UVAFinance's Mark Cartwright Elected Vice President of VASCUPP

Congratulations Mark!

UVAFinance's Mark Cartwright has been elected vice president of the Virginia Association of State College and University Purchasing Professionals (VASCUPP), taking on a leadership role focused on collaboration, strategic procurement, and responsible stewardship across Virginia's public higher education institutions.

Established in 1992, VASCUPP brings together 14 Virginia four-year public colleges and universities to identify opportunities for cooperative procurement and cost savings. Members share contracts and procurement practices to help institutions leverage their collective purchasing power while reducing administrative effort.

For Cartwright, the opportunity to serve as vice president is about strengthening that collaboration and ensuring the higher education perspective is represented in conversations that affect procurement across the Commonwealth.

Highlighting the Higher Education Perspective 

One of the opportunities Cartwright is most looking forward to is representing VASCUPP on the Public Body Procurement Workgroup, which brings together representatives from state agencies and organizations including DGS, VITA, VDOT, VASCUPP, the Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity, the Department of Planning & Budget, to study suggested changes to procurement law and assess their practical impact.

“I see [this] as an important opportunity to make sure the higher education perspective is presented early in the legislative process and help policymakers understand the operational, financial, and supplier impacts of proposed changes,” Cartwright says.

The Value of Collaboration

Collaboration is one of VASCUPP's greatest strengths. While Virginia's public colleges and universities vary in size and mission, they often face many of the same procurement challenges.

“When we share expertise, contracts, best practices, and lessons learned, we avoid reinventing the wheel and can deliver better results more efficiently,” Cartwright says.

That collaboration also extends beyond individual campuses. Collectively, VASCUPP's members represent significant purchasing power, creating opportunities to lower costs, improve services, and expand opportunities for Virginia businesses.

Looking Ahead

As VASCUPP looks toward the future, Cartwright anticipates three key opportunities: advocacy, stewardship, and opportunity.

He hopes VASCUPP can play a more proactive role in legislative and policy discussions, bringing practical higher education expertise to the table before decisions are made. He also sees an opportunity for public institutions to demonstrate responsible fiscal stewardship through partnership and sourcing strategy.

“Procurement isn't simply about compliance... it is about competition, collaboration, strategic sourcing, and using taxpayer and tuition dollars responsibly to achieve the best possible outcomes,” Cartwright says.

Finally, Cartwright hopes that VASCUPP can continue creating meaningful opportunities for Virginia's small businesses by helping qualified businesses understand how to compete for opportunities and build relationships with higher-ed institutions.

“If we can advance these three areas: advocacy, stewardship, and opportunity, I think that VASCUPP can have a sustainable impact across the Commonwealth.”