| The mission of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council is to significantly increase business relationships between our corporate members and our certified MBEs. We believe that minority business development is a key component of reducing poverty, unemployment, increasing wealth, and integrating American society. You are receiving this email in order to keep you abreast of developments with the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council, Supplier Diversity Issues and Minority Business Development. If you like what you read please share internally and externally. |
| Rhode Island Regional Advisory Committee to Host Reception Feb.9
Mayor Angel Taveras |
| All Are Welcome to Attend Event at Providence Marriott |
| The GNEMSDC, Rhode Island Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) is hosting its first business reception on February 9 at the Providence Marriott from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Invited guests include all RI based corporate members, all certified RI based MBEs and we have invited prospective corporate members and MBEs as well as the political leadership in the region. As of Friday we had over 65 business and political leaders including the Chief Procurement Officer for Citizens Bank, Brad Artery. Providence elected its first Hispanic Mayor in November, Angel Taveras. Mayor Taveras or someone from his senior staff will be joining us. I also want to thank Juana Horton of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Charles Newton of the State of RI for reaching out to numerous leaders throughout the area. Even if you are not based in RI, you are welcome to join us for this event. Fortune Metal Group is the Sponsor for this event. We want to thank them for that support. Call the office (888-874-7114) to let us know if you are interested in attending. I also want thank the Jim Vincent for having me on his show this weekend where we discussed this event and other GNEMSDC activities.
There will be food and drinks and the event is FREE! See our press release for this event and other upcoming GNEMSDC events. According to our PR metrics, this press release has made over 600,000 impressions and over 2,000 fulll page reads. The message is getting out on this an all of our events. Help us spread the word. |
GNEMSDC First Quarterly Meeting February 14, 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame 2:00 - 4:30 PM | ||
| The GNEMSDC First Quarterly Meeting will take place at the world famous Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA on Monday, February 14 from 2:00 to 4:30 with a reception to follow. The corporate host for this event is Northeast Utility Systems and Western Massachusetts Electric Company. In addition to learning about opportunities at NU, there will be an informative program for both MBEs and corporate members. Please register for this event by calling the office, 888-874-7114 or emailing Jerilynn Clarke at jclarke@gnemsdc.org. |
| Capital and Minority Business Development Summit March 3 - AGENDA
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| Preliminary Agenda Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council Title of Conference - "Capital and Minority Business Capacity Building" Where - Boston Federal Reserve, Boston, MA When - Thursday, March 3, 2011 - 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM 8:30 to 9:00 Registration 8:50 to 9:30 Opening Remarks: David Hinson, Executive Director, Minority Business Development Agency (Invited) (Continental breakfast served) 9:30 to 10:45 Panel Discussion 1: State Treasurers In the Public Sector Capacity - Denise Nappier, Treasurer, State of CT - Chip Flowers, Treasurer, State of DE - Steve Grossman, Treasurer, State of MA (Pictured Above) - Dr. Len Greenhalgh, Professor Tuck School of Business 10:45 to 12:00 Panel Discussion 2: The Role of Private Equity Firms, Venture Capitalists, and Banks - Ron Walker, President, Next Street Financial - Kevin Jordan, Goldman Sachs (Invited) - Peter Hurst, President and CEO The Community's Bank - Charles Grigsby, President and CEO Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation , moderator 12:00 to 1:00 Lunch: Keynote speaker Ralph Moore, President and CEO RGMA 1:30 to 2:45 Panel Discussion 3: Effective Relationships with Funding Sources - Bank of America - Citizens Gary Heidel, Senior Vice President Commercial & Business Banking and SBA lending Leader - Mark Harrison, President and CEO, Business Consortium Fund 2:45 to 4:00 Panel Discussion 4: Case Studies: the Large MBE's Perspective - Carl Highsmith, Retired President and CEO, Specialized Packaging Group, President and CEO - Gary Stiffler, President and CEO, The Matlet Group - Kelvin Bernard, President and CEO, Total Technical Services - Dwain Carver, Proctor and Gamble (Invited) - Moderator 4:00 to 4:15 Closing Remarks: Dr. Fred McKinney, President and CEO, Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council
Annual MBE and Corporate Sponsors will be eligible for two non-transferable tickets to this event. The price to attend for others will be $100.00 which includes breakfast and lunch as well as some of the best high powered networking for the year. It is not too late to become an Annual Corporate or MBE Sponsor. Call the office for details. |
| Last Week for Nominations - Extension for the Snow |
| MBE and Corporate Member Nominations Due This Week |
| Because of the incredibly destructive weather we have experienced the past two weeks, we are extending the deadline for nominations until the end of this week. Please submit nominations for the GNEMSDC Awards for Corporation of the Year (two categories - Local and National), Supplier of the Year (4 categories), Reciprocal MBE of the Year, Buyer of the Year, Advocate of the Year and MBE Empowerment. These are these most prestigious awards in the region for these because they are selected based on performance and judged by an independent panel. This year, we expect over 1,000 attendees and many business and political leaders from across the region to be in attendance along with the media. So, this is an excellent opportunity to have your business in the glow of success. It is going to be a great event! You should be a part of it. |
| GNEMSDC Is Looking for Marketing MBE(s) |
| Marketing RFP is Out and Responses Due February 28 |
| The GNEMSDC is looking to contract out some marketing functions. Enclosed is the Marketing RFP describing the services we are seeking. Only certified MBEs will be considered for this contract. |
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| I was recently asked by the Federal Home Loan Bank to write a memo commenting on some recent recommendations by the General Accounting Office, the research arm of Congresss. The GAO is recommending that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac possibly be converted into cooperatives similar to the Federal Home Loan Bank system. (The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston is a corporate member of the GNEMSDC.) I was reminded by my friends at the FHLB that two years ago I had written a memo predicting that Fannie and Freddie might be merged into, or converted into something like the FHLB. The reason for this is to share with you the fact that I had completely forgotten this prediction, but after reading my earlier memo, it is true; I had predicted such a reorganization. The point of this is not to pat myself on the back for my powers of prognostication. The troubling thing about this is that I forgot. But I am not taking this as a sign of pre-mature senility, some might question my use of the adjective, "pre-mature" because it implies that there is hope for some future sign of maturity. I look at this as a deeply ingrained personality trait, or flaw, that puts the past in the past, even when that past involves a prediction of the future that happens to be today. In any case, I will continue to live in the present, as I suggest that you do. The only score that counts is the score that is taking place right now. So make the best of your now even if in the future your forgot what exactly you were doing right now!
In your service Dr. Fred, |
And Finally, 
