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Nov / Dec 2014 Tabor Newsletter
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OLLIE GARRETT
President of Tabor 100
Tabor Neighbors,
Many are reflecting on the
adversities in 2014, but I want to focus on what is to
come and encourage all of you to take advantage of
what could be the best business climate in this state
and region in many decades. As President of Tabor
100, I intend to work diligently to present as many new
opportunities to you as possible. It is my goal to have
as many Tabor members as possible sharing in the
prosperity that 2015 will bring.
Last year, the city of Seattle grew faster than any other
major American city, according to the US Census Bureau.
The University of Washington alone intends to spend
$7.5 billion over the next ten years, the city of Seattle,
$5.3 billion over the next six and the Port of Seattle,
$2.2 billion over 5 years. Sound Transit is also poised
to spend record amounts as is the state Department
of Transportation and other state agencies. This growth
means economic opportunity for Tabor members, but
we must aggressively pursue it and make sure that our
voices are heard and that we make sure those who are
creating economic opportunities understand we are an
important component in that effort.
I am pleased to say that Tabor has worked closely
with many public and private sector partners who are
responsible for fueling the unprecedented economic
growth this region is experiencing.
For 2015, we will work even closer with those who are
enhancing the economy of this region to help you build
your business and create a legacy. I would be remiss
if I did not remind you that much of this work happens
because of dedicated volunteers who have the interest
of our community in mind and recognize that in the act
of giving, they also receive. If you are a Tabor member,
I want you to become an active member. If you are not
a Tabor member, I want you to become a member and
player in the game!
I wish all of you a blessed and peaceful Christmas
season. I encourage you to be prepared to set your
sights on 2015, sharing in the prosperity that will unfold
next year and beyond. I want all of the Tabor community
to experience a more prosperous 2015 and we do that by
strengthening our partnerships. Let’s embrace diversity
and fight through adversity.
Please visit www.Tabor100.org to read
Ollie’s complete President’s message.
Ollie Garrett Receives
Women of Valor Award
6
James Evans is the New
Assistant Director at UW
5
WSDOT is More Visible
to Our Community
3
Are You Ready to Get
Involved with Tabor 100?
2
Nov / Dec 2014
2. 2
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ALL OF
THE 15TH ANNUAL GALA PHOTOS?
Keith Williams, founder of Flyright Productions LLC
wishes you a happy holidays and has offered to
share all of this year’s Gala photos with you, our
beloved Tabor community.
1. Access them here: www.seemyprints.com
2. Search “Tabor 100”
3. Password is “gala”
GET IN THE GAME WITH
TABOR 100 IN 2015!
Are you interested in being more involved with
Tabor 100 in 2015? If you would like to become a
Committee Chair, Co-chair or serve on a specific
committee, let our president, Ollie Garrett know
today! President@tabor100.org.
The committees are:
1. Business Development Committee: builds,
develops, and articulates the business
knowledge base of the Tabor 100; Provides
recommendations on organizational and
member development issues.
2. Economic Development Committee:
promotes initiatives impacting economic
development, wealth creation and business
opportunity in the minority community.
3. Education Committee: partners with other
organizations to meet community educational
needs; facilitates youth mentoring activities;
oversees Tabor 100 Scholarship Programs.
4. Fund Development Committee: responsible
for developing fundraising strategies and
seeking charitable donations and grants in
support of Tabor 100’s activities and programs.
5. Government Affairs Committee: serves
as liaison with business and legislative
organizations on issues of concern for Tabor
100.
6. Membership Committee: coordinates and
promotes membership recruitment initiatives for
Tabor 100, and processes new members into
the organization
7. Public Affairs Committee: provides the
marketing and technology capabilities
to promote Tabor 100 communications.
Responsible for maintaining and publishing the
Tabor 100 website and newsletter.
8. Gala Committee: serves as the team
responsible for planning Tabor’s yearly Gala
event. The charge of the Committee is to
execute all aspects required to plan and carry-out
the event.
