Public Procurement, which involves anything the City purchases using taxpayer dollars, requires a highly skilled, highly knowledgeable professional. This role ensures transactions ranging from multi-million dollar capital construction projects, to obtaining office supplies are done ethically, responsibly, and effectively.

Thankfully, Southlake’s money is in good hands with Slifka, who is not only revered by Southlake as one of the greats – but by national and state public procurement organizations as well.

In addition to his role on the UPPCC Board of Examiners, Slifka has not only been a dedicated member, but also served as the President of the Texas Public Purchasing Association (TxPPA). He is an active participant in multiple local and national procurement associations, and has played a crucial role in securing Southlake’s Achievement of Excellence in Procurement (AEP) award from the National Procurement Institute (NPI) for an impressive 12 years.

As if those accolades aren’t impressive enough, Slifka was recently named the sole recipient of the prestigious 2023 Tx PPA President’s Award, further solidifying his outstanding contributions to the field. This marks the fourth time he has won this award, from 4 different Presidents each time.

“When I first joined the Texas Public Purchasing Association in 2008, I told the President at the time I had only been in the purchasing position for Southlake for three days,” Slifka explained with a laugh. “He told me I was in the right place.”

This has proven true, especially with the many accolades Slifka has earned during his time as purchasing manager for the City of Southlake. His involvement in procurement associations at the state and national level has provided opportunities for growth, exposure to invaluable knowledge, and collaboration with other professionals in the industry.

“I get calls from my colleagues in other cities all the time asking if I have seen certain issues and what I’ve done to resolve them,” Slifka said. “If I haven’t worked through the problem myself, I can usually put them in touch with someone who has, or lead them to the legal statute that will help them out.”

What’s better than having a go-to guy to call when you run into issues? Probably having him work for the City you live in.

Not only does Slifka oversee cooperative and interlocal purchasing for the City, he also works tirelessly to ensure Southlake is getting the best value while spending the least amount of money.

“When things get challenging, I always remember how important doing this job is,” Slifka said. “If I stop, there are a lot of other things that directly impact our service to citizens that will stop as well.”