Keynote Speaker - Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, FNIGP, NIGP-CPP, CPPO
David A Martinez Jr | Published on 9/24/2026
Maria de Lourdes Coss, MPA, FNIGP, NIGP-CPP, CPPO, is a nationally recognized public procurement leader, professional speaker, executive coach, trainer, and author with more than 30 years of experience advancing the procurement profession. A former Chief Procurement Officer, she spent two decades leading successful procurement transformations at some of the nation’s largest public agencies, including the City of Houston, Cook County, the University of Illinois, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and the City of Chicago.
Throughout her career, Lourdes has seen firsthand what it takes to move procurement beyond its traditional transactional role and position it as a strategic contributor to organizational success. Her work has focused not only on improving procurement practices and organizational performance but also on developing leaders, strengthening teams, building stakeholder relationships, and creating the conditions for sustainable transformation.
Today, Lourdes brings practical executive experience together with deep expertise in leadership, emotional intelligence, communication, influence, and human performance. She is a Maxwell Leadership Certified Executive Director, DISC and Emotional Intelligence Consultant, Licensed Brain Trainer, Certified Neuro-encoding Specialist, and Cialdini Certified Practitioner. She also serves as an NIGP instructor and senior consultant with NIGP Consulting, where she continues to contribute to the development of public procurement professionals and organizations.
Lourdes is the author of Procurement Methods: Effective Techniques and Seeds of Transformation, which reflects the breadth of her work at the intersection of procurement, leadership, and organizational transformation. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico and earned a Master of Public Administration from Florida State University. Her professional service has included numerous leadership roles, including service on the NIGP Board
Her contributions to public procurement have earned her the 2016 Spirit of NIGP Award, the 2018 NIGP Integrity Award, the 2024 NIGP Leadership Award, and the 2026 Albert H. Hall Award, NIGP’s highest individual honor. She has also been recognized by Thinkers360 as one of the Top 100 Women Thought Leaders to Follow and among the Top 50 Global Influencers and Thought Leaders in Procurement.
Drawing on decades of leading transformation within public organizations and now developing the leaders who will shape the profession’s future, Lourdes brings a distinctive perspective on how procurement professionals can expand their influence, elevate their leadership, and create greater strategic value for the organizations and communities they serve.