| GNEMSDC 2014 Upcoming Events | ||
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Invitation to The Partnership, Inc. Information Breakfast
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 You are cordially Invited to The Partnership, Inc. Informational Breakfast Hosted By Kimberly Williams, Diversity Consultant Baystate Health & Dr. Fred McKinney, President of the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council. Learn more about The Partnership's Western Massachusetts and Connecticut Executive, Mid-Career and Entry-Level Professional Leadership Development Programs Edward Baker-Greene Partnership Board Chair & SVP, ING, Windsor, CT. Also, Marcy Reed Partnership Vice Chair & President, National Grid Carol Fulp President & CEO, The Partnership on Thursday, November 14, 2013 9:30 a.m. at the MassMutual Learning and Conference Center 350 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA. Please RSVP to Estelle Nieves @believes@thepartnershipinc.org
The GNEMSDC is involved with The Partnership because we have similar missions and similar supporters. While our mission is to increase diversity in corporate supply chains, The Partnership's mission is to increase diversity and inclusion within corporate management and to develop diverse talent. I encourage our corporate members in the Greater Hartford-Springfield area to join us on Thursday for this informative breakfast.
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Corporate Member of the Week: Northeast Utilities:
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Northeast Utilities operates New England's largest utility system serving more than 3.6 million electric and natural gas customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. NU is dedicated to this region, as well as the people, energy and technology so vital to its security, stability and economic strength. Northeast Utilities also operates under: Connecticut Light & Power, NSTAR Electric & Gas, NU Transmission, Public Service of New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts Electric Co., Yankee Gas Services Company.
Below is your complimentary Storm Safety Video from Northeast Utilities Systems. This educational video may increase your awareness for the upcoming winter and storm season.
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MBE of the Week: Young Moving and Storage
Frank Young Recognized As Top 100 MBE® Award Winner
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 RICHMOND, Va. - October 31, 2013- Frank Young, president of Young Moving & Storage, has been selected to receive the distinguished 2013 Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award. The Top 100 MBE® ceremony is designed to acknowledge and pay tribute to outstanding women and minority business owners in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The Top 100 MBE® Award is given to enterprising women and minority entrepreneurs that fuel the region's economy through their innovation, sacrifices, and dedication. He will Receive Award at October 30th Ceremony. The awards ceremony is scheduled during Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's Supplier Diversity and Inclusion Week, on Wednesday, October 30th at 5:30 p.m. at the War Memorial located 101 Gay Street in downtown Baltimore. For more information about Young Moving & Storage, please visitwww.youngmoving.com or call 877-764-9329. Learn more here. |
Advanced Leadership Program (GALP)
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GNEMSDC would like to thank the program's professors for teaching the course and congratulate all participants! Stay tuned for upcoming Advanced Leadership Program Class.
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Upcoming Events
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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:
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Small Business Seminar Hosted by DECD
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The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is hosting a free Small Business Seminar on Tuesday, November 12 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. at Vibz Uptown, 3155 Main Street, Hartford, CT.
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Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Forum:
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You are cordially invited to attend the Harvard Pilgrim Supplier Diversity & Inclusion Forum on Thursday, November 14th from 5:00-7:00 PM in
Wellesle, MA. Harvard Pilgrim Health Care recognizes the importance of diverse suppliers to the region's economic vitality.
Event Goals
Create opportunities for business partnerships with minority and women owned suppliers
Promote awareness of how to do business with Harvard Pilgrim
Strengthen awareness of Harvard Pilgrim's Supplier Diversity & Inclusion program and mission
Learning and development opportunity
Agenda
5:00-5:05 Registration & Reception
5:05-5:15 Welcome Remarks by David Westervelt, V.P, Finance, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Dr. Fred McKinney, GNEMSDC
5:15-5:30 Introduction to Supplier Diversity @ HPHC: Harvard Pilgrim's inclusive approach to doing business - David Westervelt, VP Finance, Harvard Pilgrim
5:30-6:50 Networking - Harvard Pilgrim Purchasers and Suppliers/Vendors
6:50-7:00 Closing Remarks - David Westervelt, V.P. Finance, Harvard Pilgrim
How can I get involved?
Please RSVP to sjames@GNEMSDC.org and include attendee(s) name(s), company, and title.
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Networking Invitation
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| and The National Society of Hispanics MBAs- CT ChapterInvite you to attend our Networking Reception Tuesday, November 19, 2013 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Hot Tomato's Ristorante 1 Union Place, Hartford, CT 06103 |
Jobs and Contracting Opportunities Community Forum:
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 You are invited to attend The Housing Authority of the City of Bridgeport's Jobs and Contracting Opportunities Community Forum. Who should attend: General Contractors, Subcontractors, Municipal, State, and Public, Housing Agencies, Small Business and Local Business Enterprises, Minority, Women, and Section 3 Business Enterprises. The event will be hosted on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Testo's Restaurant at 1775 Madison Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut. |
Best Practices Forum - At Fenway Park Home of the 2013 American League Champions!
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You are invited to attend the 5th Annual Supplier Diversity Best Practices Forum.
Dates are: November 21st, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: State Street Pavilion at Fenway Park, 40 Yawkey Way, Boston, MA.
