MIT Sloan Executive Education
Certificate Holder Profile
Michael Thomas
Director of Purchasing
Denver Public Schools, School District #1
USA
Executive Certificate(s):
Technology, Operations, and Value Chain Management
Michael Thomas is currently the Director of Purchasing and Contracting for the Denver Public School District. This agency is the second largest public school district within Colorado, serving 78,000 students in public education, K-12, with 13,000 employees, covering 240 square miles in the city and county of Denver. He oversees the purchasing and contracting department responsible for the acquisition of all goods and services to the public school district, encompassing approximately $450 million in annual expenditures. His department covers a wide range of goods and services, including—information technology, transportation, facilities and construction, warehouse, and support services to 152 schools. Recent accomplishments of the department include completing a ‘Six Sigma Black Belt’ departmental review and improvement. Also, recently his department has been awarded the prestigious award from National Institute of Governmental Purchasing- Outstanding Agency Accreditation Achievement Award- OA4.
Prior to joining Denver Public Schools, Michael served in a number of both public and private entities. He was the purchasing manager for the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado, area manager of network procurement for QWEST/US WEST Communications, and subcontracts manager at Lockheed Martin Corporation.
He holds a MBA, honors, from Regis University, and a B.S. in business finance and marketing from the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado. In addition, he holds two supply chain professional certifications—certified public purchasing officer (CPPO), and certified purchasing manager (C.P.M.) designations. He is a member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing and the Institute of Supply Chain Management.
“I thought the MIT courses were excellent. They exposed me to a number of different firms and entities. I found the classes and presentations very timely, thorough, and engaging. They represent the very best of current thoughts and practices. I feel it is valuable to stay current in your career and engage with professionals at all levels. I felt that I achieved that through my MIT course work. The instructors were top notch.”
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