From Bridges to Buildings, Technology to Trash Cans

Concrete for construction. Diesel for bulldozers. Grit for icy streets. Water pipes, cable, data servers, engineering, design. Walkie-talkies, bulldozers, trucks, trailers, and trash cans. Every year, the City purchases thousands of goods and services through its procurement system so that firefighters have ladders to climb and road crews have asphalt to fill in pot holes.

Chief Procurement Officer Sylvester Donelson, Jr. oversees the system for buying billions of dollars' worth of items and activities - a staggering figure with huge economic and social implications. And because March is National Procurement Month (surely you knew this already), we decided to catch up with Donelson to find out more.

What is procurement, in 50 words or less? Procurement is the acquisition of goods and services to meet the organization's mission, in a way that is aligned with its policies and values. Those could be goals like sustainability, or social justice, or economic development.

How much money does the City spend on procurement every year? Two. Billion. Dollars. That is a significant force in the local economy.

In the past, the City took some heat from local businesspeople who said the system is too complicated for them to compete for contracts. How are we doing on that? We're making progress, but it takes time. We've heard clearly from local businesses that our processes can be complex, and we're working to simplify them and provide more support. In the past, we also worked on creating opportunities for contractors from historically underrepresented communities. Today, we're more focused on making it easier for small and local businesses to navigate the system and compete for City contracts. We're making progress, but it takes time - particularly since President Trump's executive order on federal grants, and the way it has been interpreted by the federal courts. Before then, we were trying to create opportunities for contractors from marginalized communities. Now it's more focused on engaging with the community and reaching out to small businesses.

Let's say I ran a small business here in town. How would I get started? First thing I would say is to engage with the city as early and often as possible. Get registered in our system. Even if you don't win a bid, you might be able to become a subcontractor. Visibility is key. The more we see you, and the more you see us, the more likely you will become a supplier for the City. I like connecting people together, and that's vital in procurement because it's all about solving problems and creating opportunities.

I understand why vendors want to do business with the City. But why does the City care how many vendors we have or who they are? Well, basic economics tells you the more vendors you have, the more competitive the bids are. So that brings the price point down for the City. But we can use those public dollars to invest in our own economic development. Those public dollars are vital in creating opportunities for local businesses to grow, thrive, and succeed. And they support workforce expansion as well.

How did you get into this line of work? One of my first jobs was working for the Mendocino Ice Cream Company in Oakland, California. I literally made the ice cream. And I also helped the owner with handling the stock and inventory and seeing how the supply chain was all connected together. That stuck with me. Years later I worked for the California State University system as an IT manager. And I had an opportunity to work in procurement. And I realized that it's a wide-ranging discipline with the capacity to make positive change for the community. Procurement is a huge utility to an organization, but it's like oxygen - you need it, but you never think about it.

What's your favorite thing about Portland? I could say the food and drink, but that would be too cliché. I would say the passion of the community. I love the passion, and I'm here to serve the community with all my energy.

Learn more about doing business with the City of Portland

Learn more about Sylvester Donelson, Jr.