2013 ChicagoMSDC Annual Report - Chicago Minority Supplier
Transcription
2013 ChicagoMSDC Annual Report - Chicago Minority Supplier
2013 ANNUAL REPORT THOUGHT LEADER IN MINORITY BUSINESS SINCE 1968. Dear Members, Certified MBEs and Supporters: I am proud to present the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (ChicagoMSDC) 2013 Annual Report. This report highlights and recaps ChicagoMSDC performance from fiscal year 2013, a year in which we re-focused our efforts on this council’s core mission of assisting minority–owned companies to secure sustainable business opportunities with major buying organizations. We concentrated our efforts on our four pillars, CERTIFY, DEVELOP, CONNECT & ADVOCATE and as a result, we optimized internal infrastructure and implemented strategies to enhance our relationships with our Corporate and MBE partners. You will notice a new addition to this annual report. We felt it was important to highlight the council’s staff. I encourage you to get to know each and every staff member. I am certain you will find that their pedigree and dedication to minority business development is second to none and can help you achieve your business goals. The Chicago MSDC staff is “at your service”. The mission of the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (ChicagoMSDC) is to be the premier organization for increasing value added business opportunities between major buying organizations and minority-owned businesses. In an ongoing effort to provide valuable strategic programming in 2013, through the support of committed corporate leaders, exceptional certified minority businesses and committed staff, the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council decided to go “Back to Basics” as we “Regrouped, Refocused and Renewed”. We felt it was important to deliver programs, events and education that would result in minority firms being capable and ready to secure lucrative business opportunities. Most importantly, this report was designed to give you the clearest picture of ChicagoMSDC’s framework, where we are and where we are heading. Enclosed are the history about the oldest organization dedicated to minority business development, demographics, financial information and data and a list of ChicagoMSDC certified MBEs that have achieved phenomenal success. We hope this information will be helpful to you in assessing the effectiveness and responsibilities involved with the organization. As you read the report, think of how and where you may want to become involved; we have many areas where your engagement and expertise will be embraced! So, I encourage you to sign up and sign on. The Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council welcomes your participation. On behalf of the entire ChicagoMSDC staff and Board of Directors, I thank you for your commitment. Your support is the fuel that keeps this organization moving forward. Sincere regards, Shelia C. Morgan President & CEO -2- In 1968, a group of corporate and community leaders founded the Western Electric Hawthorne Works. It became an annual event and was later renamed, the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF). The Chicago Regional Purchasing Council (CRPC) was born out of this event with14 original charter corporations: AT&T, Bell Howell, Carson Pirie Scott & Co., CNA Insurance Companies, Commonwealth Edison Co., Continental Bank, RR Donnelley & Sons Co., First Chicago Corp., Illinois Bell, Inland Steel, Jewel Food Stores, Montgomery Ward, National Can Corporation, and Sears Roebuck & Co. Non-profit organizations Chicago Urban League, and Chicago Chamber of Commerce were also charter members. The MBDA Business Center - Chicago and the MBDA Business Center - St. Louis are funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and operated by the ChicagoMSDC in partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (IHCC). MBDA is an entrepreneur focused, innovative organization committed to wealth creation in minority communities and the only federal agency dedicated to establishing and growing minority owned businesses in America. The Agency’s programs and services better equip minority-owned firms to create jobs, build scale and capacity, increase revenues, and expand regionally, nationally, and internationally. MBDA provides increased visibility and access for minority-owned firms by partnering with multi-national corporations, and government agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The CRPC’s mission was to create economic opportunities for its Minority Business Enterprises and their reputation of integrity and due diligence in the certification process quickly made them an invaluable partner of majority buyers who sought to do business with qualified and bona fide minority businesses. Recognizing the growth of the MBE movement, the National Minority Purchasing Council was established in 1972 in Chicago with funding from the Minority Business Development Agency. The name was later changed to the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the offices were relocated first to Washington DC and finally to New York City. Through a national network of more than 40 MBDA Business Centers and a wide range of domestic and international strategic partners, the Agency has supported the creation and retention of more than 33,000 jobs and helped secure $14.6 billion in contracts and capital for its clients, over the past four years (fiscal year 2009-12). Today, NMSDC’s network includes a national office in New York and 24 Regional Councils across the country. There are 1,750 corporate members throughout the network, including America’s top publicly-owned, privately-owned and foreign-owned companies as well as universities, hospitals and other buying institutions. The Regional Councils certify and match more than 12,000 minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their products, services and