education space, particularly for facilities departments, EH&S, and other departments responsible for serving their campus.
In this episode, dive into the history of supplier diversity within the U.S. Find out what's important to schools and universities and how to get the conversation going around supplier diversity. We'll tap into Mark's experience for a look at what works, what doesn't work, and what can be done better to initiate, grow, and sustain a supplier diversity program.
Relevant Links:

• Minority Business Development Agency: state offices for minority & women business enterprises
• National Minority Supplier Development Council
• Women Business Enterprise National Council
• National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
• National Veteran Owned Business Association
• National Veteran Business Development Council
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Small Business Development Centers
• U.S. Small Business Administration: Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
• E&I's supplier diversity program

*Please note: Though Mark has moved on from E&I since publishing this episode, we believe the information he shared remains important and relevant for our listeners, which is why it remains published.

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.
Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].
This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Hosts: Saul Alvarado, Vice President, Construction, Energy & Facilities and David Manz, Category Business Manager, Construction, Energy & Facilities
Guest: Karl Stefan, CIEC, Northeast Regional Manager, Industrial Hygienist, Pure Air Control Services, Inc.
Join us for part two of our discussion on indoor air quality (IAQ) -- and why if it's important, you measure it.
In this episode, Saul and David chat with Karl Stefan from Pure Air about best practices, what people do right and wrong in their facilities, and key contributors to IAQ that you may not be quite aware of.
Relevant Links:

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Indoor Environmental Quality
• Indoor air quality solutions from Pure Air Control Services
• E&I's competitively solicited contract with Pure Air Control Services

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.
Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].
This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.

E&I Host:
Matt Levine, E&I Category Marketing Manager

Guests:
Dr. Todd Simo, Chief Medical Officer and Managing Director of Transportation, HireRight
Alonzo Martinez, Associate General Counsel, HireRight

E&I’s Matt Levine sat down with HireRight’s Dr. Todd Simo, Chief Medical Officer and Managing Director of Transportation, and Alonzo Martinez, Associate General Counsel, to talk all things THC legalization and the hiring process. In this candid conversation, Dr. Simo and Alonzo speak about the differences in THC impairment, the evolving landscape of THC policies, and ways to protect your institutions during these dynamic times. Joint efforts by your HR and legal teams will be essential as you roll into the future.
Relevant Links:
E&I's HireRight Contract
HireRight Website

Cooperatively Speaking is hosted by E&I Cooperative Services, the only member-owned, non-profit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving the needs of education. Visit our website at www.eandi.org/podcast.
Contact Us
Have questions, comments, or ideas for a future episode? We'd love to hear from you! Contact Cooperatively Speaking at [email protected].
This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host(s) or E&I Cooperative Services.