Annette Deghand

Annette Deghand serves as Recreation Operations Manager for the City of Lawrence’s Parks, Recreation & Culture agency, where she leads the planning, coordination, and procurement of services that support public-facing cultural and recreational programming. In her primary procurement role, she is responsible for acquiring event promotion, performance production, and facility activation services that align with the agency’s mission to foster inclusive civic engagement through arts and recreation. Her acquisitions center on live events, community festivals, and culturally immersive experiences that enhance public spaces and expand access to the arts for all residents. Deghand collaborates with a diverse array of event producers, performance promoters, and cultural consultants who specialize in delivering dynamic public programming. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with vendors possessing proven expertise in community event management, artist coordination, and audience engagement strategies. Her working relationships are characterized by a preference for responsive, locally rooted partners who understand Lawrence’s demographic diversity and can adapt programming to reflect community identity and seasonal needs. Annette’s contracting approach reflects a strong commitment to open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued under non-set-aside conditions. She does not prioritize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, instead emphasizing capability, track record, and alignment with cultural objectives. This reflects a procurement strategy focused on outcome-driven performance rather than socioeconomic categorization, ensuring the highest quality of public experience. Her procurement focus is exclusively aligned with NAICS 711320—Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities. She specializes in acquiring services related to event curation, artist booking, marketing and outreach for public performances, and temporary infrastructure support for outdoor cultural events. Her technical expertise lies in the operational logistics of large-scale, community-based cultural programming, making her a key liaison between the arts ecosystem and public infrastructure.