solutions. The MBDA Business Centers in Chicago and St. Louis focus on assisting minority high-growth companies with access to debt and equity capital, procurement, exporting opportunities, strategic planning and management consulting. Since the start of its relationship with MBDA in 2002, ChicagoMSDC’s MBDA funded programs have helped MBEs with over $2 billion in contracts, over $800 million in financing and created over 2,700 jobs. The ChicagoMSDC partnership includes over 250 private and public-sector buying organizations and nearly 1,000 minority businesses. Our buying members report over $5 billion in annual purchases from minority firms. Minority enterprise firms report the employment of more than 96,000 workers annually. The centers seek to develop alliances with local, state, and federal government agencies, major corporations, banks, financial resources and the minority business community to create larger, more strategic minority entrepreneurs. Chicago is proud to be the original council and the thought leader in minority business since 1968. -3- 2013 HIGHLIGHTS ChicagoMSDC is the oldest and one of the largest affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). This year, the organization celebrated 46 YEARS OF MINORITY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. In addition to its signature event, the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF), ChicagoMSDC hosts functions throughout the year to improve the state of minority business and devotes programming to both corporate and MBE development. We hold monthly procurement luncheons, an MBE-to-MBE trade show, matchmaking and 1-on-1 sessions, education, training, and general membership meetings, all providing significant opportunities to grow, learn and develop. Through these events and CBOF, ChicagoMSDC has earned a reputation as one of the largest and most active minority business organizations in the nation. CBOF Amidst historic flooding, ChicagoMSDC held its 46th CHICAGO BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FAIR (CBOF) at Navy Pier in April 2013. CBOF is Chicago’s oldest and largest procurement trade show devoted exclusively to developing partnerships between minority-owned firms, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. With nearly 4,000 in attendance, CBOF also features workshops, networking events, and invitational matchmaking sessions. John Rogers, Chairman/CEO, Ariel Investments (R) interviews Persio Lisboa, Chief Procureá ment Officer, Navistar (L) and Emmett Vaughn, Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Exelon Corporation (C) at the CBOF Sponsors Breakfast in Navy Pier’s Crystal Ballroom. Jim Cabrera (L) and his daughter, Amy Goddard of UBM Facility Services, Inc. at the à CBOF Dinner Dance held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. 2013 Chicago-MSDC Scholarship Recipients at the MBEIC Awards Reception.(L-R) Haaris Pervais; Minhua Wu; Jacqueline Castro; â Joyce Johnson, MBEIC Chair; Joseph Robinson; and Natilya McEwen. Not pictured: Stephanie Greene & Kevin Peralta. GOLF CLASSIC The 34th SCHOLARSHIP GOLF CLASSIC was held in August 2013 at the White Eagle Golf Club, an Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course in Naperville, Illinois. Chicago Bear’s legend, Gale Sayers served as the Honorary Chairman for the event which raised $24,000 in scholarships to recognize accomplished and promising students who will become tomorrow’s minority entrepreneurs. The event provided a relaxed atmosphere conducive to relationship building and deal making. ANNUAL MEETING The 2013 ANNUAL MEETING & HOLIDAY BRUNCH, “SPIRIT OF GIVING” was held in December 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and featured keynote speaker Gerry Laderman, Senior VP of Finance & Treasurer, United Airlines. -4- â Ribbon Cutting Ceremony kicking off the 46th Annual CBOF at Navy Pier. â Winnie and Henry Chan of MAYLÁN Skincare exhibit at the MBE-2-MBE Trade Show at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Participants at the panel discussion on the gaming industry ß at the MBE-2-MBE Trade Show at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. On the greens at the 34th Annual ChicagoMSDC Scholarship Golf Classic at à White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville, Illinois. ChicagoMSDC Board Chairman, Shelly Brown adâ dresses the membership at the 2013 Annual Meeting Julia Guan, Certification Manager and Cynthia Jordan, Director of Events with representatives from the American Legion, á recipients of the gifts collected at the Holiday Brunch, “Spirit of Giving” at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Photos by Powell Photography, Inc. (L-R) Phillip Barreda, Executive VP; Anthony Billinger, OfficeMax Director of Supplier Diversity; Carolynn Brooks, OfficeMax Chief Diversity Officer; Ravi Saligram, OfficeMax CEO; ß Shelia Morgan, President & CEO, and Shelly Brown, Board Chair at the 2013 Annual Meeting & Holiday Brunch where OfficeMax was acknowledged for their leadership in Supplier Diversity. -5- the ChicagoMSDC STAFF AT YOUR SERVICE... SHELIA C. MORGAN President & CEO ChicagoMSDC The ChicagoMSDC staff is comprised of a diverse group of professionals from widely varied backgrounds and experience in fields including supplier diversity, banking, marketing, law, and non-profit management in the public and private sectors. All of us are committed to providing excellent customer service to our corporate members, MBEs and the communities in which we operate. And each of us has a different area of specialization to serve you most effectively. As President and CEO, Shelia brings a wealth of knowledge and familiarity to ChicagoMSDC, as she has a 20+ year relationship with the Council. Her charge is to continue to forge strategic alliances between ChicagoMSDC’s membership and its base of certified minority businesses through innovative programs, activities and outreach efforts including the highlysuccessful Chicago Business Opportunity Fair, whose success is a prototype for similar trade fairs nationwide. We have forged relationships with organizations across the country and abroad to better serve you in this increasingly global marketplace. ChicagoMSDC is host to the MBDA Business Center - Chicago and the MBDA Business Center - St. Louis and works in partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to assist MBEs with access to debt and equity capital, procurement opportunities, strategic planning and management consulting. We also operate in parts of Indiana and have led initiatives in China and South Africa. Also a seasoned business diversity veteran, Shelia has extensive experience with a number of Fortune 500 corporations. She led the Supplier Diversity Program for Kraft Foods, Inc. and held positions as National Director of Business Development Diversity for Square D/Schneider Electric, and Manager of Diversity Business Development for Johnson Controls. Shelia was the Executive Director of the MBDA funded Chicago Minority Business Opportunity Committee (MBOC). Under her leadership, the MBOC was instrumental in delivering over 200 million dollars in contracting opportunities to minority entrepreneurs. Shelia has built local and national supplier diversity initiatives from the bottom-up and top-down implementing processes and policies that provide a substantial return on investment. She is a highly sought after speaker devoted to principles of diversity business development and she is cited frequently in the media for her work in the diversity business development arena. She has been recognized nationally, earning numerous awards including The Chicago Defender Women of Excellence, the Asian Pacific American Community Advocate Award and the State Farm Phenomenal Women Award. We urge you to take advantage of our expertise and to allow us to introduce you to our extensive networks to help you grow your businesses and promote supplier diversity. Shelia is a graduate of Micheal Louis University and holds a BA in business management. A mother of two sons, Shelia is married to her high school sweetheart and resides in Bolingbrook, Illinois. -6- PHILLIP A. BARREDA Executive Vice President ChicagoMSDC HANS W. BONNER Executive Director MBDA Business Center - Chicago Phillip A. Barreda was named Executive Vice President of ChicagoMSDC in September of 2006. He has also served as interim president during the nationwide search for a permanent president. Over the past eight years, Phil served ChicagoMSDC in all aspects of minority business support and development. He was integrally involved in many different initiatives: ChicagoMSDC membership expansion, access to capital, as well as strategic business alliances. Mr. Barreda has been a leader in the evolution of the ChicagoMSDC to its current level. Hans W. Bonner is the Executive Director of the MBDA Business Center - Chicago. In this role, he oversees the Business Centers in Chicago and St. Louis and manages the partnership with the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his employment with ChicagoMSDC, Mr. Barreda spent thirteen years with Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago where he served as Vice President in both the Marketing and Strategic Sourcing departments. Barreda was a Senior Buyer at Allstate Insurance Company in Northbrook, IL prior to his position at Harris. Phil has served on the Board of Directors of the Union League Club of Chicago, where he was Chairman of the Communications and Technology Committees. He is an adjunct faculty member of St. Augustine College where he teaches Economics and General Business Management courses. He has served as Chair of the board of directors of the Illinois Institute for Entrepreneurship Education, has served as a member of the Business Enterprise Program for the State of Illinois CMS Program and is a member of PNC Bank Community Development Advisory Committee. In 2008, Phil was presented with the U.S. Department of Commerce MBDA “Advocate of Year Award”. Barreda is the recipient of the 2010 Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Advocate Award. While earning his Master’s Degree from DePaul University, Mr. Barreda held assistant teaching positions in Europe at the London School of Economics and University of Paris. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. -7- With 14 years of financing, procurement and management consulting experience, Hans focuses on assisting minority companies in the manufacturing, construction and service industries. This demonstrates his ability to assist growing companies to develop and become more competitive. Hans’ assistance has lead to many minority companies obtaining over $2 billion in contracts and over $850 million in financing. He has also helped his clients create over 2,500 jobs. Prior to ChicagoMSDC, Hans was the Project Director of the Chicago Minority Business Enterprise Center (CMBEC), a partner program of Chicago Community Ventures (CCV) and ChicagoMSDC, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency, where he assisted minority owned businesses. Hans also served as a Senior Vice President at the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, where he provided management consulting services to small businesses. Hans’ experience also reaches outside of the United States; he worked with a Mexican manufacturing company to build oil tanks and metal works and taught finance at Mexico’s Universidad Panamericana. Hans achieved his MBA in International Banking from Texas A&M International University, and also holds a B. S. in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Mexico’s Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara. Additionally, he completed the program, “Implementing a System for High Quality Service: Building Adaptive Minority and Native American