Natl. Minority Business Council “More Significant than ever” Says NY MWBE Chair Bill Thompson

PRLog (Press Release) - Jun. 14, 2012 - On June 28th, the National Minority Business Council (www.nmbc.org) will continue the celebration of its 40th Anniversary by presenting awards to individuals and organizations that support its mission of “enhancing the success and profitability of the small business community, especially women, minority and veteran-owned businesses” through its advocacy work on all levels of government and with major corporations committed to a diversified workforce and supplier chain.  
   NMBC CEO and President, John F. Robinson, announced that William “Bill” C. Thompson, Chair of New York State Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s Minority- and Women-owned  Business Enterprise Team will be the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony and reception.  The event will be hosted by BNY Mellon, a long-time corporate supporter of the not-for-profit advocacy group for minority-owned businesses including people of color, women and veterans, at One Wall St., New York, June 28th, from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM.
   In a statement, Thompson, the former New York City Comptroller and 2013 Mayoral-hopeful, stated that “NMBC is more significant than ever in an era when more and more individuals are launching their own businesses in response to persistently-high unemployment. It offers four-decades of experience in working with all levels of government and Corporate America, opening doors for the equal opportunity to compete for lucrative contracts that will help both new entrepreneurs and established but struggling organizations sustain and grow their businesses and create new jobs in the process.”  
   Michael Robinson, NMBC treasurer and chair of the 40th Anniversary committee, said “The companies and individuals receiving awards from NMBC are nominated and ultimately, selected by the organization’s Board of Directors for the contributions they have made in furthering NMBC’s goals and for reflecting the principles for which we stand.”    
   Receiving the Outstanding Public Servant Award will be NYC Commissioner of Small Business Services Rob Walsh.  “Since his appointment to office during the first term of Mayor Bloomberg’s administration, Commissioner Walsh and his staff have developed a very compatible and supportive working relationship with NMBC,” said Michael Robinson. “As a result, many of our members have made important professional contacts within New York City government agencies on account of the ongoing presence that Commissioner Walsh and his staff has had at multiple NMBC events.”
   Colgate-Palmolive is the recipient of the Outstanding Corporate Diversity Award.  “Although  one of the best-known corporations in the world,  it is less known by most people as one of the most progressive Fortune 500 companies committed to promoting workplace and supplier diversity,” said Claire P. Scanlon, vice president and supplier development program manager for BNY Melon and chair of NMBC’s Corporate Advisory Committee.  “It is a beacon in Corporate America’s commitment to employee and supplier diversity.”
   Receiving the Not-for Profit Supplier Diversity Award is The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, a cancer research facility that also supplies 2.5 million “JAX Mice” to 19,000 research and educational institutions around the country.   Additionally, its summer employment program in medical and scientific research actively recruits minority high school and college students.  
   The recipient of the Minority and Women-owned (MWBE) Award for Green Initiative is New York-based Crescent Energy, a LEED-certified consulting firm that manages energy and green building programs for its clients. “I am especially pleased that we will be presenting an award in this new category for Green Initiative,” said Ben Jones, NMBC chair and whose Teaneck , NJ-based company, Lightning Supply, Inc. is a distributor of environmentally safe safety and cleaning products  
   “The theme of our 40th Anniversary is ‘Reflect, Rekindle, Refocus, Resolve’.  We encourage not only our members and our corporate sponsors to embrace this goal when reviewing their hiring practices and selecting suppliers, but all government agencies and private enterprises who recognize the importance of a diversified workforce and supply chain in this global economy,” added Jones.  
   Sponsorship opportunities range from $5,000 to $750.  Individual tickets range from $150 to $75 for NMBC members.  For further information about sponsorships call 914-654-1506.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/11900159/1