San Joaquin Delta College
5151 Pacific Ave., Stockton 95207

For Immediate Release
04/04/2016

Maria Bernardino receives
2016 NorCal Purchasing Professional of the Year Award!

Maria Bernardino

(Stockton, CA) Maria Bernardino, Delta College’s Director of Purchasing and Contract Services, is the 2016 Northern California Purchasing Professional of the Year! The awards were presented at the California Community Colleges Purchasing Conference, held March 30 - April 1, in San Diego.

The conference is sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges. Each year, the Foundation recognizes purchasing professionals representing the Southern and Northern Community College Districts. The annual conference also provides a professional development forum for California Community College administrators who oversee procurement.

Bernardino says she is “humbled” to receive the recognition. “I would like to share it with my staff, as they have supported me to be successful. This is an accomplishment for the entire Purchasing Department."

The recognition is based on work that matches the missions of the California Community Colleges. The inaugural award recognizes “professional excellence, leadership, and collaboration in an increasingly important administrative function.” Award recipients are exemplary models of the collaborative spirit that has strengthened purchasing practices across 113 California Community Colleges and 72 districts.

Awards sponsor, the Foundation for California Community Colleges, is the official nonprofit foundation to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office. The Foundation’s charge is to benefit, support, and enhance the missions of the California Community Colleges system, the largest higher education system in the nation. Incorporated in 1998, the Foundation works with community colleges and partner organizations to manage donations, grants, programs, and services that drive excellence in education. As part of the organization’s mission, the Foundation operates the CollegeBuys purchasing program. CollegeBuys is designed to help colleges, faculty, and students save money on education-related software and technology purchases, and high quality office and classroom furniture.

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