MBDA Business Summit & Awards Dinner
Southeast Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Business Summit & Awards Dinner August 12 at AT&T & Georgia PowerHonorees include AT&T, Bronner Brothers, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce |
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Southeast Regional Office, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced today it will hold its second annual Southeast Regional Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week Business Summit Thursday, August 12 in Atlanta, GA. AT&T Georgia will be named Corporation of the Year during the 28th annual Med Week Awards dinner and banquet.
This year the two day conference has been replaced with a one day summit beginning with breakfast and panel discussions from 8 a.m until 12:30 p.m. at AT&T, 725 W. Peachtree St. N.E. and culminating with an awards dinner at 6 p.m. at Georgia Power, 241 Ralph McGill Blvd.
The event is designed to celebrate and recognize the outstanding achievements of minority entrepreneurs as well as individuals, organizations and corporations that have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing minority business enterprise.
Summit topics and themes to be discussed in concurrent strategy break out sessions are:
- Strategies for Growth and Competitiveness in the Global Economy
- Economic Growth Opportunities -the top ten global growth markets
- Strategies For Succeeding Through Partnerships
- Marketing Strategies for Continuous Viability: Tips on How To Market to A Changing Customer Base
- Mergers and Acquisitions for Every Stage of Business: Prepare Now for the Future
“In this changing economy, minority firms need to change their way of doing business to continue to grow and be competitive in the global marketplace,” said MBDA’s Southeast Regional Director Patricia Hanes.
The summit forum hosted by A T & T will bring together a group of CEOs, Corporate Presidents, MBEs and senior Government officials to discuss in a moderated panel forum the theme, “Strategies for Growth and Competitiveness in the Global Economy” with a focus on partnerships.
The semi formal awards banquet hosted by Georgia Power will put the spotlight on minority businesses in the region as MBDA recognizes and awards recipients who have demonstrated excellence in the following areas: financial performance and business history; staff training; community involvement, customer service and business planning.
Summit Speakers:
- Sylvia Russell, President, AT&T, Opening Remarks
- Katherine Smith, Bahamas Consul General
- Mark Wilson, President & CEO, Ryla, Inc.
- John Carter, President & CEO, Carter Brothers
- Chuck Ernst, Senior VP and Plant Manager, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama
- Jack Crisler, Director, Business Development International Air Mobility Program, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
- Michael Gee, President of Areta Leadership Consulting
- Stacey Scott, President and Founder, Elgia, Inc.
- Lauventria Robinson, VP Diversity Business Development Coca Cola North America
- LaVon Lewis, President , Pencilworx Design Group
MED Week Honorees:
- Corporation of the Year – AT&T
- Minority Business Advocate of the Year- Tisha Tillman, President/CEO, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta, GA
- Minority Manufacturing Firm of the Year – Bernard Bronner, CEO Bronner Brothers, Marietta, GA
- Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award- Deborah Stone, Manager Supplier Diversity AT&T, Atlanta, GA
- Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award –Harold Mills, Owner, APC Workforce Solutions , LLC, Orlando, FL
- Minority Global Supplier Distributor of the Year – Pilar Bernd, President, The Bernd Group, Dunedin, FL
- Media Award – Darrin Thomas, Thomas Media Group, Columbia, SC
- Minority Global Technology Firm of The Year – Michael Hicks, President, Hixardt Technologies Inc., Pensacola, FL
- Regional Directors Award- Mark Wilson, President, Ryla, Inc., Kennesaw, GA
Co-chairs of MED week are Ken Huff, Supplier Diversity Manager, Georgia Power and Vanessa Bull, Supplier Diversity Site Administrator, Lockheed Martin.
Tickets are $200 for MBEs and the Corporate rate is $250.
The Atlanta National Enterprise Center is one of five regional offices where staff oversees assistance and service delivery in multi-state regions. The NEC’s essential functions include business development service delivery and advocacy for the nation’s minority business enterprises (MBEs). The program activities of the NEC have an impact on the nation’s economy through increasing financial and contract awards to MBEs, increasing job opportunities for all Americans, and increasing gross receipts for MBEs. Additionally, NEC advocacy and information dissemination efforts positively impact the overall role and vitality of the MBE sector of the U.S. economy. The continued operations of the NEC are therefore considered critical and important to the nation
For more information about the Southeast Region Annual MED Week Business Summit visit www.medweekatlanta.com or call 404 730-3300.