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BALTIMORE, MD. (July 18, 2012) – Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake announced the creation of the Mayor’s Council on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises. The advisory council, comprised of local business leaders and nationally-renowned experts, will recommend improvements to the City’s minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) program, examine best practices, and create a platform for the program’s future direction.
“A strong minority and women-owned business enterprise program benefits and strengthens our entire business community,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “The City of Baltimore must have a comprehensive strategy that institutionalizes MWBEs into the overall business equation.”
The advisory council will begin work immediately by holding meetings to discuss the effectiveness and challenges of current MWBE policies and programs.
Mayor Rawlings-Blake appointed businessman and author Robert L. Wallace of BITHGROUP Technologies to head the advisory council. Businesswoman Maria Welch Martinez, CEO of Respira Medical, has been appointed vice-chair. In addition to Wallace and Martinez, the advisory council will be comprised of 23 members from the business community, as well as representatives from the City Council and State legislature.
“The issues that small, minority, and women-owned businesses face are increasing in a challenging business environment,” added Wallace. “The mayor is to be commended for having the vision to face these problems head-on by creating a platform for future growth.”
“Until we rectify the problems and rethink our approaches to growing the economy, we will continue to have the same conversations years from now,” said Sharon R. Pinder, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development. “Through this advisory council, the mayor has provided the opportunity for us to positively shape the future of the program.”
The Advisory Council will submit its report to the mayor by January 15, 2013.
Mayor’s Advisory Council on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Membership
Chair: Robert Wallace, CEO, Bithgroup Technologies
Vice-Chair: Maria (Welch) Martinez, CEO, Respira Medical
Roger Campos, Executive Director, Minority Business Roundtable
Robert Fulton Dashiell, Esq,, Of Counsel, Harris Jones and Malone, LLC
Lamon Harris, Director, Small Business Development, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
Lisa Harris Jones, Esq., Founder and Member, Harris Jones and Malone, LLC
Danielle Hardy, Vice President, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
Anwer Hasan, Senior Vice President, Louis Berger Company
Bert Hash, President and CEO, MECU
Councilwoman Helen Holton
Larry Jennings, Senior Managing Director, ValStone Partners
Kevin Johnson, President, Commercial Interiors, Inc.
Eun “Ann” Kim, Founder and President, Korean Business Enterprise Association
Franklin Lee, Esq., Partner, Tydings and Rosenberg
Cidalia Luis-Akbar, President, M. Luis Construction Co. (Natalia representing the company)
Jeanette Partlow, President, Maryland Chemical Company
Henry Posko, CEO, Humanim (Representing Henry is Cindy Plavier-Truitt)
Delegate Barbara Robinson, Maryland General Assembly
Anthony Robinson, Esq, CEO, MBELDEF, Inc.
Donna Stevenson, President, Early Morning Software
Shelonda Stokes, President and CEO, greibo Media
Lt. Col (Ret.) Richard Sutton, Retired Military and Retired Corporate Executive from HP/EDS
Stanley Tucker, CEO, Meridian Management Group
Sharon R. Pinder, Director, Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development
Ex-Officio Members
Theodore Atwood, Director, Baltimore City Department of General Services
Diane Bell-McKoy, President and CEO, Associated Black Charities
Harry Black, Director, Department of Finance
Kimberly Clark, Executive Vice President, Baltimore Development Corporation
Thomas Corey, Chief, Minority and Women’s Business Opportunity Office
Alfred Foxx, Director, Department of Public Works
Donald Fry, President and CEO, Greater Baltimore Committee
Paul Graziano, Commissioner, Department of Housing and Community Development
Zenita Hurley Wickham, Special Secretary, Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs
Lance Lucas, Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce
George Nilson, City Solicitor, Department of Law
Charles Owens, Executive Director, Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce
Odette Ramos, Baltimore Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Keith Scroggins, Chief Financial Officer, Baltimore City Public Schools
Thomas Stosur, Director, Department Planning
Paul Taylor, Executive Director, Small Business Resource Center
Kumasi Vines, Chief, Office of Boards and Commissions, Department of Public Works
William Vondrasek, Acting Director, Department of Recreation and Parks
Khalil Zaied, Director, Baltimore City Department of Transportation
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