3. 3
LYNN PETERSON
WSDOT Secretary of Transportation
► ►WSDOT Update: Being More Visible to the DBE and Minority
Contractor Community
People can’t find opportunities if they don’t know
where to look. With that in mind, we’ve worked very
hard in recent months to increase the visibility of
the information we make available to the DBE and
minority contractor community.
Step one in that effort: freshening up our website.
Visitors to www.AlaskanWayViaduct.org will now find
a link to DBE information displayed prominently on
our home page. Clicking on the link takes them to
our newly revamped DBE web page, which includes
a wealth of information about DBE progress on the
tunnel and other viaduct replacement projects, as
well as easy-to-find contact information for firms
seeking opportunities.
In-person outreach has also been an area of
focus. In addition to attending events within the
DBE community, Seattle Tunnel Partners recently
launched a series of monthly meetings that highlight
upcoming contracting opportunities. Attendees
at these meetings can connect with project staff,
discuss progress and – most importantly – learn
about potential ways for their firms to seek work on
this historic project.
Like WSDOT, STP has continued to step up its DBE
efforts. They established a Subcontracting Oversight
committee that has already made significant
progress toward clarifying the procurement process
for contracts, and improving transparency and
accountability related to bidding opportunities.
In addition to increased communication and process
improvements, both WSDOT and STP have brought
in new staff to assist in our efforts. WSDOT’s Office
of Equal Opportunity recently welcomed Kara Larsen
to serve as interim director of OEO. Formerly with the
Office of the Attorney General, Labor and Personnel
Division, Larsen’s experience includes working with
state agencies on compliance with anti-discrimination
laws and workforce development. Also, Henry Yates
is serving as OEO’s interim DBE liaison officer. Yates
has more than 20 years of experience in government
relations and community and constituent outreach.
He will work closely with Larsen to increase DBE
participation throughout the state. You can reach
both Henry and Kara by phone at 360-705-7090,
or by email at YatesH@wsdot.wa.gov or
LarsenK@wsdot.wa.gov.
STP recently hired Jan Keiser – a professional civil
engineer and an attorney with over 30 years of
experience working with public works construction
projects – to provide additional oversight for
their DBE program. Keiser most recently served
as construction counsel for King County Metro
and Sound Transit, where she worked with the
technical teams and diversity program offices to
administer procurement processes, develop contract
documents, resolve disputes and help build the
capacity of WMDBEs.
Of course none of these efforts matter if they don’t
yield results. I’m pleased to share that STP’s latest
utilization report shows they are nearly halfway
toward achieving their $96 million DBE contract
requirement for the project. Through September
2014, 92 certified DBE firms had participated on
the project, with STP still working hard to bring on
additional firms.
We’ve taken some important steps recently to
strengthen our commitment to support small
businesses and ensure a level playing field exists
in our federally funded contracts. As a former small
business owner, I understand the importance of
small businesses. Firms like those owned by Tabor
100 members power economic development and
prosperity for our state, and we will continue to
take steps to remove barriers and help socially and
economically disadvantaged firms to succeed.
4. At the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), we’re
all about helping small businesses start, grow and
succeed. Collaboration with SBA resource partners
is essential because they provide quality one-on-one
counseling, training and mentorship that can help
unleash small business potential. In fiscal year 2014,
these efforts helped small businesses receive more
than $4.7 billion in capital infusion, start over 13,500
new companies and create and retain more than
70,000 jobs.
SBA resource partners are available to help build
small businesses success and include SCORE, Small
Business Development Centers (SBDC), Women
Business Centers (WBC) and Veterans Business
Outreach Centers (VBOC). Together, they counseled
and trained over 1 million clients in fiscal year 2014.