Businesses” at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Hans recently received Certification as a “Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP)” from NASBITE International. GLORIA A. BLAKE Certification Specialist ChicagoMSDC JOSEPH DeLaGARZA Senior Business Counselor MBDA Business Center - Chicago Gloria Blake is the Certification Specialist and Bookkeeper Liason for ChicagoMSDC. As a Certification Specialist she is primarily responsible for processing new certification applications and all activities related to reviewing these files and scheduling site visits. She is usually one of the first people that certification seekers will meet. She is a wealth of information about the certification process and a valuable resource for current and potential MBEs. Joseph DeLaGarza is the Senior Business Counselor for the MBDA Business Center - Chicago and works out of the offices of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he assists Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) in obtaining certification, connecting to Fortune 500 companies as well as large corporations and government agencies in order to sell their goods and services, exporting to other countries, advocacy for more supplier diversity participation, and the identification of financing opportunities to expand their business or refinance existing debt. As the Bookkeeper Liason Gloria monitors the internal financial activities of ChicagoMSDC staff while also assisting with accounting, payroll processing, and performing basic HR functions. Joseph is the former Vice President of Client Relations at Quantum Capital Investments (QCI). Prior to joining QCI, he worked as the Director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and served as an advisor/senior consultant for the Entrepreneurial Student Teams Program in which UIC student consulting teams assisted entrepreneurs in solving real business issues. Prior to UIC, Joseph served as Business Development Manager with Eighteenth Street Development Corporation (ESDC), and held positions at Kmart Corporation, Duff & Phelps Credit Rating, CNA Insurance Companies, and GE Capital. Gloria has been a results-oriented professional throughout her extensive career which began as an Inventory Specialist and Customer Service Specialist at Avon Products. She then went on to work for Kraft Foods in Northfield, Illinois as an Executive Administrator. It was during her time at Kraft that Gloria got her first exposure to Supplier Diversity, becoming a Supplier Diversity Specialist while part of the procurement department in 2006. This led to her being hired by the Council where she first served as Executive Assistant to the President. She has a well-cultivated passion for working with minority entrepreneurs and someday hopes to start a business of her own. Joseph received his BS in Finance at DePaul University and completed his MBA in International Business and Entrepreneurship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been an active member of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and was a two-time scholarship award recipient. In May 2005, Mr. DeLaGarza graduated from the Metropolitan Leadership Institute, which provides training to Hispanic professionals who have an interest in public leadership. In 2002 and 2003, he served as President of DePaul’s Hispanic Alumni Association (HAA), an organization that provides alumni with leadership, professional and career development opportunities. Gloria is a native Chicagoan who attended Westinghouse High School where she was awarded a scholarship to study Respiratory Therapy at Northwestern University. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially her son Blake. She also enjoys fashion, movies and reading. -8- 27% of our certified MBEs are women. RAULLO EANES Senior Financial Counsultant MBDA Business Center - St. Louis Raullo Eanes is the Senior Financial Consultant for the MBDA Business Center - St. Louis. He is responsible for helping MBEs gain access to the financial resources and capital necessary for their growth including: debt, equity, alternative resources, bonding and leases. In addition, he provides assistance in entering or further developing relationships in the capital markets. Raullo is a former manufacturer, commercial banker and corporate finance professional. 61% of our MBEs have been in business for 10+ years. For more than 20 years, Raullo has cultivated numerous relationships primarily through his banking and business networks. Known to many through his determination to make a difference, he has helped many business owners, corporations and non-profits attain their goals. Raullo has held numerous civic posts, been instrumental in many volunteer and civic groups in southeastern Wisconsin and the Chicagoland area. Among them, he is a founder and past board member of Legacy Bank, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also a former board member for Lawyers for the Creative Arts, as well as Make a Wish Foundation - Illinois and Athletes Against Drugs. He remains an active board member and fundraiser for Eta Creative Arts Foundation and he is past Chairman of the board of directors for the Milwaukee Women’s Center. Our 954 certified MBEs members employ 96,447 workers of whom 50% are also minorities. Raullo met his wife Gina while attending Marquette University and they have two children, Marlena and Alexander. MBEs outpace the growth of non-minority firms. Our corporate members spend over $5 BILLION per year with MBEs. Our MBEs reported $19.3 BILLION in revenues in 2013. -9- MBEs by INDUSTRY BROKER/AGENTS 5.0% CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS 7.4% MANUFACTURERS 13.6% DISTRIBUTORS 14.0% SERVICE CONTRACTORS 27.6% CONSULTANT/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 32.4% 42.1% JULIA GUAN Certification Manager ChicagoMSDC african american 1.7% Julia Guan is the Certification Manager