[Durham INC] Durham's Minority Enterprise Development Week Oct. 1-5

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

 

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2012

 

 

Durham's Minority Enterprise Development Week October 1-5

Online Registration Now Available; September 21st Deadline to Register to Attend

 

DURHAM, N.C. - The City of Durham, in partnership with multiple community, state and federal agencies, will observe 2012 Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week October 1-5, 2012.  

 

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 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 continue to be the backbone of our economy. This annual observance is an opportunity for all residents and businesses 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," said Deborah Giles, director of the City's Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance Department. "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." 

 

Special events for this year's celebration include an awards luncheon; two seminars focusing on construction forecasts and international trade; a multicultural business after-hours reception; Golf with a Minority Business Day; and a Greet the Purchasers event. This year's theme is "Job Creation In America: Build It Here, Sell It Everywhere."

 

This year's awards luncheon will feature guest speaker Jean Davis, assistant secretary of commerce for International Trade Division with the N.C. Department of Commerce. Davis currently directs the division's efforts to increase exports of North Carolina products and services in all industry sectors to global markets. She oversees two domestic offices as well as eight international offices staffed with a team of foreign trade consultants. "Ms. Davis is involved on a daily basis with helping North Carolina companies to smoothly expand their entry into worldwide markets and offers a variety of services that might be invaluable to entrepreneurs who might be seeking to position themselves for future international growth," said Giles. "Her expertise is the embodiment of our theme of having goods and services in our state sold or used everywhere."

 

2012 Minority Economic Development Week Schedule of Events

 

·         Construction Forecast 2012-2014: Monday, October 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Durham Public Schools Staff Development Center, 2017 Hillandale Rd. There is no charge to attend and refreshments will be provided. 

 

·         Awards Luncheon: Tuesday, October 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Hilton Durham near Duke University, 3800 Hillsborough Rd. The cost to attend is $25 per person.

 

·         Greet the Purchasers: Wednesday, October 3 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Durham Convention Center, 201 Foster St. The cost to attend is $20 per person.

 

·         Multicultural Business After-Hours: Wednesday, October 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tobacco Road Sports Café, 280 S. Mangum St. The cost to attend is $10 per person.

 

·         International Trade Seminar: Thursday, October 4 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Durham Convention Center, 201 Foster St., Durham. There is no charge to attend and refreshments will be provided.

 

·         Golf with a Minority Business Day: Friday, October 5 beginning at 9:30 a.m., Hillandale Golf Course, 1600 Hillandale Rd. The cost is $40 per golfer and $10 for the non-golfer clinic.  

 

All activities are open to the general public and the deadline to register to attend any of these different events is Friday, September 21. Participants may also register online for these events by clicking the 2012 MED Week icon at http://www.ncimed.com. 

 

Durham's local observance is a collaborative effort between the City of Durham, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Skanska USA Building, Inc., Durham County Government, the N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development, Duke University, Duke Medicine, Balfour Beatty Construction, Progress Energy, Minority Business Development Agency Business Center with the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Greater Durham Black Chamber of Commerce, N.C. Department of Transportation, and the N.C. Education Lottery.

 

For information about the 2012 MED Week observance, contact Giles at (919) 560-4180, ext. 17243 or by email at Deborah.Giles at DurhamNC.gov, or Linda Gunn at (919) 956-2334 or by email at LindaGunn at ncimed.com. 

 

About the Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance Department

The City of Durham's Equal Opportunity/Equity Assurance Department is responsible for the implementation of the City's Equal Business Opportunity Program. Responsibilities include implementation of race and gender neutral measures to facilitate the participation of Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (SDBE) in City contracting activity, recruitment, certification, and maintenance of SDBE data bank, business development, City project compliance, monitoring, and reporting. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the department ensures that its services support making Durham a great place to live, work, and play by focusing on a strong and diverse economy, assuring that City efforts are well managed, and supporting the stewardship of the City's physical assets. To learn more, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/as/eoea/Pages/Home.aspx.  

 

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