Minority Enterprise Development Week Events Provide Tools for Success and Celebrate Small/Minority Businesses' Contributions
September 24
The City of Tallahassee and the Big Bend Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Committee, comprised of state and local agencies located in the Tallahassee/Leon County area, are celebrating the 17th Annual Big Bend MED Week observance from October 5 - October 9.
Since 1983, the President of the United States has designated a national MED Week observance. This event focuses on the outstanding achievements and contributions made by minority businesses and the significant support given to small and minority business development by government and the corporate community.
Locally, MED Week will allow small and minority-owned businesses as well as government and community professionals an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact of small and minority businesses on our economy. In addition, several workshops have been planned to assist small and minority businesses with ways to improve their practices. The theme for this year's event is "Energizing the American Economy with Minority Business Enterprises."
This year the MED Week Committee will honor Sean Pittman of the Pittman Law Group as the 2009 Reginald L. Rolle Economic Development Champion Of The Year.
The schedule for MED Week 2009 is listed below.
Monday, October 5
- Kick-off networking reception at Aloft-Tallahassee Downtown, 200 North Monroe Street, 6 p.m. This event will be hosted by the Capital City Chamber of Commerce.
Tuesday, October 6
- Teen Entrepreneurial Summit at R.N. Gooden/Nancy Russell Center at Wesson, 2813 South Meridian Street, 9 a.m. - noon; The summit will provide information to local high school students about starting their own businesses.
Wednesday, October 7
- "How to become a mentor and/or protégé," Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, 505 West Pensacola Street, 9 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.; Ajax Building Corporation will provide the talent, knowledge and resources to assist in the development of individuals and businesses so that they can become productive players in today's construction industry.
- "Writing grant proposals for non-profits," Civic Center, 10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.; In this session you will learn what makes a successful nonprofit and receive a step-by-step guide to obtaining your 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. This session will also provide guidance on how to find and apply for grants; focus on simple, practical strategies that work and low cost innovative fundraising techniques. Armstrong & Associates will be providing expertise during this session.
Thursday, October 8
- FSU/Grainger Vendor Event, Florida State University's Alumni Center, 1030 West Tennessee Street, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; The vendor event will involve the entire government community, with a specific focus on small, minority, women and disabled veteran businesses. Government customers from surrounding agencies, colleges and universities will attend, as well as businesses (both local and afar), offering a wide variety of products/services. This event is free to government invitees to attend, and there is no charge for minority businesses that would like to display their products or services.
Friday, October 9
- New Federal Housing Rehabilitation Programs, Civic Center, 8:30 - 9:45 a.m.; Participant businesses will be informed of opportunities to bid on upcoming construction jobs related to two new federal housing rehabilitation programs. The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) provides funding to purchase vacant foreclosed properties in Tallahassee and rehabilitate them for affordable housing to be occupied by low and moderate-income households. The Weatherization Assistance Program assists low-income households to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient.
- Bidding Opportunities / Recovery Zone Bonds, Civic Center, 10 - 11:15 a.m.; City, county and state representatives will provide the latest information regarding upcoming procurement opportunities. Fast-tracking public sector capital projects and infusing money into the community is the new City of Tallahassee initiative to expedite the construction of public projects. Recovery Zone Facility Bonds are a type of traditional tax-exempt private activity bond that may be used by private businesses in designated recovery zones to finance a broad range of depreciable capital projects.
- Recognition Luncheon, Civic Center, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; Windell Paige, President of the Capital City Chamber of Commerce, will be the luncheon's keynote speaker. Sean Pittman of the Pittman Law Group will be honored as the 2009 recipient of the Reginald L. Rolle Economic Development Champion of the Year. The cost for the luncheon is $20.
For the latest information on the Big Bend MED Week celebration, please contact Bonita Davis Paige, LaTanya Raffington or Ben Harris, all with the City's Economic and Community Development Department, at 891-6500 or visit Talgov.com.
Contact
Bonita Davis Paige, Economic and Community Development, 891-6500; or Lizzy Kelley, Communications Department, 891-8533
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