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St. Petersburg, Fla. March 16, 2022 – (Daniel Figueroa IV | Florida Politics) – The city of St. Petersburg Wednesday announced it has hired David Malone as director of procurement and supply management.
Malone comes to St. Pete from King County in Washington state he was chief procurement officer. He held similar positions with the Washington Sanitary Sewer Commission and in Chicago.
Malone built the Sewer Commission’s organizational structure. He also hired senior staff for its procurement organization, overseeing a $1.4 billion capital improvement plan and 47 departments. In 2010, he was named Outstanding Procurement Professional of the Year by the Minority Enterprise Development Council & Minority Business Development Agency.
Some of Malone’s duties will include the sourcing of goods and services and contract compliance. That includes who the city chooses to contract with.
In a news release, Mayor Ken Welch said Malone will focus on equity in contracts and procurement. Pushing for more equity in the city was one of Welch’s first promises as Mayor.
“We are excited Mr. Malone has joined us and for his leadership advancing our principals for accountable and responsive government,” Welch said. “Mr. Malone’s experience improving supply chain efficiencies as well as increasing minority- and women-owned business enterprises utilization will be key to improving our processes. His experience aligns perfectly with our administration’s commitment to data driven decision-making and innovation and we are thrilled to have him on board to further that mission.”
Just before Welch took office, officials released results from a racial disparity study in the city. The study found many of the city’s policies were built on racially discriminatory practices that further marginalized minority communities. Some of those practices still reverberate through St. Pete.
Leadership — including Welch and Council Members Deborah Figgs-Sanders and Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, who all witnessed segregation in the city themselves — have pledged the city’s future will aim to rectify its past. Welch said Malone will contribute significantly to the implementation of the disparity study recommendations to ensure equitable utilization of contractors for all city procurement opportunities.
