Beth Hubbard, who coordinates the Attorney General’s Partnership for Competitive Purchasing Program, regularly talks to public purchasers about the partnership and the services the Attorney General’s Antitrust Section offers.
Q: How long have you served as administrator of the Partnership for Competitive Purchasing?
A: As of March 2018, it has been a year.
Q: How important do you feel the program is and why?
A: I have learned so much from my involvement in this program. I’ve been surprised to learn just how much harm can be caused by price-fixing, bid-rigging, and other kinds of collusion. I have also learned how far unethical vendors will go to cover up their illegal agreements. (We visit this topic in “
The Legal Side of the Moon” from our December 2017 edition.) I feel that the program is a very important service that the Attorney General’s Office offers to Ohio’s governmental entities — from cities and counties to school districts and state agencies. By helping Ohio public purchasers detect suspicious bidding behavior — and maybe even help them recover the money that they were overcharged — we can make a real difference to the taxpayers of this state.
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: I love contacting organizations and putting a plan together to provide them with what could prove to be very useful information and services to their organization.
Q: How can you assist Ohio public purchasers?
A: I am always available to assist with questions about registering for the Partnership for Competitive Purchasing. Also, if you belong to an organization that might benefit from hearing more about the partnership, bid-rigging detection, or protecting the purchasing process from bid-rigging, I can help schedule speakers from our Antitrust Section. Keep us in mind for your workshops, seminars, and yearly conferences!
I’d also encourage organizations to send me article suggestions for our
“Competition Matters
” newsletter. We’re always looking for topics that
you would like to hear about. I can be reached at
Beth.Hubbard@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.