The event will be featuring a discussion of winning Supplier Diversity practices by Corporate and MBE Business Leaders. RSVP by Nov 5, 2013
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Invitation for Bid
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Opportunities
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Advertisement for MBE Subcontractors
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Posting I:
Integrated Design & Construction, LLC is seeking prospective employee for the following positions;
construction management and administration staff as follows:
Project Manager: 7-10 yrs. experience in Commercial, Institutional or Mixed use facilities in the Hartford/Tolland counties area (Project Management, Estimating, Scheduling, etc.). Construction Field or Design experience a Plus.
Assistant Project Manager: 3-5 yrs. experience (similar to above)
For inquiries and submissions please contact Thaddeus M. Stewart at: 203.909.6559
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Posting II:
Agency Name: Executive Office for Administration and Finance
Official Title: Edp Systems Analyst III
Functional Title: Edp Systems Analyst III
Occupational Group: Information Technology
Agency Name: Executive Office for Administration and Finance
Official Title: Computer Operator I
Functional Title: Computer Operator I
Occupational Group: Information Technology
Agency Name: Dept. of Revenue
Official Title: Tax Examiner III
Functional Title: Tax Examiner III
Occupational Group: Budget & Accounting
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Solicitation for Minority Business Enterprises (MBE and WBE)
Associated Construction Company seeks letters of interest from qualified and certified minority business enterprises (MBE and WBE) for the following bid packages relating to a high end corporate dining facility located in the greater Hartford Area. The project consists of a first class corporate kitchen, servery and dining seating space. The total facility will occupy 36,500sf., of which 21,000sf. will be new construction and 15,500sf. will be renovation of existing space. Upon prequalification, bids from subcontractors will be received during the months of November and December. The work will take place from March 2014 through June 2015. Interested contractors may inquire by sending a Letter of Interest, Company Profile, List of Similar Projects and Certification via email to Joseph Jankowski at jdj@accgc.com on or before November 1, 2013. Learn more here.
The Associated Construction Company is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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| FYI |
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| 2013 Business Opportunity Expo Survey |
If you haven't already completed the Survey which was sent to individual emails, please feel free to click on the link below and share your experiences.
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And Finally...
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The Affordable Care Act, AKA Obamacare, has been one of the major domestic news events this past two weeks. Much of the focus has been on the broken website and other glitches in the program from reports of people losing their previous coverage, to examples of people whose personal information has been compromised. Curious that I am, I decided to take a look at the Affordable Care Act website that has drawn all of the attention. The site, www.healthcare.gov was working when I visited it. I was able to price several plans. I was able to determine, not to my surprise, that I was ineligible for any subsidy from the Federal government to assist me with my premium payments. Now I did not try to buy a plan, but in terms of informational responsiveness, the site worked and was very helpful and intuitive.
But the other reason I visited the site was that I was invited by the Connecticut Health Foundation to be a panelist on the NPR radio program hosted by John Dankosky, Where We Live. I shared the dais in front of a live audience in their Hartford studios with Kevin Counihan, President and CEO of Access Health CT, the state health insurance exchange, an "assister" in the Hispanic community in Hartford, and Greg Jones, an MBE who also is a member of the board of the Omega Foundation in Hartford. The Omega Foundation with the support of Hartford Hospital goes into barbershops and churches in low-income areas to educate people on chronic disease and diet. (You can listen to the show this Tuesday on WNPR 90.5 FM at 9:00 AM)
The reason I was asked to participate in the panel was because one of the goals of ACA is to increase insurance coverage for workers in small businesses, by reducing the cost of insurance. The secondary reason I was asked to participate is my academic background and previous work in health care economics. My dissertation over thirty years ago, was entitled, "Market Determinants of Quality and Access of Physician Services". It was an economic analysis of the impact insurance was having on the practice of medicine. My thesis was a that third party insurance would lead to the greater commercialization of medicine and all of the related industries.
Fast forward to today, and the ACA is the most significant change in the health care system since the introduction of Medicaid and Medicare in 1965. I believe that making high quality health care affordable to all Americans is a goal we should strive for. And I think that the ACA is an important step in that direction. However, I do not think it is ideal or the last step in this process of making sure that health care expenses do not bankrupt families or force parents to make choices over which child goes to the doctor.
At some point in the future, we will break the link between employment status and insurance coverage. It is this link that is forcing some small business owners, the ones the ACA is trying to assist, to make some tough choices of hiring one full-time employee or two part-time employees in order to avoid the cost of insurance. These are what economists call the "unintended consequences" of a policy that hurts the very people the policy purports to help.
The solution to this problem is blasphemous. The solution is that we really need to stop thinking about health insurance and focus on health and health services access. There is no need to have health insurance as we know it. We need a financing mechanism, but it is gross misuse of the English language to call it insurance. What we have now is not insurance in the true meaning of the term. It is pre-payment. Insurance is designed to cover low-probability, high-cost events, like a ship wreck or an act of piracy. What we have is a pre-payment system for high-probability events. A system that would limit an American's out-of-pocket expenses to 10 percent of their annual income can be accomplished without traditional insurance schemes.
Sooner or later we will get to a system where it is citizenship that determines access to health care services not employment. Sooner or later, we will shift the focus from how we pay for health care services to the actual health of the population. And sooner or later we will focus on the fact that health outcomes are responsibility of us all.
In your service
Dr. Fred
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