The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (Georgia DOT) Office of Procurement, Operational Procurement Section has been awarded the prestigious 27th Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement® (AEP) for the third consecutive year from the National Procurement Institute (NPI). The AEP award is earned by public and non-profit agencies that demonstrate a commitment to procurement excellence. This annual program recognizes procurement organizations that embrace innovation, professionalism, productivity, leadership and e-Procurement.

“We are honored to be one of only five state agencies in the United States and Canada to receive the 2022 AEP award,” said Georgia DOT's Assistant Chief Procurement Officer Mary Zirock, CPPB, GCPM, GCPCA. “It is truly and honor to be recognized with this award for four out of the last five years and to join the ranks of our professional peers as we continue to drive change and remain leaders within the procurement profession in the state of Georgia.”

The AEP program encourages the development of excellence as well as continued organizational improvement to earn the award annually. For 2022, there were 171 successful applicants including 73 cities, 36 counties, 15 special districts, 17 school districts, 14 higher education agencies, 5 state or provincial agencies and 11 others across the United States and Canada. 

In addition to the NPI, the AEP is sponsored by the California Association of Public Procurement Officials (CAPPO), Canadian Public Procurement Council / Conseil canadien des marchés publics (CPPC), Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials (FAPPO), National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP), National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO), NIGP: The Institute for Public Procurement and Texas Public Purchasing Association (TxPPA). The AEP is supported by the Airport Purchasing Group (APG), OMINA Partners, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC).