Influential Woman · Government

Billie Hancock

Procurement Manager, Town of Jupiter

Jupiter, FL

4Awards received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Associate's Degree in Business Administration Cert NIGP CPP (National Institute of Government Procurement Certified Public Purchasing Professional) Cert Florida Certified Contract Manager Cert West Virginia Advanced Purchasing Certification Member Florida Association of Public Procurement Officials (FAPO) Member NIGP National Chapter Member NIGP Local Chapter

Her Story

About Billie

I started my career with the Postal Service, working at the Remote Encoding Center. When that part of the Postal Service closed, I didn't want to relocate, so I was looking for something in the area but still in the public sector. I moved over to West Virginia state government, where I initially worked in the central mail office processing mail. From there, I moved into a role as an executive assistant, and then I transitioned into purchasing, which became my career focus. While working for the state of West Virginia, I earned my Associate's degree in Business Administration. Once I got into the procurement world, I obtained my basic purchasing certification, then moved up to my advanced purchasing certification for West Virginia, and then earned my NIGP CPP certification last October. I recently moved to Florida, which was a little of both a career and personal move - I've always enjoyed being in Florida, my daughter moved here because she wants to be a marine biologist, and as I'm getting older, the weather's better down here. Since moving to Florida, I've obtained my Florida Certified Contract Manager certification. In my current role, my main area of expertise is procurement, and a typical day involves reviewing requests for proposals and competitive solicitations, as well as training the departments on the proper procedures and procurement pathways.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Billie

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to hard work. In this field, you have to bring honesty and integrity to everything you do. You have to be able to say no and uphold the laws and make sure everything's in compliance, even if other people don't agree with you or don't like it. Those values are essential to doing this work the right way.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice would be to start at the bottom and learn everything hands-on along the way up. It's really important to understand that public sector procurement is nothing like private sector - the rules are completely different. You need to build that foundation and really understand how everything works from the ground up.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

As a whole, the biggest challenge right now is trying to incorporate AI into the procurement process. The problem is that people are using it too much to write scopes of work, and they're not using it correctly. We end up with specifications that we can't use or shouldn't be used - things that just don't fit regulations and requirements. It's a tool that has potential, but people need to understand how to use it properly within our regulatory framework.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Honesty and integrity are the most important values to me, both in my work and personal life. In my work, you have to be able to say no and uphold the laws and make sure everything's in compliance, even if other people don't agree with you or don't like it. Those principles guide everything I do.

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