Florida Department of Management Services



Conference Call MeetingMeeting MinutesWednesday, June 6, 2018Members in AttendanceJay Narang (Tech Army, LLC)Michelle Andrewin (Palm Beach County School District)Sherod Halliburton (Manatee County Federal Credit Union)Eduardo Gonzalez Loumiet (Ruvos)Deborah Thompson (Deborah K. Thompson Consultants)Brian Williams (T&G Constructors)Christine Yerkes (Yerkes South, Inc.)Staff in AttendanceHue Reynolds, Executive Director, Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD), Department of Management Services (DMS)Rebecca Livingston, Compliance & Reporting Coordinator, OSD, DMSDonna Williams, Marketing Manager, OSD, DMSPublic in AttendanceSteve Davis (C&ES Consultants, Inc.)Call to OrderChair Narang called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m. A quorum was mentarianMichael DiNapoli is the Deputy Bureau Chief from the Department of Economic Opportunity, Division of Strategic Business Development, which oversees small business lending and various incentive programs.Mr. DiNapoli shared with the Council that DEO exists to create economic growth by creating jobs and access to capital. The department offers several small business loan programs:The SSBCI (Small State Business Credit Initiative) was formed in 2010, and administers loan programs including loan participation, loan guarantee, and venture capital programs. The Black Business Loan Program was formed in 1985, and currently has $2.2 million available for lending to black-owned businesses. The Emergency Bridge Loan program is activated under Executive order from the Governor, and is primarily used for hurricane relief. Last year, $45 million was allocated to small businesses for 180-day interest-free loans and $35 million of this was utilized.The Revolving Loan Fund is a new program in formation and will offer short to medium-term loans. DEO also offers technical assistance, as well as financial and business literacy initiatives. DEO partners with organizations including the Urban Leauge of Broward County, Prospera, and the Small Business Development Center Network.Chair Narang asked how DEO creates jobs and Mr. DiNapoli responded that this is accomplished primarily by creating access to capital. Chair Narang asked how the aforementioned programs are funded and Mr. DiNapoli responded that these programs are funded with state dollars. Eddie Loumiet inquired about community development block grants, also known as CDBGs. Mr. DiNapoli replied that these are offered through DEO within the divison of Community Development. Deborah Thompson asked about the administrators of the Black Business Loan Program. Mr. DiNapoli responded that there are two administrators currently, including the FAMU Federal Credit Union run by Ernest Allen and the Tampa Bay Black Business Support Program run by Albert Lee.OSD UpdatesDirector Reynolds shared information on the upcoming OSD Supplier Diversity Exchanges, which serve as an opportunity to interact with government buyers.The Orlando Supplier Diversity Exchange will be held July 31 at the University of Central Florida Live Oak Center. This will be a half-day event with registration beginning around noon. The Fort Lauderdale event will be a full-day event held at Broward College on August 23. The Tallahassee event will take place Oct. 10 at the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and will offer opportunities for vendors to engage with many state agencies.OSD was not able to secure a 2018 event for Tampa, but will be working to include in the next calendar year.Pensacola and Gainesville events are planned for February and March 2019, respectively.Public CommentsSteve Davis, President and CEO of C&ES Consultants, introduced himself to the Council. Mr. Davis shared that his company was established in 2007 as a minority-owned business and holds the following certifications: MBE with the state of Florida, the city of Orlando, DBE, 8a, and HUD Section 3. The company has 24 employees, six of which are civil engineers. C&ES Consultants is headquartered in Jacksonville and specializes in civil engineering, construction management, inspection, and debris management.Mr. Davis said his biggest challenge is promoting his business against larger firms and graduating from small business programs. Chair Narang asked what Mr. Davis thought was the prime reason for these marketing challenges, and Mr. Davis responded that the larger firms have more resources.Michelle Andrewin commented that a number of firms face this issue.Brian Williams discussed a tiered program that was created when he worked at Miami-DadePublic Schools.AgendaThe agenda for June 6 was presented, and Mr. Williams made the motion to adopt the agenda as presented. Ms. Andrewin seconded, and the agenda was approved unanimously.Minutes of April 4, 2018 MeetingThe meeting minutes of April 4, 2018, were presented. Ms. Thompson motioned to adopt the minutes, and Mr. Williams seconded the motion. The minutes were approved unanimously.Council Chair/Vice Chair/Member Update None.News Articles and LinksFlorida Department of Economic Opportunity website: Orlando Supplier Diversity Exchange: Register Here Broward Supplier Diversity Exchange: Register Here Committee Reports Legislative Committee: none. Strategic and State Comprehensive Committee: Vice Chair Loumiet will be researching available incentives in order to make recommendations regarding small business grants that Enterprise Florida may be able to provide.Chair Narang initiated discussion on existing committees and the possibility of forming new committees. Mr. Williams recommended researching opportunities for small businesses to access state agencies for procurement activities. Chair Narang followed that this would be well-suited for the Research and Emerging Trends committee and suggested the new committee compile a report of their recommendations. Mr. Williams agreed to Chair the Research and Emerging Trends Committee and was appointed by Chair Narang. Ms. Andrewin volunteered to join.AnnouncementsMs. Thompson announced that town hall meetings are being held in Leon County/City of Tallahassee as part of a disparity study.Next Scheduled Council Meeting: August 1, 2018. The meeting was adjourned at 2:56 p.m. ................
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