The City's newly appointed Diversity Business Advisory Committee met for the first time today. The 12-member committee will be helping the City increase the volume of business that it does with companies owned by minorities, women and service disabled veterans, as well as small businesses in general.
Mayor Madeline Rogero, who appointed the committee, thanked the members for their willingness to serve and emphasized the City's commitment to continue to reach out to small local businesses.
Last fiscal year, almost 4 out of every 10 dollars that the City spent – $31.4 million – went to small businesses.
The Diversity Business Advisory Committee will suggest ways that the City's Purchasing Department can more effectively partner with businesses owned by women, minorities and veterans. The committee also will help to identify the barriers that are preventing small businesses from being able to successfully compete.
The owners of small businesses may think they lack the capacity to bid on a multi-million-dollar project. But the City's Purchasing Department works one on one with small companies interested in bidding on contracts, and one strategy for small businesses is for them to team up with bigger contractors and collaboratively put together successful bids on major contracts.
Members of the Diversity Business Advisory Committee are: Angie Cannon, Cannon & Cannon; Terrence Carter, Director of Economic and Business Development, Knoxville Area Urban League; Alan Jones, Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority; Jonathan Williams, Tennessee Veterans Business Association; Roberto Martinez, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Horace Andrews, Andrews Electric; Bruce Hayes, executive director, Tennessee Small Business Development Center; Lisa Copeland, Y-12/CNS; Alyson Dyer, City of Knoxville Law Department; Gwen Winfrey, City of Knoxville Community Development Department; Terry McKee, Knoxville's Community Development Corp; and Nick Bradshaw, City of Knoxville Public Service Department.
