Lourdes (Maria de Lourdes) Coss, MPA, CPPO - is the owner of M. L. Coss and Associates, LLC; the author of "Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques;" a certified John Maxwell Team member and Independent Executive Director, and a highly respected thought leader in the field. 

She helps individuals and organizations elevate their performance and transform their organizations by providing training, consulting, and coaching.

As a transformational leader and former Chief Procurement Officer, Lourdes invested most of her 27-year career successfully leading procurement transformations at some of the US's largest agencies such as the City of Houston, Cook County, University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago. She led teams to achieve high levels of performance that led to multi-million dollars in operational and financial efficiencies.

Credentials: Lourdes graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and received her MPA from Florida State University. She has served on several boards, including the NIGP Board. Lourdes holds various certifications in the procurement and behavioral fields that complement her experience: NIGP-CPP, UPPCC-CPPO, DISC Personality Assessment; Emotional Intelligence EQ i-2.0/EQ 360; Dr. Amen Licensed Brain Trainer; and a Certified Neuroencoding Specialist.

Awards: She is the recipient of the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award and the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award. In 2020, Lourdes was recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and one of the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement.