How To Do Business with Maricopa County

Virtual Vendor University
How to do Business with Maricopa County

Hosted by: WBEC-West

Date
Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Time
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Arizona Time)

Place
Virtual on ZOOM (link provided upon registration)

Cost
Free

Who this is for
Any WBO (Women Business Owner) interested in doing business with Maricopa County. Open to WBOs nationwide – Arizona location not required. Additional resources available for Maricopa County businesses.

Event Description

Did you know Maricopa County buys almost $750 million in goods, services, and construction? Join WBEC-West and the Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services for a virtual introduction to doing business with Maricopa County.

What you’ll learn:

• What the county buys
• How to register as a vendor
• How to find and submit a bid
• What to do once you have a contract
• How the county supports small & local businesses

Who should attend:

• Small businesses, contractors, and service providers
• Procurement and business development professionals
• Companies new to government contracting

Call to action: Reserve your spot today — space is limited

Event Agenda & Format:

• Welcome & introductions (5 min)
• Key presentation: vendor registration, bid search, response strategies (35–40 min)
• Live Q&A (10–15 min)
• Closing remarks & next steps. 

Event Participants / Speakers

Kevin Tyne – Director, Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services. Former Chief of Staff to Governor Jan Brewer. Award winning leader in public procurement.

Kevin Tyne has been the Director of the Maricopa County Office of Procurement since 2016.

Over that time, Kevin has led the agency to many successes including:

- Improved department productivity (OPS is doing more now w/ less staff).

- Expansion of the agency outreach and training efforts (direct interaction to our customers out in the community).

- Added efficiencies to reduce costs and improve services (solicitations are all handled via e-procurement system).

The result:

By 2025, OPS is now more transparent and accessible. The agency recently received several awards including the Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award from the National Procurement Institute which recognizes organizational excellence to public and non-profit procurement agencies.

Prior to leading Procurement Services, Kevin previously served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Jan Brewer, Chief of Staff to former Supervisor Andy Kunasek and Supervisor Max Wilson. He was Director of the State Department of Weights and Measures for 5 years, and prior to that Kevin served on Capitol Hill for Senator Bob Dole (KS) and Congresswoman Susan Molinari (NY).

Lisa Bernhardt – Procurement Administrator of the Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services  25+ years of finance & procurement experience; leads outreach to small businesses.

With over 25 years of private and public sector finance and procurement management experience Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge about procurement requirements, county processes and industry trends and best practices. Lisa has been certified by the National Institute of Government Purchasing and the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council. Lisa is the County`s E-Procurement platform system administrator and has been providing outreach and education to small businesses and county departments in order to spread the word that the county is OPEN FOR BUSINESS. 

Ryan Dixon – Small Business Advocate, Maricopa County. Leads the Small & Local Business Advocacy Program, helping small businesses win county contracts.

Ryan Dixon is the Small Business Advocate for Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services. Ryan leads the Maricopa County Small and Local Business Advocacy Program, helping small and local businesses win county business, and educating county departments on their impactful procurement options. In her time with the county, Ryan has overseen a sharp increase in program participation, represented OPS across the country, and advocated for small business opportunities in local government procurement. Ryan`s professional experience prior to OPS, included leading partnerships and media appearances for an Arizona business association. She proudly claims a career history wholly dedicated to serving and uplifting the Arizona small business community.  

Contact Details

Contact: For questions about this event or registration, please reach out to [email protected].