March 26, 2012

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.   2nd Annual Capital and Minority Business Capacity Building Summit  - March 27, 2012 MBEs and Corporations and Financial Institutions are invited to attend the 2nd Annual MBE Capital Summit hosted by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, on Tuesday, March 27 from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (401 Park Drive, Boston, MA). This year our keynote speaker is the  Massachusetts Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman.         We are getting great responses from MBEs and corporate members from around the country for the 2nd Annual Capital and Minority Business Capacity Building Summit.  We are also happy to announce that because of the generous support of our sponsors, the event is FREE!  If you are interested in attending this high powered meeting of leaders from business, finance politics, policy and the media, call the office to reserve your seat.  Because of space constraints we are limiting attendance to two persons per company.  Last year we had 250 attendees at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.  This year we have room for 150 attendees.  Summit Agenda and Program Overview.  To register and reserve your seats for this event please email: sjames@gnemsdc.org         Event Sponsors are:  State Street Financial, Liberty Mutual, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Bank of America, The Boston Foundation and Partners Healthcare Capital Summit Public Service Announcement Annual Award Gala - April 26, 2012    GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala on April 26 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT.  This event will start at 4:00 pm with our Annual Meeting, followed by a cocktail reception starting at 5:00 pm. Dinner & the award presentations will begin at 6:30 pm.  {Please click below link for Sponsorship, Hotel information, and Directions}         We are pleased announce the following Nominees for Corporate Awards: National Corporation of the Year Nominees:  1)  Walt Disney 2)  United Technologies Corporation 3)  PepsiCo 4)  Chevron Local Corporation of the Year  1) Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA 2)  Northeast Utilities System 3)  United Rentals 4)  The Connecticut Lottery 5)  Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Buyer of the Year  1)  Patricia Eigenbrode, Pratt and Whitney 2)  Joseph Souza, Foxwoods Resort 3)  Eric Olson, Office Depot 4)  Roseanne Prosser,  PepsiCo 5)  Panos Lapotas, United Rental Corporation 6)  Janice Beckner, CT Lottery 7)  Christina Lago, ESPN Advocate of the Year 1)  Larry Wooten, Pitney Bowes 2)  Andrea McNair, Walt Disney 3)  David Wicks, Hamilton Sundstrand 4)  Tonya Marksteiner, Cigna 5)  Cheryl Clarke, Northeast Utilities System 6)  Lynette Shenefield, RBS Citizens Bank 7)  Elizabeth Maldonado, Northeast Utilities System 8)  Kristen Hickey, Aetna 9)  Liveda Clements, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts 10) Joseph Souza, Foxwoods Resort    Registration Information for Non-Annual Sponsors In order to register for the GNEMSDC Awards Gala you will need to register with the GNEMSDC site {Please click below link for instruction "how to register online}.   Annual Sponsors- please do not register online, email all information to gnemsdc@gnemsdc.org Non-Annual Sponsors "how to Register for the Awards Gala online", sponsorship information, Hotel Information, and Directions to Aqua Turf   If you have questions about the portal's features or are having problems, please give Tatiana a call, (203) 288-9744.      Watch Annual Dinner PSA 2012 Annual Gala MC - Jonathan Coachman We are very pleased to announce Jonathan Coachman is a Sports TV Personality for ESPN and ESPN Radio will be joining us at the Gala this year as our MC. Jonathan Coachman began his career in 19997 in Wichita, KS at KAKE-TV.  He continued on to Kansas City in 1999 where he worked in the same sports department with NFL legend and Super Bowl MVP Len Dawson.   In the fall of 1999 his career took an abrupt turn as Coachman took a hob as a TV personality in WWE.  He spent the next 9 years traveling the world working for Vince McMahon.  In 2006 he began also doing sports again at CSTV and MSG network in New York City.  In 2008 Jonathan left the road and the WWE for the friendly confines of Bristol, CT and ESPN. In His almost 4 years with the company Jonathan has done just about every sport but he has found a niche as a main host on the flagship show SportsCenter.  You may have heard Coachman as you are driving around in your car on ESPN Radio.  In 2011 Jonathan joined forces with Freddie Coleman for "The Coach and Coleman Show" on ESPN Radio. Jonathan is married to Amy and has 2 beautiful kids, Kayana (3) and JJ (1). Special "THANK YOU" to our Sponsors  THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!! We want to thank our sponsors for their support and all of our events and activities in 2012.   To see the up-to-date list of current: Corporate and MBE Annual Sponsors   Corporate & MBE News  I thought you'd enjoy the recent coverage of GNEMSDC corporate member (United Rentals) and MBE (Nadicent) in the Fen-March, 2012 issue of "Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology". You can find the article by clicking on the link: http://online.qmags.com/DC0212    (Select Pg 58 at the top-center of this page.  The article is on pages 58-60. Nadicent message/photo is on Pg. 60.  Jamie Crump's photo is on pg. 58 and her comments are on pages 58 & 60. Trip to Land of Opportunity!  At last year's GNEMSDC Trade Show, Donald Southerton spoke about the great opportunities in Korea for MBEs and corporate members.  I have recently been in conversations with Don about organizing a group of MBEs and corporate members for a trade mission to South Korea.  The purpose of the one week trip would be to generate business for MBEs, corporate members and Korean based firms.  At this time we want to know if there is interest among the GNEMSDC stakeholders for such a trip.  