Barbara Lumpkin, the city’s purchasing chief for the last two years, announced her resignation Tuesday to take “a simple pause.”
The City Hall veteran took over the Procurement Services Department in 2005 from interim purchasing chief Mary Dempsey, who was recruited by Mayor Richard Daley to reform an affirmative action contracting program wracked by irregularities and wrongdoing, some of them involving mayoral supporters.
Dempsey promised a “total scrubbing” of the program, but ruffled feathers by using what some critics contended were authoritarian methods. Chicago United Industries, one of the companies removed from the set-aside program, soon after was reinstated by a judge’s order.
“I’ve not gone with a big splash in front of the cameras every day, but that does not mean we have not been vigilant, we have not worked … to stay on top of things,” Lumpkin said. “[But] we are giving due process, we are following the procedures correctly because whatever the decisions the city makes, I want them to stand.”
Chicago United charged in its suit that it had been denied due process.
Lumpkin, 57, who previously held three other senior city positions, said her departure, effective Oct. 16, is voluntary. She plans to “take some personal time … spend time with some of my family members out of town,” she said.
“I think it’s perfect timing. I have worked for a very long time.”
On another front, Lumpkin also took heat from African-American aldermen for what they contend were unacceptably low levels of contracting with black-owned firms.
Her department “continues to work with [minority] firms, coach firms on how to build capacity so they can take a bigger position,” Lumpkin said. But, she added, “I would be the first to say whereas we have made some progress in that area, oh yeah, a lot more progress needs to be made.”
In a statement, Daley said Lumpkin “has been a committed public servant and I sincerely appreciate her determination and efforts to implement reforms and new strategies to make the Department of Procurement Services more efficient and effective.”
The mayor tapped Lumpkin, who had worked in the banking industry for 23 years, to become the city’s comptroller in 1995. He later named her budget director, and in 1999 helped install her as city treasurer after incumbent Miriam Santos was convicted of corruption in campaign fundraising.
Lumpkin said she met with Daley to tell him of her plans to leave.
“He was very supportive,” she said. “He was a bit surprised too. We’ve had a wonderful run together.”
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gwashburn@tribune.com
