E&I Cooperative Services is proud to present the slate of nominees for the 2025 Board of Directors election. Five open positions will be filled, and the candidates listed below have been carefully selected by this year’s Nominating Committee.
If you have any questions about the Board election, please contact Debra McIntosh, Senior Executive Coordinator to the CEO and Board Secretary, at dmcintosh@eandi.org.
Click the photos below for a bio of each candidate.
Chief Procurement Officer, Texas Tech University
As the Assistant Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for Texas Tech University, Jennifer oversees strategic acquisition, contract administration, payment strategies, vendor services, p-card services, travel services, and business intelligence. She is responsible for the functions of these offices for both Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University System.
Jennifer was a project leader for the Banner and Jaggaer implementations for the university, and she received the Distinguished Service Award from NAEP in 2016.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Personal Financial Planning from Texas Tech University.
AVP Procurement and Payables and CPO, New York University
Gemma Cannings is a dedicated leader in procure-to-pay management with over 20 years of experience in transformation and consultancy. She has a strong background working in the private, public, and higher education sectors across both the United States and Europe. Currently, she serves as the Associate Vice President of Procurement & Payables at New York University (NYU), a role she has held since March 2020. In this position, she leads the transformation of procure-to-pay activities and develops a shared vision for NYU’s procurement and payables function. She is committed to leveraging NYU’s over $1 billion in annual spend to provide long-term value, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.
Before joining NYU, Gemma served as a Manager at Huron Consulting, where she held interim procure-to-pay leadership positions at large higher education institutions and conducted numerous procure-to-pay assessments to identify opportunities for improvements and efficiencies. Her experience also includes implementing and optimizing a wide range of eProcurement and payables software, including Jaggaer, Ariba, and Oracle, giving her firsthand experience with the systems that streamline institutional purchasing.
Gemma’s extensive experience in strategic sourcing and procurement best practices, combined with her deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities within higher education, makes her an ideal candidate to provide strategic oversight to the E&I Board of Directors. She is passionate about leveraging collective purchasing power to create efficiencies, reduce costs, and streamline procurement, aligning perfectly with E&I’s mission to help member institutions save time and maximize their budget.
She holds a BSc in Business Administration from Cardiff University and gained her MBA from NYU Stern. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (MCIPS) and currently sits on their newly formed US Board as they begin their expansion into the US.
Executive Director, Procurement Services, University of Washington
Raymond (Ray) Hsu serves as the Executive Director of Procurement Services at the University of Washington, under the Finance, Planning & Budgeting organization, where he leads a team responsible for managing the institution’s $1.4 billion annual spend on goods and services. His portfolio includes vendor onboarding and management, procurement systems support, strategic sourcing and contracting, payment operations, commercial card program, travel and expense management, training and communications, and tier-one customer service.
Ray is known for his ability to act as a “translator” of procurement and contracting requirements, bridging the gap between institutional needs and operational execution. He strives to be a trusted advisor to UW stakeholders, helping them navigate complex procurement landscapes with clarity and confidence.
Beyond his role at UW, Ray actively contributes to the broader procurement community. He currently serves on the Amazon Business Customer Advisory Board, advises the Chair of the NAEP Board of At-Large Directors, and is a member of the E&I Strategic Sourcing Advisory Board.
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, Ball State University
Loren Malm serves as the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer for Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He oversees and provides strategic leadership for the units and divisions within the Office of Information Technology, and works with the President, Board of Trustees, and the President’s Cabinet to provide leadership for the strategic use of Information Technology across all university units. Loren oversees the overall design and management of budgets and staffing for Information Technology and sets technology strategy for the institution.
In conjunction with his current role, Loren serves as part of several regional and national organizations. He serves on the Internet2 NET+ Advisory Group helping to shape the NET+ program within Internet2. Additionally, he is a member of the Association of College and University Policy Administrators (ACUPA) and a regional member of InfraGard, a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and businesses, academic institutions, state and, local law enforcement agencies. Loren also serves on the steering committee of the EDUCAUSE Licensing Group as well as in a range of capacities for other EDUCAUSE working groups.
Chief Procurement Officer, Johns Hopkins University
Brian Smith is a procurement professional with over 25 years of comprehensive experience in supply chain management across multiple industries including higher education, consumer packaged goods, and procurement technology solutions. Currently serving as the Chief Procurement Officer at Johns Hopkins University, Brian has dedicated over a decade to advancing the university’s procurement and supply chain operations.
Brian’s background also includes senior roles at reputed organizations such as Colgate Palmolive, KraftHeinz, CombineNet (now Jaggaer), and Education Management Corporation. His academic credentials include an MBA and a BA from Brigham Young University.