E&I Elects New Board Members, Recognizes Member Excellence

Jericho, NY — November 12, 2025 — E&I Cooperative Services (E&I), the only member-owned nonprofit cooperative exclusively focused on education, announced the results of its Board of Directors election and recognized outstanding member achievements during the organization’s annual Stockholders Meeting in Fernandina Beach, Florida.

The Cooperative recognized several long-serving Board members for their leadership and contributions:

• Debra Matlock, retired, University of Illinois System
• Nimish Patel, retired, Rutgers University
• Bill Dillon, retired, National Association of College and University Business Officers

Teller of Ballots Sara Harrison (University of Cincinnati) announced the results of this year’s Board election.

• Gemma Cannings (New York University) – elected for her first term, replacing retiring director Nimish Patel.
• Ray Hsu (University of Washington) – elected for his first term, replacing retiring director Bill Dillon.
• Brian J. Smith (Johns Hopkins University) – elected for his first term, replacing retiring director Deborah Matlock.
• Jennifer Adling (Texas Tech University) – re-elected for her third term.
• Loren Malm (Ball State University) – re-elected for his second term.

E&I also announced the winners of its annual Member Awards, recognizing excellence in cooperative purchasing and engagement:

• David H. Lord Cooperative Purchasing Award: Wanda Hernandez, Executive Director of Procurement and Business Services, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Growth in Member Contract Purchases: Indianapolis Public Schools
• Growth in Member Contract Utilization: University of Southern Indiana

During the meeting, E&I CEO Eric Frank called on members to embrace a true ownership mindset, recalling the Cooperative’s founding in 1934, when higher education procurement leaders joined forces during the Great Depression to achieve collectively what none could accomplish alone.

“Our founders, three Chief Procurement Officers from Cornell University, Syracuse University, and Colgate University, realized they could do more together than any of them could do alone,” said Frank. “That same principle applies today: stop thinking of yourself as a member and start acting like an owner. When you act as an owner, you don’t just look at what you can get—you look at what you can build through the cooperative: stronger contracts, deeper relationships, and better outcomes for every institution in this room and beyond.”

Frank outlined E&I’s strategic priorities for 2026, built on three pillars designed to strengthen the cooperative’s impact across education:

• Best education contracts available, demonstrated through data
• Superior supplier service, powered by world-class supplier relationship management
• A frictionless member experience via a to-be-developed member digital platform.

He closed with a call to cooperative leadership, reminding members that the Cooperative’s success depends on their shared action.

“When the phone rings from E&I to join in collective action, pick it up,” he said. “This is our call to lead—to act, to build, and to rise to the times together. Because none of us is as good as all of us.”

For more information about E&I’s Stockholders Meeting, Board of Directors, and Member Awards, visit www.eandi.org.

About E&I Cooperative Services

E&I Cooperative Services (E&I) is the only member-owned, nonprofit procurement cooperative exclusively focused on serving higher education and K-12 institutions. E&I delivers unsurpassed value and an exceptional experience to its members through a broad portfolio of competitively solicited contracts with industry-leading suppliers and innovative sourcing solutions. The Cooperative empowers its members to make informed, analytics-driven decisions to capture more spend and optimize their education dollars. In addition, E&I offers strategic spend assessments, eProcurement solutions, supplier inclusion programs, and digital, virtual, and in-person education that advance the industry. For more information, please visit www.eandi.org.

Media Contact:
Nicole Katz
Sr. Marketing Manager, Corporate Content Marketing & PR
E&I Cooperative Services