of the ChicagoMSDC. In this capacity, she oversees the entire Certification Department, which is the core competency of the organization, whose main mission is to increase value added opportunities between major buying corporations and minority-owned businesses. native american by ETHNICITY 24% hispanic american 32.2% asian american & by ANNUAL REVENUE Since October 2008, she also holds the additional role of IT Specialist, maintaining the entire information technology network and resolving all technical issues. She joined the organization as a Certification Intern in April 2004 before progressing to Certification Specialist in August 2008, and subsequently Certification Manager in July 2012. Ms. Guan serves on the Certification Committee of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) and sits on the Board of Directors of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCAChicago) as Vice President of Finance/Treasurer. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Chicago in June 2008 and is pursuing her MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business. 35.8% 41.4% 16.6% 6.2% <$1MM $1-10MM $10-50MM >$50MM - 10 - JOSHUA GUTSTEIN Senior Financial Analyst MBDA Business Center - Chicago ANITA HAGAN Consultant ChicagoMSDC Joshua Gutstein is the Senior Financial Analyst for the Chicago MBDA Business Center where he identifies resources applicable to clients’ needs and assists with financial and business development efforts. Anita Hagan is the first friendly voice heard at the Chicago Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. Anita serves as the Receptionist and Project Assistant for the Council as well as the MBDA Business Center - Chicago. She takes extreme pride in customer service and the many projects she touches. Joshua is an experienced entrepreneur and business attorney. Prior to joining ChicagoMSDC, he co-founded BG & Sons, LLC, a product development firm that launched and distributed the Stayclip®. The Stayclip, a collar stay organizer with selection of collar stays, can be found at www.stayclip.com and retail outlets around the world. Joshua also partnered his own firm, Bier & Gutstein, LLC, where he focused his legal practice in the areas of corporate formation, capital raising, contract matters, property and asset acquisition and sales. Joshua taught adult education courses on raising capital through private placements, is co-author of Illinois Practice Series: Real Estate, Third Edition, 2007-2012 Supplement (Thomson West 2013), and is a member of the Bughouse Theater Board of Directors. Joshua holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Michigan, a Juris Doctor from American University’s College of Law, and an M.B.A. from American University’s Kogod School of Business. Joshua is married and has two young sons. Anita plays a critical role in the execution of council events such as Procurement Luncheons, the Scholarship Golf Classic and the Annual Meeting. She has a direct and integral role with the planning of the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF). Anita puts her skills of being self-motivated, computer savvy and focus-driven to use, when multi-tasking her day-to-day job responsibilities and providing exceptional customer service to each event attendee, external and internal customer. Anita is never satisfied with the norm or the status quo. She goes the extra mile for process implementation and improvement. In the year 2013, she made several improvements to the event registration process, which resulted in a 60% overall attendance increase. Ms. Hagan goes above and beyond her job responsibilities and has created several team building strategies that have increased staff morale. Her dedication is warmly received and appreciated by the ChicagoMSDC staff. Anita Hagan lives firmly by the famous Winston Churchill quote of “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” In her free time she believes in giving back and volunteers at her church, a local food pantry and the annual 5K Walk for the Hungry. Ms. Hagan resides in the Galewood Community and enjoys spending time with her family. - 11 - CHARLES HENSON Project Director MBDA Business Center - St. Louis GWEN JONES Executive Assistant/Project Manager ChicagoMSDC Charles began his career in the Design & Construction Industry, having graduated from Washington University with a degree in Architecture. He later founded a successful professional services company, Design Alternatives, Inc. For nearly 20 years, he provided human resources consulting that included: recruitment, customized training solutions, and the placement of several thousand technical and professional individuals. Gwen Jones is the Executive Assistant/Project Manager for President and CEO Shelia Morgan of the ChicagoMSDC. Prior to becoming Executive Assistant, Gwen was Procurement Consultant for the MBDA Business Center – Chicago. Gwen has an acute knowledge of supplier diversity, having spent three years as a Procurement Analyst for the Chicago Minority Business Enterprise Center. As the Director of Community Relations for one of the nation’s largest construction conglomerates, McCarthy Building Group, Charles was entrusted in a new role for the company to implement cultural change, develop a Mentor/Protégé program for minority contractors and promote community outreach endeavors. Gwen has over 15 years of experience in procurement and supplier diversity working as a Buyer and Supplier Diversity Coordinator for large fortune 500 companies such as The Reliable Corporation (a subsidiary of Boise Cascade/OfficeMax) and Corporate Express (formerly BT Office Products). She played an integral role in revamping BT Office Products’ supplier diversity program where she developed her passion for working with and assisting minority owned businesses. More recently, Charles served as the Midwest Regional Account Manager for Global Learning Partners, a