This could be the first of many global connections between GNEMSDC MBEs. Send me an email, fmckinney@gnemsdc.org, letting me know if you have an interest in participating in this global opportunity.   Profitable Ecommerce Business For Sale Ecommerce business and certified MBE specializing in industrial and safety products, facility supplies and material handling equipment located in Connecticut is for sale.  Sale includes highly trafficked domain name, vendor contacts and current customers.  Some customers include the Navy, Army, Lockheed Martin, USPS, New Britain Rock Cats and many more. 100% of hundreds of daily hits are natural (unpaid), based on history of domain name and SEO work.  Good opportunity for a brick and mortar distributor to obtain an established web presence.  Please contact office for more information (203-288-9744)   GNEMSDC  Massachusetts Supplier  Diversity Golf Classic The GNEMSDC Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Golf Outing is coming to FerncroftCountry Club Club (www.ferncroftcc.com) on Monday, June 11.   This is the first golf outing in MA since the 2009 merger.  Our CT golf outing has been a tremendous success over the past few years, so much so, that there was no room to accommodate more players.  We are hoping that the reintroduction of the Golf Supplier Diversity Day to the Greater Boston Market will also be a tremendous success. Annual Sponsors have the choice of participating in either the Massachusetts outing or the Connecticut outing (July 13) or both. We are asking for sponsors to provide us with the names of their guests by May 15. Due to the limited space, we will not be able to hold your slots if you do not send your names to the office by June 1. One of the main attractions of this event is getting MBEs and Corporate members together. If you are interested in a fun morning of golf, networking, food, drinks and relationship building and are not registered, we can put your name on a waiting list.   If you would like to donate any items for our very popular raffle, please contact the office (888-874-7114).   We are also looking for volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to meet hundreds of guests                                                     2012 MA Supplier Golf Outing Co-Chairs: Bill Boodry of Liberty Mutual and Michael White of ACP Cleaning. ***Volunteer opportunity available -  Contact Volunteer Coordinator (before May 30)***  2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo  Save the Date for the 2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo! June 7, 2012 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center                    MED Day is the premier event for minority enterprises and the public and private sectors. MED Day will offer the opportunity for MBEs to access information, tools and resources to grow their businesses both domestically and internationally. MBEs across a variety of industries will gather to connect with public and private sector buyers, explore avenues for business expansion, and develop thriving partnerships with firms across multiple industry sectors. Large corporations can expect to meet Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) and MBEs to achieve their federal government goals. This conference will also introduce the new U.S. Department of Commerce's Boston Minority Business Development Center, a powerful tool for MBEs who want to grow. Attendees can expect networking, business-to-business matchmaking sessions with corporate procurement officials and capital providers and workshops Events That MBEs Should Not Miss   There are several events coming up on our calendar that are designed specifically for MBEs to learn about corporate opportunities.  We know how busy everyone's schedule is, but these are events often hosted by our corporate members with the expressed purpose of finding out more about you and your business with the ultimate aim, to make you a valuable supplier to their companies.  Here are some events you should consider: 2012 Upcoming Events March 26 - How to do business with PepsiCo - this event will be held at their facility located at 700 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577 from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm.  Registration is required to attend and space is limited.  Please fill out the attached registration form & email it back tojclarke@gnemsdc.org.  MBEs must register by February 29, 2012.  This event is an excellent opportunity to learn about PepsiCo's sourcing process and meet internal and external stakeholders March 27 - Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA - 2nd Annual Capital Summit featuring MA Commonwealth Treasurer Steve Grossman. For more details see the updated calendar below for times locations and directions.  April 26 - SAVE THE DATE- GNEMSDC Annual Awards Gala- Aqua Turf Country Club, 556 Mulberry Street, Plantsville, CT. This event will start at 4:00 pm with our Annual Meeting, followed by a cocktail reception starting at 5:00 pm. Dinner & the award presentations will begin at 6:30 pm. May 15 - The Pitney Bowes Supplier Diversity Summit is a business networking event that increases awareness, builds business relationships, and educates stakeholders on the benefits and value of supplier diversity.  The Summit also provides the opportunity for diverse business owners to share capabilities with decision makers. May 15, 8 am to 3 pm   June 7 -  2012 New England Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Day Conference & Expo!  at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center Women Owned Business Procurement Fair Come meet the PSEG Procurement team and network with fellow WBEs during a morning fair. This program is open to Certified WBEs as well as those considering certification, and is complimentary to attend.  