SBA’s vast network of resource partners serve and
mentor the dynamic demographics of the United
States. From women, to Encore entrepreneurs over the
age of 50, to veterans and millennial entrepreneurs,
SBA resource partners have helped the small
business community raise start up and growth capital,
start new companies and sell billions of dollars in
products and services globally.
One business that received SBA resource partner
assistance is Michael Gray, who bought Denis Gray
Trucking from his father. After being accepted to the
SBA Emerging Leaders program – a seven-month
executive education course for businesses poised for
growth – Gray created and implemented a new pay
model for his drivers. His driver turnover rate went
from 100% from the same quarter the year before (the
national average is 90%) to 14%, and he’s been able
to hire five more highly-qualified drivers.
Since graduating from the Emerging Leaders program
Michael has worked with a SCORE counselor and
meets weekly with an SBDC counselor. Thanks to their
guidance, he has hired three additional office staff,
put new accounting and budget practices into place
and expanded his business into specialized loads,
which are beginning to produce high profits for the
company.
So, if you’re thinking of starting, growing or managing
a small business, connect with your local SBA District
Office at www.sba.gov/local who can connect you to
the nearest SBDC, SCORE chapter, WBC or VBOC to
empower your next small business move.
CALVIN GOINGS
Regional Administrator, SBA
► ►We Can Make it Happen!
Tabor 100 is excited to introduce you
to our newest Board Member, Tracey
L. Cruise. Tracey has been appointed
as the Interim Treasurer for Tabor 100.
After joining Tabor 100, she immediately
got in the game as an active volunteer,
helping out with the Vulcan tradeshow
and other activities.
Tracey L. Cruise is a native of Seattle
and a graduate of Franklin High
School. She was a voice major at the University of
Puget Sound. Her professional career includes 17
years in the retail banking industry, 18 years in the
residential mortgage industry and 14 years in the hotel
industry. She currently works as a Loan Consultant
for imortgage whose parent company
is Loan Depot. She has served on
the boards of the Ballard Chamber of
Commerce, the Seattle Metro Chapter
of Women’s Council of Realtors, the
Bel Canto Performing Arts Society. Her
hobbies include singing and home
remodeling. She is a devoted mom and
“Gammie” to one daughter, son-in-law
and grandson in Atlanta, Georgia.
Let’s welcome Tracey L. Cruise as part of the team.
She is well qualified and excited to be part of the
Tabor 100 organization.
► ►Tracey L. Cruise is Tabor 100’s Interim Treasurer
5. 5
JAMES EVANS IS THE NEW
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-CONSTRUCTION
AND A&E
DIVERSITY AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF WASHINGTON
On Monday, November 3rd, after seven
fulfilling years with Sound Transit and a brief
stint as an independent consultant, James
Evans joined the University of Washington
as the new Assistant Director-Construction
and A&E Diversity, reporting to Richard K.
Chapman, Associate Vice President, Capital
Projects Office.
In this new role, he will be responsible to
provide leadership and expertise in the
area of business diversity, and help develop
practicable strategies to facilitate significantly
greater utilization of Small Business and
Minority / Women-owned firms on University
of Washington projects. These strategies
will span construction, consulting, and
procurement. Evans will collaborate with, and
serve as a resource to the CPO team as we
pursue our goal of sustained and measurable
improvement. In addition, he will be working
with the team to develop credible baseline
metrics to measure where we are, where we
want to be, and how we plan to get there.
Evans says about his new role, “This is an
exciting opportunity and challenge for me, and
with the collaboration of my colleagues here
at the University, along with your support, we
hope to make the Huskies, not only the Big
Dogs but also the lead dogs when it comes to
meaningful business inclusion!”
There’s
nothing quite
like a room
full of people
supporting
and
celebrating a
good cause,
and this
year’s Scholarship Awards and Recognition Banquet proved
to be yet another wonderful event recognizing our area
youth.
Held at the NW African American Museum, people dined,
celebrated and recognized a combination of Seattle area
high school students, Black Achievers Program [BAP]
volunteers, plus Corporate and Program sponsors. Prior BAP
participant and current UW student ShaQuelle Perine served
as the Mistress of Ceremonies, with the Keynote address
being given by the local Past-President of the NAACP,
attorney James Bible.
Ten Black Achiever students received scholarships totaling
more than $24,000, with these young people bound for
colleges all across the country. Tabor 100 was able to
sponsor a $1,000.00 scholarship in the name of late Seattle
area architect Mel Streeter, a Tabor 100 member and past
Chair of the Education Committee. This scholarship was won
by Fatuma Mahmud, who graduated from Garfield HS and
will be attending the University of WA in the fall.
Fatuma’s educational aspirations consist of acquiring a
bachelor’s degree in International Relations to explore
how China, the United States and the Middle East
interconnect. She is a member of Garfield’s African Student
Union, Muslim Student Association and College Success
Foundation. Fatuma’s community work includes working with
younger students at Yesler Terrace Community Center, and
she has also worked with One World Now and YouthForce.
She has been an active participant of Garfield’s track and
field team. Fatuma has demonstrated enthusiasm
Continued on page 7...
KEVIN WASHINGTON
Education Chair
► ►BAP Scholarship Awards and
Recognition Banquet
6. 6
Tabor 100’s President, Ollie Garrett was distinguished
last month with Senator Maria Cantwell’s Women of
Valor Award presented to her by Vice President Joe
Biden.
Biden and Cantwell presented the award at the
Senator’s Annual Women of Valor Luncheon, which
drew a crowd of almost 1,000 people. Tabor 100
members were present to show the organization’s
support for their president. In presenting the award
to Garrett, Cantwell touted her role as a successful
women entrepreneur, President of Tabor 100 and
her “tireless commitment to the cause of women and
minority businesses.”
Garrett regaled the audience with a story of how she
routinely joined her father as he collected $10 per
week rent from tenants in the family’s four-plex with
moderate success. Finally, one Saturday, at age 12,
she told the audience, she went without her father
knowing and successfully collected rent from each
of the renters. She attributed that early collection
experience to her creating a career in the collection
industry working for large firms and then finally, the
creation of PMT Solutions, her Bellevue collections
company.
Since 2006, Cantwell has been awarding the Women
of Valor distinction to a small and select group of
women who “make a difference” in their communities.
In presenting the award, Cantwell noted Garrett’s
humble beginnings in Mississippi, the barriers
she has encountered as a women in growing her
business and her courage and tenacity in continuing
to promote both her business and support for her
community.
Tabor 100 was featured prominently as a key element
in selecting Garrett for the Women of Valor Award.
The qualities that made Garrett stand out in a large
field of potential awardees include her commitment to
Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, service on many boards
and commissions, and her willingness to help other
minority and women-owned entrepreneurs become
successful.
Also in attendance were Senators Patty Murray
(D-WA) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) as well as
Congressman Jim McDermott participated in
the Women of Valor event. Let’s congratulate our
president for making a difference in our community.
HENRY YATES
Public Affairs Chair
► ►Ollie Garrett is Given Senator Maria Cantwell’s Women of
Valor Award
WELCOME NEW TABOR
MEMBERS!
• Daryn Gilstrap, Saybr Contractors, Inc.
• Jessieca Navarro, Saybr Contractors, Inc.
• Jennifer Burbage, Department of
Enterprise Services
7. ...”BAP Update” continued from page 5.
and strong leadership skills both on and off the field.
Her favorite subject is math and she has maintained
a 3.2 GPA throughout her high school career. Fatuma
has also received The Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Scholarship and the Nora Stones Scholarship.
An adopted program of Tabor 100, housed at
the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA, the
Black Achievers Program offers high school youth
opportunities to explore career options, develop
leadership skills, prepare for college plus participate
in service learning and social activities. Through
caring relationships with African-American
professionals and high quality programming, Black
Achievers students learn to set educational goals,
understand professional standards and strengthen
developmental assets. Annually, more than 250
students are supported by the Y’s Black Achievers
Programs within the region.