training solutions organization headquartered in California. Charles is a community leader and founding member of PROUD (People Reaching Out for Unity and Diversity) which was founded in 1995 and is recognized by the Clinton Administration as a promising practice. He is also an aspiring author, motivational speaker, youth mentor and coach. He is a board representative for non-profit agencies and school boards and is frequently featured in the St. Louis press. Charles has received the Better Business Bureau’s Customer Satisfaction Award for Business, is a McCluer High School Wall of Fame inductee, was the first African American selected “Citizen of the Year” for the City of Ferguson MO in 2006, was recognized as a Person of Notoriety by North County, Inc. and was named amongst the “Who’s Who in Black St. Louis” in 2007 and 2008. Gwen also has a long and successful track record of working in business development for several large MBE companies and understands the commitment and drive an MBE has to have to be successful. As Executive Assistant to Shelia Morgan, Gwen is responsible for providing day-to-day management support, analyzing and executing projects, and acting as a liaison to the organization. Gwen attended St. Louis University where she studied Industrial Psychology. She is active with her church, St. Benedict the African and enjoys traveling. She has a son, Olumiji, who followed in his mother’s footsteps and now works for Office Depot/Max as a Category Manager, a daughter, Jamila, who works at Nexum, Inc. and a spunky little grand-daughter, Jada. - 12 - ChicagoMSDC MBEs DOMINATE CRAIN’S 2013 LIST OF CHICAGO’S TOP 25 LARGEST MINORITY-OWNED FIRMS 1. MAT HOLDINGS INC. 2. FLYING FOOD GROUP LLC CYNTHIA L. JORDAN Director of Events ChicagoMSDC 4. GAS DEPOT INC. Cynthia L. Jordan has mastered the art of creating, executing, managing and evolving events that have a resounding impact on the continued progression of Global Supplier Diversity. Cynthia’s training started at Ray Vogue Arts School where she earned her certification in interior design and window displays. She continued her education in Massachusetts at Graham College and Boston University where she studied business, production, and fashion merchandising. With over 35 years of professional experience as an entrepreneur, event producer and designer, Cynthia has cornered the market on quickly assessing the needs of her audiences and executing multifaceted events. However, it is her organizational skills and innate ability to develop and foster authentic relationships with sponsors, patrons, vendors and staff, which contribute to the overall success of her corporate events. As resident Director of Events for ChicagoMSDC since 2001, Cynthia has generating millions of dollars in revenue for the Council, approximately $2 million dollars in scholarships for high school students and countless business opportunities for the minority -owned vendor community. 5. BALDWIN RICHARDSON FOODS CO. 6. ADVANTAGE AUTO GROUP 10. SAYERS40 INC. 11. EVANS FOOD GROUP LTD. 12. LOOP CAPITAL MARKETS LLC 13. SUTTON FORD INC. 14. UNITED BUILDING MAINTENANCE INC. 15. AZTECA FOODS INC. 16. CARDENAS MARKETING NETWORK INC. 17. CAPSONIC GROUP LLC In addition to increasing the Council’s bottom line, Cynthia remains steadfast on identifying, employing and empowering new and existing MBEs including photographers, videographers, printers, and conference decorators, to execute ChicagoMSDC’s reoccurring events. In efforts to further the mission of providing minority owned business with viable business opportunities, it is safe to say today, over 80% of the vendors affiliated with ChicagoMSDC events are certified minority owned vendors. 18. QUINNOX, INC. Cynthia is extremely passionate about events and she is looking forward to incorporating new innovations and advanced technologies that take future events to the next level, across the nation and around the globe! 24. BURRELL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, LLC - 13 - 20. ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS DESIGN INC. 21. ARIEL INVESTMENTS 22. SEAWAY BANK & TRUST CO. 25. STEVE’S EQUIPMENT SERVICE, INC. MEGAN NAKANO Business Consultant MBDA Business Center - Chicago DAVE THOMAS Senior Business Development Manager MBDA Business Center - Chicago Megan Nakano is a Business Consultant with the MBDA Business Center – Chicago where she works with minority entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses and increase their capacity. She specializes in helping MBEs obtain capital and develop their marketing. She also provides communications support to the ChicagoMSDC. Dave Thomas is the Senior Business Development Manager for the MBDA Business Center - Chicago. Dave’s career began in 1980 when he started working in the mailroom of BP Oil (formerly Amoco Oil). While there he earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Architectural Drafting from Harold Washington College and soon began working as a draftsman in BP’s Marketing Engineering department. In 1993, Dave enrolled at Roosevelt University where he earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree in Sociology and a Master of Science degree in Journalism, graduating in 1999. Megan has been working with minority entrepreneurs for over 15 years. After graduating from Northwestern University, she was named Director of the Asian American Alliance Small Business Development Center, providing pro bono consulting and technical assistance and advocating on behalf of the small business community. From there, she transitioned into community banking. She has experience as a Commercial Lender, Assistant BSA Officer, CRA Officer and Director of Marketing. She is pleased to return to the non-profit sector where she is able to apply her experience as a banker to assist her clients in obtaining financing. For the past nine years, Megan has served as the President