Invitation, Agenda and Directions Thursday,  April 5, 2012 8:30 am - 12 pmPublic Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG) Newark, NJ Headquarters 80 Park Plaza, Conference Room 101 & Lobby Newark, NJ  07102  Four Opportunities with United Rentals  * Potential suppliers to provide their customer invoice and statement print and mail services - Supplier submission should go to Panos Lapatas at panos@ur.com no later than Friday, March 30th, 2012   * Potential supplier to provide relocation services for their employees - Supplier submission should go to Jamie Crump at jamie@ur.com no later than Thursday, April 12, 2012   * Potential suppliers to provide language translation services - Supplier submission should go to Louis Williams at lwilliam@ur.com no later than Thursday, April 5, 2012 * Potential catalog production suppliers who are leaders in the market place, providing design, content management and supporting technical services to develop print-ready templates that meet requirements - Supplier submission should go to Louis Williams at lwilliam@ur.com no later than Monday, April 9, 2012.   Opportunities details Opportunities with Corporate Members  Chrysler requiring more minority purchases   Town of Bloomfield RFP for Professional Consulting Service -Due Today!  NMSDC/GNEMSDC Information   Please take a close look at the information listed below.  The links will take you to detailed information.    How to Conduct Business with NU as a Subcontractor -Presentation  Strategic Buyer-Supplier Partnerships in Small Firms: The Role of a Third Party by Dr. Henry Adobor & Dr. Ronald S. McMullen Department of Management, School of Business, Quinnipiac University   Out of the Army,Into A Start-Up  State of CT, Job Expansion Tax Credit Program (JET)  Hartford Business Journal article by Dr Fred, "$25 billion is not enough to fix mortgage mess"  Bay State Banner article by Dr Fred on Bain Capital, private equity and capitalism     Kristen Hickey Named Minority Business Champion by the SBA for the State of Connecticut Congratulations to Kristen Hickey on winning the SBA MInority Business Champion award! Kristen Hickey of AETNA was named 2012 Minority Champion of the Year.  Hickey is not only a full time supplier diversity leader at the AETNA, she has been recognized locally and nationally for being a leader in the utilization and development of minority and women owned business enterprises. Se builds capacity by guiding, directing and supporting AETNA staff and management in understanding and integrating supplier diversity principles and strategies into business operations. Ms. Hickey is GNEMSDC Board Chair.    Last week it was announced that Dr. Fred won the SBA Massachusetts Minority Business Champion award.  (Thanks again to Ron Marlow and Reggie Nunnally for that nomination.)  I guess you can call it a "bifecta".  McKinney Testifies to CT General Assembly on State Set Aside Program On Wednesday, March 21, Dr. Fred testified before the Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee.  The testimony was in support of Substitute Bill 429 which separates the set-aside goals for MBEs and WBEs.  To read his entire testimony click here

And Finally... I like most of you have been riveted by the play of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.  But I have to admit to having mixed emotions about the whole structure of this national spectacle.  The networks, the coaches and the schools are seemingly the only ones to be making any money in this multi billion dollar enterprise.  As an economist there are two relevant principles at work here.  The first is the concept of economic rent. Pure economic rent exist when it is  possible to generate a supply of something without there being any payment to the owner of the source of supply. So for instance, land exist without the need for a payment.  This is not to be confused with payments necessary for the improvement of land.  But if the owner of land were not paid, it would continue to exist.  The concept is relevant here because the "student athletes" are willing to play this high level of basketball at no compensation except for a chance to attend their university.   The second concept is what capitalist economists call exploitation.  This is not the exploitation of Karl Marx.  This is the exploitation that occurs when a resource is paid less than the value of their production.   The NCAA is quick to point out in its commercials that support this unholy extravagance, that  most of their student athletes go on to a profession other than the sport they play in college.  In effect, the student athlete got paid with a college education.  While for most college sports where there are thin crowds and no billion dollar TV contracts, the educational payment may be a sufficient recompense for those student athletes, but for big time college sports, particularly basketball and football this is far from the case.  These players are currently being exploited in the worst possible way.  They and their families are generating millions for the schools, the coaches, the NCAA, the networks and the advertisers while the players often return to a life of poverty when their college careers are done.  It is particularly important to note that the resources that could be going to these athletes are also resources that are not going back into the communities from which these players come. Imagine if some of the millions made by this activity were to be paid to the thousands of players and the impact it would have on their families and their communities.  If my blasphemy sounds like outrage, it is.  In the very least, the NCAA and the colleges that participate in this exploitation should give every scholarship athlete a lifetime scholarship that would allow them to attend college for as long as it takes for them to complete their degree no matter when they decide to take education seriously.  But at the end of the day, the organizers of this enterprise should feel nothing but shame, and this will only change when they begin to share the proceeds of this profitable venture with the players who are the goose that lay this golden egg.      In your service, Dr. Fred