It is a real pleasure to welcome Fatuma Mahmud to
this outstanding list of Mel Streeter Scholars.
Photos of October’s General Meeting taken by Mel DePaoli.
9. City of Seattle WMBE News City Purchasing and Contracting Services Director: Nancy Locke, Nancy.Locke@seattle.gov Ferguson Grand Jury Mayor Murray offered this response to the grand jury decision in Ferguson, “My message to the young African American men in Seattle today is this: While we do not have the answers today, we in this city are listening to you. Your city hears you. And your city loves you. In this hour of pain, your city is absolutely committed to moving forward with you, together, towards greater peace and greater justice. My message today to all Seattle residents is to ask that we all reach out to our neighbors – across racial and cultural lines in particular – commit to a promise of making our city a better place.” This statement brings a sharp focus to the proposed Mayor and City Council legislation that will prioritize hire of local minorities and women by private contractors doing public construction. The legislation would require priority hire of workers from Seattle and King County neighborhoods that face poverty, and will prioritize apprentice slots for individuals who also face impediments such as criminal backgrounds or drug histories. The legislation proposes protections for WMBE firms, yet most prominently focuses on getting jobs into our local minority communities. The Council will consider the legislation in December. Seattle City Light Success Rozema Boat Works was recently awarded a $1.6 million contract to build Seattle City Light's new tour boat for its Skagit Tours. Rozema Boat Works is a woman-owned business located in Mt. Vernon, Washington. The Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council worked with City Light to ensure qualified vendors were made aware of the RFP. The new tour boat will be delivered to Seattle City Light in summer/fall 2015. 2015 WMBE Plans and Outlook The Mayor’s Office continues toward new strategies in 2015 that will strengthen business development, technical assistance, and other kinds of support for WMBE firms. While the City recently initiated traditional goal-setting processes for 2015, we also anticipate meaningful and robust new accountability and greater accessibility to meaningful support that Mayor Murray may introduce for the coming year. Job Order Contracts The state of Washington reported on WMBE utilization by public agencies through job order contracts (JOC) for construction jobs less than $350,000 each. Such contracts require 90 percent of construction work be subcontracted. In the past two fiscal years, data shows robust efforts by our regional public agencies to expect WMBE utilization. Below are the averages; the City has had some contracts surpass 40 to 50 percent and others that are just beginning to use WMBE subcontractors in a robust way. The data below counts only OMWBE-certified firms.
10. Owner Average % of total dollars spent Certified WMBE Firms City of Seattle 21% King County 10% University of Washington 6% Certified WMBE Participation The City recognizes all women- or minority-owned firms, even those that choose not to undergo certification. We know some prefer the City recognize only certified firms, but city code and policy seeks to help any women- or minority-owned firm regardless of their intent to certify. It is also important to our region that we have a record of minority or women owned firms available but not certified, to help us measure availability of WMBE firms. Our systems track which are certified by the state and which are only self-identified. We hosted two workshops with the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) for noncertified firms to help them begin certification paperwork. We are launching a survey of noncertified WMBE firms, to understand why firms are reluctant to become certified, and will share collaboratively with OMWBE to effectively address such concerns. Below is 2014 (YTD) utilization. Total Payments Minority Certified Firms Women Certified Firms Certified Only Firms All WMBE Firms Consultant Primes $116,675,914 $1,846,381 $5,666,698 6.5% 14% Purchasing Primes $219,417,378 $5,601,053 $2,522,432 3.7% 15% MAYOR MURRAY: ‘TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN IN SEATTLE — YOUR CITY HEARS YOU AND YOUR CITY LOVES YOU’ November 25, 2014 by Office of Mayor Murray Following the Grand Jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri last night, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray held a press conference with community leaders. Here are his remarks as prepared: “I have said many times as Mayor that I believe race remains our greatest challenge as a nation and as a community. Today, we as a nation and as a community confront this challenge painfully and profoundly. After the tragic police shooting of an unarmed teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson this past summer, President Obama described a “gulf of mistrust” that exists between law enforcement and our communities – and particularly our communities of color. As they learn of today’s grand jury decision in Ferguson, many in the African American community in Seattle and across the country are bound to feel that justice has not been served, and experience tremendous hurt as a result. For many in the African American community, this decision will likely replicate the pain caused by the tragic shooting itself, and underscore this gulf of mistrust, which, if left unattended, will only divide us as one community. Many outside the African American community stand today in solidarity with the African American community through this time of anguish and anger and alienation, including me, members of Council and community leaders of this city.
