| July 2011 Edition    | Council is Holding Elections | Elections will get underway for two Northwest MSDC Board of Directors officers, as required by Northwest MSDC Operating Guidelines in September 2011. These guidelines require council members to elect executive officers biennially by a majority of the Council members voting in the election. In 2011 the Northwest MSDC officer positions facing election are the Board Chairperson and Secretary.
The election process officially begins on September 30, 2011 when nomination forms and instructions will be sent to all members. Nomination forms are due in mid-October.
After ensuring all nominees meet requirements, the Northwest MSDC Election/Nominating Committee will send nomination acceptance forms to candidates. Nominated individuals will then have until November 11, 2011 to decide whether to accept or decline their nominations.
Official voting, open to all members and MBEs in good standing, begins November 16, 2011. All members must submit ballots electronically to the council office by 5PM on December 1, 2011. New Board Officers will be inducted at the Year-end meeting on December 15, 2011.
"Active participation in the nomination and voting process is incredibly important," said Northwest MSDC President and CEO Fernando Martinez. "Without the nomination of qualified candidates, the Council cannot fairly represent its membership on the Board as well as execute against our mission."
All Northwest MSDC officers work to support the Board Chair, in collaboration with the Council President, toward furthering the council's mission of "identifying and developing educational and business opportunities for MBEs, corporations, and public agencies designed to produce stakeholder value."
Position Descriptions
Northwest MSDC Chairperson:
The Chairperson shall coordinate Council activities and shall assure that a program and budget are brought before the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors each year. The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the members and of the Executive Committee. The chair shall have such other powers and duties as may be designated within the Council's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws.
The chairperson shall be the officer responsible for residual duties, which are not otherwise assigned to a specific officer and or otherwise specifically assigned to and required to be performed by the chairperson under Chapter 24.03 RCW.
Upon election, the chairperson shall automatically become members of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee for the duration of their term. The chairperson will collaborate with the president to prepare board meeting agendas, preside at board meetings, sign official documents requiring signature, and may represent the board in public and official capacities as instructed by the board. The chairperson will also:
Chair the Executive Committee, Make special assignment and appoint representatives to other organizations, Encourage all board members to participate in board activities, Ensure all board members views are represented in board meetings.
Northwest MSDC Secretary:
The Secretary shall either personally perform the following duties, or, in collaboration with the President and CEO, delegate them to Council staff: (a) keep the minutes of the meetings of the members, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of Council records; (d) keep the register of the Members of the Council as provided by these Bylaws; and, (e) in general perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to the Secretary by the Chairperson. The Secretary will also:
Oversee any historical documents, When required, the secretary will also sign notes, contracts and other official agreements on behalf of the Northwest MSDC at the direction of the board, Ensure all official documents are safely passed to the next secretary, Research Northwest MSDC records when necessary for information for the board.
Each officer shall hold office for two (2) years beginning each January and continuing through December or until a successor has been duly elected.
Please begin considering qualified members to nominate and be on the look out for upcoming forms and information.
| | 2011 Business Conference and Opportunity Fair | The 2011 Business Conference & Opportunity Fair was held on June 27 at the Seattle Westin Hotel and had a registered 280 attendees. The conference featured Learning Sessions and an Awards Luncheon; however, two of the most popular events were by far the Business Opportunity Fair and One-on-One Opportunity Sessions, where corporate members were strategically paired with MBEs. Attendees were in general consensus that these two sessions alone make this conference a must-attend event for all Council-certified MBEs.
The conference hosted a variety of exhibitors, ranging from start-up MBEs to corporate member and public agency organizations. Over 50 exhibitors attended and showcased their capabilities and business needs. Many found this to be a good networking opportunity, where companies were easily accessible and had a chance to showcase a variety of visual materials.
"This is my second year returning because it's a wonderful opportunity," commented NMS Sales Executive Kathy Hawkins. "I intend to keep coming back."
The One-on-One Opportunity Sessions were the biggest hit with attendees. Out of all other programming, this most directly allowed corporate members to screen, interview, and potentially close a deal on the same day. This method was made possible by having MBEs and corporate members fill out preliminary applications that listed their specialties and needs in a potential supplier. From there, the Council was able to sort and match companies with corresponding needs and scheduled several interviews in succession for corporate members.
Many of the session goers shared the same sentiment, consistently referring to the caliber of the Northwest's council-certified MBEs.
"The Council goes out of its way to bring only the good ones," said Hallie Bissett of BP Exploration, Inc. (Alaska)." In particular, the standard of businesses represented in the Northwest MSDC is especially high."
This year, seven deals were closed within the same day as the One-on-One Opportunity Sessions. In 2010, three were secured on the spot. This stands as a testament to the value of the event and illustrates why both corporate members and MBEs continue to keep the attendance of this event at the top of their agenda.
| | Council Partners with Mundiali and T.D. Wang Advertising Group | Typically, diversity spending does not receive much attention on budget allocation. Seattle City Light sought to change this mentality and recently awarded Mundiali, Northwest MSDC, and T.D. Wang Advertising Group the consultant's contract to assist in reaching out to Historically Underutilized Businesses and Women and Minority-Owned Businesses Enterprises (HUB/WMBE).
The objective of the project is to assist Seattle City Light in their procurement process and unearth opportunities to work with more diverse organizations, increasing the company's overall diversity inclusion. Seattle City Light has tasked the strategic alliance between Mundiali, the Council, and T.D. Wang with analyzing its current purchasing process, facilitate outreach to HUB/WMBE's, educate Seattle City Light buyers on its importance, and deliver a pilot project to increase overall supplier diversity.