of the Chicago Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL). Founded in 1929, the JACL is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization in the United States. She is the immediate past-President of the Asian American Coalition of Chicago and chaired its 31st Annual Lunar New Year Celebration which was held in February 2014 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. Megan serves on the Chicago Japanese American Council, the Francis W. Parker School Alumni Association and Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka’s Asian-American Advisory Council. Megan lives on the north side of Chicago with her beloved miniature dachshund, Bean, and dabbles in graphic design. In 2000, Dave became the Supplier Diversity Manager for an alliance partnership between BP Oil Company and Bovis Lend Lease, one of the world’s largest construction management companies. This partnership was responsible for the design and construction of all BP Oil gas stations throughout North America. Dave oversaw the supplier diversity program for this partnership which ran from 2000 until 2006. In November of 2006, Dave became the Senior Supplier Diversity Administrator at Nicor Gas, the natural gas utility for northern Illinois. In this role, he helped Nicor to achieve unprecedented levels of supplier diversity performance which resulted in him receiving the Anders C. Rasmussen Award as “Supplier Diversity Manager of the Year” in 2008. Later that year he would join the ChicagoMSDC. In his current role at the MBDA Business Center, Dave helps MBEs develop solid business relationships with corporations and government agencies. In December of 2013, Dave became a Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP) through NASBITE International, the leading global business training organization. This certification means that Dave can also assist clients with discovering overseas business opportunities. In his spare time, Dave is the editor of an internet-based highend audio magazine called StereoTimes.com. - 14 - 11% 2013 EXPENDITURES general & administrative 2% 87% fundraising program expenses we raised $24,000 in scholarships for future minority entrepreneurs! our annual operating budget is $3.2 million. 14% programming mbe services 37% 2013 FUNDING SOURCES 26% corporate 23% - 15 - us department of commerce SHONDRA WATSON WILSON Procurement Consultant MBDA Business Center - Chicago TRICIA WYNN Consultant ChicagoMSDC Shondra Watson-Wilson serves as the Procurement Consultant for the MBDA Business Center - Chicago. In this role, she brings a wealth of knowledge and familiarity to the center, as she has worked with the corporate sector as well as minorityowned firms. Shondra works with minority-owned companies to provide them with the information, tools, and resources needed to connect with potential contracting opportunities. Tricia Wynn is a consultant for ChicagoMSDC and serves in the capacity of Project Director for the Northwest Indiana MSDC (NIMSDC). Tricia is vigilant about making certain that minority enterprises are introduced to key purchasing managers of all member corporations. She organizes networking lunches and “meet the buyer” sessions to ensure that minority businesses have equal access to corporate opportunities. Tricia also supports the corporate sector by providing training and educational seminars on Supplier Diversity Development and program basics. She believes that alliances between small minority businesses and larger vendors represent a win-win combination for everyone. Tricia has served as Chicago Business Opportunity Fair Workshop Chair for the past 12 years developing the speed-date program for MBE/ Corporate members and facilitating corporate/MBE one-onone programs. Prior to securing her current position, she served as Manager of Certification for the ChicagoMSDC, for nearly 10 years. She was charged with the responsibility of making certain that all of the proper due diligence was conducted, to ensure that applicant companies are owned and controlled by minorities. Shondra plays a critical role in the planning of the Chicago Business Opportunity Fair (CBOF) and Corporate Bridges, a program dedicated to educating minority business owners about current topics that affect the minority business community. She is also a member of the Women’s Business Development Center Certification Committee. Shondra has a passion for giving back and helping others, founding The Perfect Circle Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting women and children who are in need of basic necessities. Shondra attends Roosevelt University, studying Organizational Leadership, and will receive her Bachelors of Professional Studies this summer. She has been recognized across greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana for her accomplishments and dedication to supplier diversity. Shondra currently resides in Chicago’s Historic Bronzeville Community with her husband and daughter. Photos by Powell Photography, Inc. Prior to her work with ChicagoMSDC, Tricia worked for ArcelorMittal, a Northwest Indiana steel manufacturer. Throughout her twenty-two year career with the company, she held positions in both the Sales and Purchasing Departments including serving as their Supplier Diversity Program Manager. Through her efforts, a comprehensive supplier diversity program was established and MBE spend substantially increased. Tricia formed The Wynn Group, a certified woman-owned management consulting firm in 1999, after leaving ArcelorMittal. In June 1998, Tricia was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s State of Indiana 1998 Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year and 1998 Midwest Region Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year. Tricia is a graduate of Purdue University. She is a member of the Gary Chamber of Commerce and Calumet Area Literacy Council, and serves on