Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Business Services division is well established as an industry leader in responsible financial operations and best practices in procurement. So, division team members routinely share those procedures in sessions at conferences.

That was the case this week in Denver, as Dr. Jesus Amezcua, assistant superintendent for Business Services, and Dr. Edna Johnson, director of Procurement, led a presentation at the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Forum 2025 conference.  

Titled, “Managing an Effective P-Card Program,” their session highlighted the role of procurement cards (P-cards) in improving the efficiency of small-dollar and high-volume purchases, and the risks, which can include fraud, waste and abuse. Because of that, they explained the importance of creating strong internal controls and methods.

Last month, Amezcua, Johnson and Marcia Levia, chief accounting officer, led joint presentations at the National Association of Accounting Education annual conference.