SBA and MBDA Salute Minority Businesses During 21st Anniversary Celebration of Minority Enterprise Development Week 9/23/2003
From: Tiffani Clements of the U.S. Small Business Administration, 202-205-6740 web: http://www.sba.gov/news/indexheadline.html WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- One of 10 regional minority-owned businesses from around the country will receive the U.S. Small Business Administration's prestigious Minority Small Business Person of the Year award for superior business achievements at this year's Minority Enterprise Development Week conference. The award winners have businesses ranging from accounting and tax services to architecture and janitorial services. The awards for the Minority Small Business Persons of the Year will be presented during the 21st Anniversary celebration of the National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week conference on September 28-October 1 in Washington, D.C., at the Omni Shoreham hotel. MED Week is cosponsored by the SBA and the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Besides the national winner, other awards to be announced during the conference include the SBA Administrator's Leadership award and the 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year award. MBDA will also present awards for minority businesses such as the National Minority Entrepreneur of the Year award and the Ronald H. Brown Leadership Award, named for the late Secretary of Commerce, who was an outstanding advocate for minority business. MED Week, held annually since 1983, recognizes minority businesses' contributions to the nation's economy. In his proclamation this year, President Bush urged all Americans to join together in honoring minority entrepreneurs across the country in appropriate observances. "The National MED Week Conference has always provided a unique forum to address the major issues affecting the growth and development of minority businesses," SBA Administrator Hector V. Barreto said. "This year's conference will continue to honor minorities and women who have demonstrated leadership and outstanding accomplishments through their hard work and determination, but will also introduce several new segments, which will help minority businesses become viable in the global marketplace." The theme is "Strategies for Growth in the American Economy, Part III: Pursuing the Global Economy." The conference will feature forums on: Trade and Investment Climate for U.S. Companies in Emerging Markets; Doing Business in Africa; A Practical Guide to Overseas Transactions; and Major Reconstruction Contracting Opportunities in the Developing World. Senior staff from the Bush Administration such as Jendayi Frazer, Senior Director for African Affairs for the President will be present each morning for the Meet Your White House breakfast sessions. The conference will also provide opportunities to network at the MED Week 2003 Business Expo as well as a panel moderated by the SBA to discuss proven strategies to maximize federal procurement opportunities. There also will be award ceremonies to honor minority entrepreneurs, minority business advocates and leaders in the corporate community. The 10 recipients of the Regional Minority Small Business Persons of the Year awards are expected to attend the National MED Week conference to accept their awards during the closing gala on the evening of October 1st. The honorees will be recognized for their dedication and commitment to excellence. The 10 Regional Minority Small Business Persons of the Year are: -- REGION I Mr. William E. Sanchez, Jr., president Williams Financial Services, Central Falls, R.I. -- REGION II Mr. Sreenivas Raman, president Integrated Construction Enterprises, Belleville, N.J. -- REGION III Ms. LaTannia A. Fair, president Fair Insurance Agency, Inc., Bear, Del. -- REGION IV Ms. Jeanette C. Loop, CEO Janus Research Group, Inc., Appling, Ga. -- REGION V Mr. Alphonso Wofford, president CDO Technologies, Dayton, Ohio -- REGION VI Ms. Rebecca A. Maloy, president Maloy Construction, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M. -- REGION VII Mr. Lei-Hoo Mak, president Mak Architects, Inc., St. Louis, Mo. -- REGION VIII Mr. Raul Luciani, president Maintenance Patrol, McAllister, Mont. -- REGION IX Mr. John Lee, president Sea Pac Engineering, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif. -- REGION X Ms. Rhonda Herschell, president Cherokee General Corporation, Fairview, Ore. For more information, contact the MED Week 2003 office at 1-877-MEDWEEK or visit the Web site at http://www.medweek.gov. Additional information about SBA's programs and services is available at SBA's Web site: http://www.sba.gov or by calling the SBA's Answer Desk at 1-800 U ASK SBA. |