the Board of Directors of FirstCare Pediatric Rehab, ChicagoMSDC, and St. Joseph Carmelite Home where she serves as a volunteer and mentor. - 16 - JEFF TOVAR TOVAR SNOW PROFESSIONALS In his early life, Jeff Tovar’s father was injured while swimming, confining him to a wheelchair. For a time, it turned the household upside down, and the loss of his father’s income forced the family to survive on food stamps. When he was in middle school, Jeff began moving lawns. “[He went] door to door to get jobs. This kid never stopped. He was making a couple of hundred bucks a week,” according to his father, Dennis. This developed into a full-service landscaping operation. His father and sister continued to run the business for him when he went away to Colorado State University where he studied veterinary medicine and played defensive end. He later switched his major to business. After college, Jeff continued to grow his business and eventually decided to shift its focus. He preferred the lifestyle of the snow removal business and thrived on the energy and urgency of the deadlines. Jeff developed a proactive anti-icing product, Tovar Enviro Blend, a patented solution of salt brine and calcium chloride that melt the snow, and beet juice by-product which helps to bond it to the surface and enhance traction. The company transitioned to snow only in 2001 and changed its name to Tovar Snow Professionals (TSP). Today, TSP is the largest minority owned snow-only company in the United States. According to Jeff, “Our local presence consists of providing stress-free services to 2,000 plus sites throughout the Midwest. Internationally, we were honored to travel to Europe to consult with governments in the United Kingdom – such as Scotland, Wales, Norway and Sweden. Our firm holds a position with the Winter Maintenance Committee for the Federal Department of Transportation to share best practices and latest innovations throughout the United States.” Jeff sits on the board of the ChicagoMSDC and is a huge supporter of all of its efforts, particularly CBOF. He and TSP’s Director of Supplier Diversity, Roland Harper are both regular fixtures at the Council. Roland was Rookie of the Year for the Chicago Bears, playing alongside Walter Payton on the 1985 Super Bowl team. He too, is an experienced entrepreneur having owned a McDonald’s franchise and a trucking brokerage firm. Roland is proud of Tovar’s “heroic customer service” and its ChicagoMSDC certification, stating, “Through our teamwork and certification, we have made many connections via the MSDC network and have gained many new partnerships like Ameren and Comcast.” ChicagoMSDC is proud to recognize Tovar Snow Professionals for their explosive growth, quality products and services, and extraordinary business practices. - 17 - 2013 ChicagoMSDC WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES GEORGE KINNISON Applied Controls & Contracting Minority Supplier of the Year (Class 1) MICHELLE LECHUGA Office Space, Inc. Minority Supplier of the Year (Class 2) JUVENTINO CANO Cano Container Corporation Minority Supplier of the Year (Class 3) ASH LUTHRA LSL Industries Minority Supplier of the Year (Class 4) HERB STOKES The Affluence Group Minority Business Advocate Award MARK HANDS Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Anders C. Rassmussen Jr. Award MARGARET KLINSPORT Allstate, MBEIC Chairman’s Special Recognition Award VP & COMMISSIONER BARBARA McGOWAN Metropolitan Water Reclamation District President’s Special Recognition Award PATRICIA HANES U.S. Department of Commerce, MBDA (Retired) Lifetime Achievement Award - 18 - 2013 ChicagoMSDC WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES JAY PATEL Kraft Foods Outstanding Buyer DOTCH PHILLIPS BP Outstanding Buyer YVETTE GRAHAM Allstate Insurance Outstanding Buyer JIM SHERIDAN Navistar International Outstanding Buyer ERIKA SUMMERS Ariel Investments Outstanding Buyer JEFFERY SMISEK United Airlines Corporation of the Year ANNE PRAMAGGIORE ComEd Transformational Leadership Award CHRISTOPHER CRANE Exelon Corporation Transformational Leadership Award REV. JESSE JACKSON SR. Rainbow Push Coalition & Wall Street Project Impact Award - 19 - 2013 BOARD of DIRECTORS CHAIR Shelly Brown, Johnson Controls, Inc. PRESIDENT & CEO Shelia Morgan, ChicagoMSDC, Inc. FIRST VICE CHAIR Ruby McCleary, United Airlines SECOND VICE CHAIR Martha Holmes, Cardinal Health TREASURER James Williams, University of Chicago Medicine ASSISTANT TREASURER Thomas McLeary, Endow, Inc. SECRETARY Anthony Billinger, OfficeMax ASSISTANT SECRETARY Jackie Dyess, Inter-City Supply Co., Inc. Hans Bonner, MBDA Business Center-Chicago Donna Bridgeforth, Bridgeforth Wolf & Associates Joan-Carles Brugue, AT&T Michael Cabrera, United Building Maintenance, Inc Nancy Conner, W.W. Grainger, Inc. Rita Curtin, Northern Trust Calvin Eakins, McCain Foods USA, Inc. Ernest Edwards, US Architectural Glass & Metals Dr. Karen Eng, CSMI Ezequiel (Zeke) Flores, Flying Food Rona Fourte, Walgreen Co. LaTonya Fourte-Lyles, Health Care Service Corp. Michael Gaines, CRS Group Berlon Hamilton, Hospira, Inc. Mark Hands, Federal Reserve Bank Ian Harrison, US Cellular Vasanthi Ilangovan, Viva USA, Inc. Joyce Johnson, Anchor Staffing, Inc. Margaret Klinsport, Allstate Insurance Pamela McElvane, Diversity MBA Leonard McLaughlin, Aon Yvette Moten, BP Malik Murray, Ariel Investments Sandeep Nain, SNtial Technologies, Inc. Jim Osborne, National Material L.P. Kitty Pon, Pactrans Air & Sea Lesa Rivers, Staples, Inc. Lamont Robinson, Nielsen LaTonya Seanior, Kraft Foods, Inc. Jeff Tovar, Tovar Snow Professionals Emmett Vaughn, Exelon Corporation Nicole Wiggins, Navistar Tricia Wynn, Northwest Indiana MSDC ADVISORS Yoshio Gotoh, Swift Transfer Corporation David Thomas, MBDA Business Center-Chicago CERTIFY • CONNECT • DEVELOP • ADVOCATE ChicagoMSDC • 105 W. Adams, Suite 2300 • Chicago, Illinois 60603 • 312-755-8880 • www.chicagomsdc.org