Supplier Diversity Newsletter

Greetings Partners,

New OMWBE Certified Businesses

Every month we share a list of the most recent certified businesses including the firm’s name, contact information, business description, etc. This list is best utilized regularly in combination with OMWBE's Directory of Certified Firms.

Starting this month, we are including both State and Federal new certifications in our downloadable spreadsheet. Please click on their respective tabs in the spreadsheet to access each list. 

Contact Timolin Abrom for assistance using our online directory, or to schedule a virtual training for your procurement team.

Email: timolina@omwbe.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 280-3121

Toolkit Assessment

The Supplier Diversity Team is continuing to work with agencies and commissions to assess their use of the tools for equity in public spending specified in Executive Order 22-01: Equity in Public Contracting. This information will help us identify opportunities to support use of these tools as appropriate and applicable.

The Supplier Diversity Team will be reaching out to each contact person identified as required by the executive order to set up time for a conversation.

Toolkit Workshop Schedule

The remaining toolkit workshops in 2022 include sessions on internal process, outreach, and inclusion plans. These sessions are interactive and conversational, providing a space for procurement professionals to share ideas and discuss ways to encourage equity in public spending.

July 14^th – Internal Processes: Is unbundling ok? How can we break apart purchases to allow smaller businesses access to state spending? How can we identify equity touchpoints in internal processes that can increase diversity in spending? Come prepared to chat with your colleagues about your work and how you do it.

August 4^th – Outreach: This is a chance to reduce anxiety about what you can and cannot say about a bid opportunity. We will talk about what businesses need to know and how to get that information. OMWBE is partnering with Tiffany Scroggs of the Thurston County Economic Development Council to facilitate this conversation.

August 25^th – Planning and Forecasting: Whew! We made it through session, our budgets are set, we are recovering from summer vacation (or are preparing for a late one), and we’re ready to rock. It’s time to review the plan and how we can use that to help businesses be prepared for upcoming bid opportunities.

September 22^nd – Inclusion Plans: Let’s flip the script and talk about some innovative ideas for working with small businesses.

November 19^th – Outreach: Doing and tracking outreach can be easy! Let’s talk about how.

Please register for each workshop date you wish to attend.

Welcome Nakia Titus, Supplier Diversity Program Specialist Please welcome Nakia Titus as our new Supplier Diversity Program Specialist! Nakia was raised in Oklahoma, and moved to Washington in 2011 after serving over 12 years in the US Army. She entered state service working as an Administrative Assistant with the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board with the Department of Corrections in 2017, before transitioning to OMWBE as Office Manager in September 2019.

Nakia is excited to begin the next phase of her career by supporting the mission of Supplier Diversity to increase state spending with small and diverse businesses. Her goal is to raise awareness of existing barriers to participation, and to be part of the solution to build an equitable future for Washington State. When she is not focused on work, Nakia spends her time honing skills as a makeup artist and decorating organizational planners with her personal flourish.

If you would like to include others on our distribution list to receive these monthly supplier diversity emails, please let us know at supplierdiversity@omwbe.wa.gov.