INC NEWS - Durham's MED Week Begins Oct. 6

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy C. Blalock

Senior Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov <mailto:Amy.Blalock at durhamnc.gov> 

 

For Immediate Release:  September 25, 2008

 

Durham's Minority Enterprise Development Week Coming In October

Coca-Cola Executive Johnnie B. Booker to Speak at Kick-Off Event 

 

Durham, N.C. - The City of Durham, in partnership with multiple
community agencies, will observe Minority Enterprise Development (MED)
Week, October 6-10, 2008, with special events including a kick-off
awards luncheon, a seminar and workshop breakfast, a multicultural
after-hours reception, a youth entrepreneurial event, a business
resources workshop, and "Shop a Minority Business Day."  This year's
theme is "The Power of Strategic Alliances in the Global Economy."

 

"We are very excited that Ms. Johnnie B. Booker will kick off our MED
Week celebration this year," said Deborah Giles, director of the City's
Department of Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance (EO/EA). "She has been
a groundbreaking executive in the Coca-Cola Company and is responsible
for Coca-Cola's supplier diversity program and its initiatives assuring
equal contracting opportunities for minority and women-owned
businesses."

 

MED Week celebrates the achievements of minority entrepreneurs and
affirms government, business and community organizations' commitment to
the principle of equal opportunity.  Since 1983, the U.S. President has
proclaimed a national MED Week observance to recognize the outstanding
accomplishments of minority business enterprises and to honor those
corporations and financial institutions supporting minority business
development. 

 

"Minority and women businesses are part of the backbone of our economy.
This annual observance is an opportunity for all citizens to acknowledge
and celebrate the invaluable contributions of minority and women
business enterprises to the quality of life we enjoy in Durham and
support and promote their growth," Giles said.  "Through our department,
the City has a proven record of supporting minority and women small,
disadvantaged business enterprises through various strategies including
certification, contract monitoring, and technical assistance." 

 

Durham's local observance is a collaborative effort between the City's
Department of EO/EA, Duke University/Duke Medicine, Durham County
Government, the N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development, the
Minority Business Enterprise Center, Skanska USA Building, Inc., the
Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Balfour Beatty Construction, Bovis
Lend Lease, Sun Trust Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, Progress Energy, Self Help,
and the N.C. Office of Historically Underutilized Businesses.  

 

2008 Minority Economic Development Week - Schedule of Events 

*         Kick-Off and Awards Luncheon:  Monday, October 6, 2008, from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Durham Marriott at the Civic Center, 201 Foster
Street, Durham.  The cost to attend is $25 per person.  

o   Special guest speaker is Ms. Johnnie B. Booker, director of supplier
diversity, the Coca-Cola Company.

 

*         "Teaming & Joint Venturing" Seminar and Workshop:  Tuesday,
October 7, 2008, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Durham Marriott at the
Civic Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham.  The cost to attend is $20 per
person. 

 

*          Multicultural Business After-Hours:  Tuesday, October 7,
2008, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Radisson, Research Triangle Park. The
cost to attend is $10.  

 

*         Youth Entrepreneurial Event:  Wednesday, October 8, 2008,
from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Durham Public Schools Staff Development Center,
2107 Hillandale Road, Durham.  

 

*         "Business Resources" Seminar and Workshop:  Thursday, October
9, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. There is no charge to attend. Self Help
Credit Union, 301 West Main Street, Durham.

 

*         Speed Networking:  Thursday, October 9, 2008 from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m., Durham Marriott at the Civic Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham. 

 

*         Shop-A-Minority-Business Day:  Friday, October 10, 2008.
Throughout the city and surrounding area, all citizens are urged to shop
and/or utilize the services of minority and women-owned business
enterprises. 

 

For information about the 2008 Minority Enterprise Development Week,
contact Giles at (919) 560-4180 or deborah.giles at durhamnc.gov.

 

About the Department of Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance

The City of Durham's Department of Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance
(EO/EA) is responsible for the implementation of the City's Equal
Business Opportunity Program (EBOP).  Responsibilities include
implementation of race and gender neutral measures to facilitate the
participation of Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (SDBEs) in
City contracting activity, SDBE recruitment, certification, and
maintenance of SDBE data bank, business development, City project
compliance, monitoring, and reporting.  To learn more about this
department, visit www.durhamnc.gov/departments/equal/.

 

###

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/private/inc-list/attachments/20080925/c9744877/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 3058 bytes
Desc: image001.jpg
URL: <http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/private/inc-list/attachments/20080925/c9744877/attachment-0001.jpeg>