MPPA General Membership Meeting
AI and Ethical Innovation in Public Procurement
Thursday, July 23, 2026
10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting
Join the Maryland Public Purchasing Association for our next General Membership Meeting. The guest presentation will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m., followed by MPPA membership business.
Featured Presentation
AI and Ethical Innovation in Public Procurement
Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities for public procurement professionals to improve efficiency, analyze information, and strengthen contract management. However, the use of AI also raises important ethical, legal, privacy, and accountability considerations.
During this interactive session, Dr. Clement Cherian and Dr. Nelson Rose will provide a practical, human-centered look at how public procurement organizations can responsibly incorporate AI into sourcing, contracting, and decision-making.
Participants will learn how to:
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Understand public procurement principles that should guide the use of AI
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Recognize ethical, legal, privacy, and cybersecurity considerations
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Apply AI governance practices to sourcing, contracts, and procurement decisions
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Identify appropriate uses of AI and areas that require human judgment
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Establish practical safeguards for responsible AI implementation
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Evaluate AI opportunities, concerns, and next steps within their own organizations
Topics Include
Public Procurement Principles
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Competition
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Transparency
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Stewardship
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Accountability
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Public feedback
Common AI Applications
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Generative AI
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Automation
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Data analytics
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Document intelligence
High-Value Procurement Uses
Risks and Legal Considerations
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Bias and inaccurate information
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AI hallucinations
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Privacy and confidential-data leakage
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Cybersecurity
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Automation overreach
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Public-records requirements
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Sensitive information
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Human oversight
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Auditability
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Vendor controls
The presenters will also examine the appropriate roles of AI and procurement professionals during sourcing. AI may help organize and analyze information, but procurement professionals must remain responsible for evaluations, decisions, and the protection of confidential proposal information.
Participants will discuss a real-world scenario involving an employee uploading confidential proposal information into a public AI tool and consider what policies should apply to both agency employees and vendors.
The session will conclude with a SWOT analysis that participants can use to identify AI opportunities, concerns, safeguards, and next steps for their agencies.
Meet the Presenters
Dr. Clement Cherian
Dr. Clement Cherian has 13 years of experience in government procurement. He began his career as an administrative specialist in a government procurement department and used employer-provided educational benefits to earn his Master of Business Administration. After successfully completing promotional examinations, he advanced to Buyer and later Senior Buyer, a position he has held since 2020.
Dr. Cherian continued his education while working and earned his Doctorate in Business Administration in May 2026. He obtained the NIGP Certified Procurement Professional designation in 2022, becoming the first professional in his agency’s procurement department to earn the certification.
He is also a chartered Member of the Institute of Logistics and Transport and a recipient of the 2026 National Cooperative Purchasing Partners Above & Beyond Award.
Dr. Cherian currently serves as an NIGP mentor, an NIGP Next Generation Awards judge, and a volunteer with the Access & Opportunity Committee and Student Outreach Committee. He also serves as a technical advisor to the Waste and Water Management Institute and the American Water Works Association Business and Operations Standards Committee.
Outside of procurement, Dr. Cherian and his wife are the parents of five children, ranging in age from 3 to 13. Their family volunteers with the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol, the Illinois Council of Feed My Starving Children, and their church.
Dr. Nelson Rose
Dr. Nelson Rose is a customer success and organizational strategy leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate technology, transformation, and leadership at scale. He currently leads an enterprise customer success team at UKG.
Dr. Rose holds a Doctorate in Business Administration. His research explored the intersection of leadership, organizational decision-making, and emerging technologies. His work emphasizes a practical and human-centered approach to artificial intelligence that balances innovation with governance, ethics, and sound judgment.
Known professionally as The Leadership Realist, Dr. Rose writes and speaks about leadership, judgment, artificial intelligence, and organizational life. He helps leaders move beyond hype and make thoughtful decisions that create lasting value.
His perspective combines executive experience with academic research, making complex topics accessible to leaders in both the public and private sectors.
Meeting Schedule
10:00 a.m. — Guest Presentation
Immediately following the presentation — MPPA General Membership Business
MPPA members are encouraged to attend, participate in the discussion, and consider how their organizations can responsibly prepare for the growing use of artificial intelligence in public procurement.