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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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