[Durham INC] Durham's Minority Enterprise Development Week Oct. 5-9

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

For Details, Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

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

 

For Immediate Release:  September 23, 2009

 

Durham's Minority Enterprise Development Week Coming In October

U.S. Department of Commerce Official Patricia Hanes to Speak at Kick-Off
Event 

 

Durham, N.C. - The City of Durham and the Greater Durham Chamber of
Commerce, in partnership with multiple community agencies, will observe
Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, October 5-9, 2009.  Special
events include a "Green Economy" workshop, awards luncheon, a
multicultural business after-hours reception, a Statewide Uniform
Certification Workshop, a business trade fair and "Shop a Minority
Business Day."  This year's theme is "Energizing the American Economy
with Minority Business Enterprises."

 

This year's awards luncheon will feature guest speaker Patricia Hanes,
the Atlanta regional director of the Minority Business Development
Agency for the U.S. Department of Commerce.  "We are very excited that
Ms.  Hanes will speak at our MED Week awards luncheon this year," said
Deborah Giles, director of the City's Department of Equal
Opportunity/Equity Assurance (EO/EA). "She has, and continues to be, a
consistent supporter of minority business development as demonstrated by
her 30 plus years of involvement with the many organizations she
supports that promote minority business."

 

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, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Skanska USA
Building, Inc., Durham County Government, the N.C. Institute of Minority
Economic Development, the Minority Business Enterprise Center, Duke
University/Duke Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline, Progress Energy, and Balfour
Beatty.

 

2009 Minority Economic Development Week - Schedule of Events 

*         "Partnering in a Green Economy":  Monday, October 5, 2009,
from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Committee Room, second floor, City Hall,
101 City Hall Plaza, Durham.  The cost to attend is $20 per person.

 

*         Awards Luncheon:  Tuesday, October 6, 2009, from 11:30 a.m. to
1:30 p.m., Durham Convention Center, 201 Foster Street, Durham.  The
cost to attend is $25 per person.

 

*         Multicultural Business After-Hours:  Wednesday, October 7,
2009, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Radisson, Research Triangle Park. The
cost to attend is $10.

 

*         "Statewide Uniform Certification Workshop":  Thursday, October
8, 2009,  from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., City Council Chambers, first floor,
City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham. There is no charge to attend. 

 

*         "MED Week Business Trade Fair":  Thursday, October 8, 2009,
from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Durham Convention Center, 201 Foster Street,
Durham. Vendor space is available for $125. There is no charge to
attend.

 

*         Shop-A-Minority-Business Day: Friday, October 9, 2009.
Participation in Shop-A-Minority-Business Day is a great way to gain
exposure and drive people to your business. Participating businesses
will receive recognition in MED Week materials and on the Durham Chamber
of Commerce Web site. This is a great way to boost your business and
show support for minority enterprise development. The cost to
participate is $15.  All Durham citizens are encouraged to shop at
participating minority and women businesses. Business participants will
offer a 10 percent discount to patrons of their businesses on
Shop-A-Minority-Business Day if the patron brings an ad or other
acknowledgement of the day.

 

For information about the 2009 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 the City's Web site at 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/equal/.

 

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