11. We cannot let this gulf of mistrust divide us, and we will not let this gulf of mistrust divide us. Seattle is not Ferguson – a town that is predominantly African American but only has three African American officers on its 53-member police force. Our city is committed to the goals of racial and social justice in all aspects of our cultural, social and economic lives. This is a core value of Seattle, and we should be proud of this. But, of course, Seattle is far from perfect. Racial disparities persist, having been built – here and everywhere throughout this country – upon a legacy of decades and decades of institutional bias. These disparities are very real, and our communities of color bear daily these burdens – and our young African American in particular. And that’s the deep, unacceptable truth that Ferguson reveals about us a society: We are failing our young African American men. Too often we are sending them to prison instead of college. Too often they are dying young instead living long lives of fulfillment. And while I cannot pretend to know the individual experiences of young African American men, I do know that we in this city must be united in how we address these experiences. My message to the young African American men in Seattle today is this: While we do not have the answers today, we in this city are listening to you. Your city hears you. And your city loves you. In this hour of pain, your city is absolutely committed to moving forward with you, together, towards greater peace and greater justice. My message today to all Seattle residents is to ask that we all reach out to our neighbors – across racial and cultural lines in particular – commit to a promise of making our city a better place. And I echo President Obama’s words from over the weekend: ‘This is a country that allows everybody to express their views. But using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to the rule of law and contrary to who we are.'”
12. Your business, Tabor 100 and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber As part of a special agreement we have with the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to offer your small business free reciprocal membership with the Seattle Metro Chamber to help increase your presence in Seattle's broader business community. As a member of Tabor 100 you can now access all of the benefits and services provided by the Seattle Metro Chamber. These Include: Business development and marketing opportunities. The Seattle Metro Chamber is the single largest business-to-business connector in the metro area. In the last year the alone, the Chamber connected 15,000+ people at more than 300 of its events. Visibility for your business with a listing in the Seattle Metro Chamber’s searchable Membership Directory. Accessible online in desktop, tablet or mobile format, this dynamic directory is distributed to thousands of business people who turn to the Chamber for referrals each year. Access to employee benefits. Your membership gives you access to a number of cost-saving benefits, including discounts on medical, dental, vision and business owner's insurance. And more! Visit seattlechamber.com/membership for details. Here’s what you need to know Here’s what you need to do Member companies of Tabor 100 will be given the opportunity to enroll as member companies of the Seattle Metro Chamber at no cost if: o They have fewer than 15 employees o They are a member in good standing with Tabor 100 o They have not been a member of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber in the past twenty-four (24) months Reciprocal membership is available on an annual basis indefinitely, as long as the business continues to meet the above listed criteria. Simply complete the form on the second page and return it to the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. They’ll get you signed up right away so you can put your membership to work immediately! Please return application to: Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce 1301 5th Ave, Suite 1500, Seattle, WA 98101 Questions? Contact Aarti Khanna at (206) 389-7244 or aartik@seattlechamber.com
Download the application here: http://www.slideshare.net/Tabor100/12-chamber-membership!