About Us
Built for Real-World Impact
For over 20 years, the Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA) has helped procurement professionals and organizations strengthen purchasing performance through practical training, recognized certifications, and expert support. NLPA programs are trusted worldwide to improve procurement performance, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable results. Our purpose is to strengthen the procurement profession by providing practical education, recognized credentials, and expert support that empower individuals to advance their careers and help organizations perform at their best.
How NLPA Helps
NLPA supports its members and partners by providing:
Meet the Team
Amber Pate
Executive Director
Amber Pate is the Chief Operations Officer at Certitrek, parent company of NLPA, overseeing company strategy and execution. Guided by values of integrity, adaptability, resilience, and collaboration, Amber fosters a culture rooted in open communication, innovation, and continuous learning. She believes that surrounding herself with passionate people is key to achieving meaningful impact and is driven by a commitment to empowering individuals and organizations through industry-relevant certifications and growth-focused learning environments.
Outside of work, Amber and her family enjoy traveling and exploring new cultures.
Jeff Dean
SPSM, SPSM2, CPOM, CPOE, CAIC
Vice President of Education
Jeff Dean, SPSM, SPSM2, CPOM, CPOE, CAIC, is a Navy veteran and founder/CEO of JPDean Consulting. He serves as Vice President of Education for the Next Level Purchasing Association (NLPA), the world’s largest procurement education provider, where he spearheads education, certification, consulting, and fractional leadership initiatives, including programs like SPSM, CPOS, CPOM, CPOE, and AI-focused training for over 280,000 professionals. With over 30 years of expertise in procurement, supply chain optimization, government contracting, and AI transformations, Jeff was named among the United States’ Top 100 Entrepreneurs and Innovators of 2025. He delivers fractional Chief Procurement Officer services, strategic sourcing, contract management, and team development for government agencies, small to mid-sized businesses, and industry clients, while writing articles for procurement magazines and editorials as a Master Instructor and Certified Artificial Intelligence Consultant.
Adam Merritt
Account Executive
Adam is an Account Executive for NLPA and is responsible for handling both corporate and individual accounts. He has a passion for helping both companies and individuals to grow and improve through education and training. Prior to joining NLPA Adam spent fourteen years as a Senior Director of Admissions for a technical college in North Carolina. Having overseen enrollment for degree and certification programs, he has seen firsthand the importance and impact of career training. Adam considers himself to be a people person and loves that NLPA gives him the opportunity to work with people from around the world on a daily basis. He is proud to represent NLPA by delivering first class service to every customer.
Adam graduated with honors from Colorado State University with a BS in Organizational Leadership. He currently resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife and dog.
Cynthia Vereen
NLPA Member Services Team Lead
Cynthia joined the NLPA team in 2017, bringing over a decade of customer service experience to the team. Her background in servicing customers allows her to identify the member’s needs quickly so they receive the ultimate customer service experience.
Cynthia oversees all new student inquiries, new member processes, and member renewals. She prides herself in providing a superior level of service for NLPA.
Riza Barros Rada
Customer Support and Operations professional
Riza Barros Rada is a Customer Support and Operations professional with NLPA, where she supports members across certification programs, memberships, renewals, and access to learning platforms. With hands-on experience assisting professionals through certifications such as CPOS, CPOP, CPOM, and CPOE, Riza works closely with members, partners, and internal teams to ensure accurate certification records, a smooth enrollment process, and the timely resolution of account and LMS-related concerns.
Her role bridges customer service, certification administration, and system support, helping maintain a positive member experience while ensuring compliance with internal policies.
