Advisory Board Member
Paul Howard
Corporate Procurement Agent - Aquila
Aquila is a domestic energy and services company based in Kansas City Missouri. Since being formed in 1985 from Missouri Public Services Company, Aquila has grown through regulated and non-regulated energy acquisitions and investments and at December 31, 2000, annual sales of 34 Billion. The Company serves about 2 million customers in seven domestic states. This includes Aquila�s regulated utilities that provide electricity and natural gas to 1.3 million customers in Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska.
As Corporate Procurement Agent of Aquila United, Howard provides the company�s strategic vision and direction for procurement as well as guides the day-to-day operations. Howard brings years of procurement experience from both the public sector as Commissioner of Purchasing, City of Kansas City, private sector with Kansas City Power and Light and currently holds the position of Director of Corporate Procurement at Aquila. Procurement Services is responsible for 70% of the total Corporate spend for goods and services mostly with corporate leveraged agreements.
Howard currently chairs the KCMSC Purchasing Advisory Committee which works at providing strategic business solutions for area MBE/WBE business operations. Additionally Howard serves as a board member on Omaha Nebraska and Wichita Kansas Minority Supplier Councils as well as his board seat with New House a shelter for abused women and children in Kansas City. He has been recruited by Institute of Supply Management as a Subject Matter Expert, on services spend, to construct and re-write the test and study guides for the exam to achieve the Certified Purchasing Manager distinction.