This project is significant not only because it illustrates the City of Seattle taking an initiative toward diversity inclusion, but also because it exemplifies the value and success of MBE strategic alliances. Both Mundiali and T.D. Wang Advertising Group are council-certified MBE's.
"We have always encouraged minority business partnering," said Fernando Martinez, President and CEO of the Council. "We're stronger in numbers and our working together can only provide more value to clients."
The strategic partners focus on the project's respective components. In the grand scheme, this allows for more streamlined production and execution on the management side where each group is allowed to focus on their core competencies.
This strategic alliance also directly reinforces the overall mission of the Council to identify and develop education and business opportunities for MBE's, corporations, and public agencies that result in stakeholder revenue growth. People are able to use this project as a case study of success. The Council hopes to inspire other organizations to follow in suit.
| | General Microsystems Inc. Acquires RockFish Tek Inc. | Acquisition is a significant part of General Microsystems Inc.'s (GMI) long-term investment and growth plan. They have been a keystone company here in the Pacific Northwest, providing IT infrastructure products and services to well-known clients such as Group Health Cooperative, Expeditors International, and Starbucks Coffee. Their most current acquisition of RockFish Tek. Inc., an infrastructure technology integration company based in Santa Clara, Calif., has been a tremendous stepping stone for not only the company but for the entire Northwest region.
GMI now sets a higher caliber for all IT companies here in the Northwest, as this acquisition brings a wealth of new technical and industry expertise GMI did not previously have. GMI president and CEO Earl Overstreet II commented, "Consolidation, convergence, and virtualization coupled with public, private, and hybrid options give customers many choices to deliver IT solutions faster and reliably at lower cost."
The RockFish Tek Inc. acquisition accelerates GMI's ability to allow customers to design and implement the best solutions for their environments. This is a result of GMI's expansion of technical and sales expertise. This increases the company's current product offerings, making it more comprehensive.
Being a prominent IT infrastructure business here in the Northwest, GMI now has the opportunity to magnify its strong reputation, expand in territory, and introduce itself into previously untapped markets of Southern California. As a result, consumers regard GMI as a stronger Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), providing new technology solutions to its current and potential customers.
P.J. Hunt, GMI VP of the Pacific NW Region, recognizes the strength and notability the Northwest MSDC delivers. "GMI has been a small regional company that is becoming more substantial and economically viable as a national company. The help and support of the Council has been important to us getting there," said Hunt.
Overstreet has actively engaged GMI in the Council for over twenty years. Since then, the company has become an award-winning and extremely successful enterprise. For more information on GMI, visit www.gmi.com.
Cherrie Reese and Paul Overstreet  | | General Microsystems Headquarters  | | General Microsystems Website  | |
| | National Supplier Diversity Conference hosted in Seattle | The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) held its 28th Annual Supplier Diversity Conference at the Westin Seattle on May 16-19th. From the various major utility companies to the diverse pool of suppliers, the conference became a hub of interaction and opportunity for all its attendees. With about 280 registered attendees, the turnout created a concentrated attendance, which enabled a more intimate and effective networking experience throughout the conference.
The EEI began the Annual Supplier Diversity Conference as a result of their mission to build partnerships that promote diversity and encourage growth within the energy industry. Supplier Diversity has been an important aspect of the EEI since its inception. The Supplier Diversity Conference is one of their many initiatives to foster growth, as they believe that "Purchasing goods and services through diverse suppliers just makes good business sense."
Seattle was an ideal city to hold the conference, as the EEI saw the Pacific Northwest as an icon of Green Energy. Deborah Matthews, Lead Event Organizer, stated, "Utility companies and suppliers are constantly trying to find new ways to advance within the industry and 'Green Energy' has been able to give these companies the competitive edge they need in finding a 'new energy' outlet."
The theme for this year's conference was "New Energy, New Strategies for Generating Growth through Utilities."
Fernando Martinez, President and CEO of the Northwest MSDC, opened the first full day of the conference with a perspective on supplier diversity here in the Pacific Northwest. He outlined key points on the value of diverse leaders. Martinez brought to attention the everyday battle that diverse leaders face and said that values of Minority Business Enterprises are "immeasurable." Martinez also observed that "Supplier Diversity Leaders are the courageous and tireless backbone, which drives the economic development of our minority communities."
Since 1985, EEI has been recognizing EEI member companies for their outstanding achievements in the advancement of supplier diversity. This year's Awards included the EEI Supplier Diversity Excellence Award, EEI Supplier Diversity Innovation Award, EEI Vendor Opportunity Award, EEI Executive Management Education Program, and EEI Diverse Business Service and Performance Award. A notable undercurrent throughout the conference was the long term challenges and opportunities the energy industry faces in this post-recession era. Keynote speaker, Robert (Bob) Percopo spoke on "Realistically Defining our Energy Destiny" and updated the audience on emerging energy issues that could impact opportunities available for diverse and small businesses in the utility industry. In addition, other events that attendees participated in were panel discussions on "Strategic Sourcing" and "Generating New Business" sessions where diverse suppliers and small businesses had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with utility companies.
The EEI will hold its annual Convention/Expo themed "The Power of Opportunity" on June 12-15 at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Guest speakers will include former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush. For more information about the EEI and upcoming events, visit www.eei.org.
Fernando Martinez welcomes attendees to Seattle  | | Panelists share their thoughts on supplier diversity  | | Closing the conference by thanking all participants  | | | |
