Olga M Culp
Olga Culp is a Senior Contract Officer with the City of Tucson, where she has worked in public procurement since January 2021, marking the start of her fifth year in the field. In her role within a local government municipality, she supports the solicitation and administration of goods and services that help keep city operations running effectively. Her work spans a wide range of contracts, from small-dollar purchases to multi-million-dollar projects, including infrastructure development and improvements such as a Material Recycling Facility Project and Solar Empowerment Programs for the City, ensuring compliance, transparency, and value in every procurement activity. Before joining the City of Tucson, Olga built a strong foundation in the healthcare industry as a Quality Analyst with Aetna. In that role, she was responsible for monitoring calls and emails, verifying accuracy, and ensuring adherence to established standards. This experience strengthened her attention to detail, organization, and ability to manage time-sensitive responsibilities—skills that have proven essential in her current procurement career. She credits this background, combined with her academic training in applied management, for helping her maintain structure and precision in a fast-paced public sector environment. Olga completed her Bachelor of Science in Applied Management at Grand Canyon University, earning her degree later in life while balancing the responsibilities of raising her two sons as a single mother. She began her educational journey early in adulthood and ultimately finished in her early 40s, demonstrating persistence and dedication to personal and professional growth. She was drawn to procurement after being inspired by the collaborative and supportive culture within the City of Tucson’s procurement team, which motivated her to pursue the field and become an active contributor to its mission. Currently Olga is married and has two more children a son and a daughter, her family is the focus of her personal life and their hobbies are how she spends her time away from Procurement.
• Certified Professional Public Buyer
• Grand Canyon University - BS, Applied management
• Procurement Specialist of the Year, 2024
• Rising Star Award, 2026
• Copper Chapter of NIGP
• NIGP
• Copper Chapter Reverse Trade Show Committee Chair (2023-2026)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the leaders that I've had in the past. I've had many influential leaders who have encouraged me to take the next step and encouraged me to grow with professional development. Without that, I wouldn't be in the position that I am today. My spouse also encourages me to take my career to the next level and be the best at what I do.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to be a leader and to lead without the title. You don't have to have a manager next to your name, or a supervisor-type title in order to be a leader in your day to day existence.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would let them know that their professional development and growth is all up to them. They can take it wherever they want to take it, but if there's something that they're striving for, they need to work at it, and go for it, and not hesitate or take any time away from that. If you have a goal or a dream it is yours to achieve!
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge personally, where I work, would be turnover. We're constantly having to train new people because others have either grown and left the company, or they're leaving for the private sector where you get a higher salary. For a lot of us working with the government, it's more fulfilling because you're serving the public and making your City a better place to live. So the turnover is a challenge - just getting someone up to speed on what we do, and then they leave, and there's new people coming in. It's a plus and a minus, because you get to help the new people and show them what we do, but it's disappointing when they go.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Trust and Accountability, Integrity is a big one too!