The East Tennessee Purchasing Association (ETPA) elected its officers for 2019 during the 10th Annual Fall Professional Development Conference in Pigeon Forge.

The new ETPA president is Karen Smitherman, CPPB, PMP, the manager of construction and energy contracts for Knox County. Smitherman has served the county for 12 years with six of those years in procurement. An active member of ETPA since 2006, she has held multiple leadership roles in the organization.

Jay Garrison, CPPB, will serve as vice president. He is the procurement coordinator for Knox County Procurement and will mark his 13th year with the county in December. Garrison previously served on the board of directors for ETPA from 2009-2011, as well as on other local and state procurement committees.

Kris Davis, the purchasing agent for Sullivan County in Blountville, will serve as ETPA secretary. Davis, who began her professional career in the legal field, started 20 years ago in Sullivan County as a buyer and has risen through the ranks to purchasing agent. She is involved with all aspects of procurement for the county government and county school system. She and her husband, Chris, reside in Kingsport and have three beloved pets, Pedro, CJ and Pooh Bear.

Lynn Farnham, CPPO, CPPB, is the new ETPA treasurer. Farnham has served as Roane County’s purchasing agent for 24 years. Before joining the county, she was the assistant materials manager at Baptist Hospital of Roane County and served in hospital procurement for 12 years. Farnham resides in Harriman with her husband, Bill, and is involved in multiple community organizations, including the Roane County Chamber of Commerce and the Roane Alliance. She was named Volunteer of the Year for The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) in 2018.

Smitherman, Garrison, Davis and Farnham will take office in January 2019.

ETPA, a chapter of The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP), is a non-profit association of persons engaged in governmental purchasing activities in East Tennessee. Organized in 1986, ETPA exists to educate, train, advocate for and provide a voice for public procurement professionals in East Tennessee. ETPA provides a means for the exchange of ideas and experiences among governmental purchasing officials. It promotes and encourages professional competence through continuing education and training of governmental purchasing officials. For more information, visit etpanews.org.