Six local businesses were honored Oct. 6 at the 2010 Minority Enterprise Development Week Luncheon at the Oregon Convention Center. The luncheon, hosted by the Business Diversity Institute, culminated MED Week, a series of events, trainings and activities designed to celebrate and recognize outstanding minority-owned businesses in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
The businesses were honored for their efforts to contract with diverse suppliers and implement diversity strategies in their workplaces.
BDI strives to enhance contracting opportunities and leads public and private organizations in achieving diversity in their business. MED Week, sponsored by Metro and other local organizations, is a celebration of the contributions made by minority enterprises and an opportunity to recognize and honor accomplished minority business owners and advocates.
The awards included:
- Professional Service Award of the Year: Deena Pierott
- President and Chief Innovative Officer: Mosaic Blueprint
- Construction Service Award of the Year: Andrew J. Colas, Colas Construction
- Manufacturing Service Award of the Year: Michael Stewart, Stewart Marketing
- Service Award of the Year: Danny Sandoval, Sandoval’s Café & Cantina
- Corporate Diversity Award of the Year: Skanska USA Building
In addition, Herman Colas, founder and CEO of Colas Construction, was honored with a Humanitarian Award for his work in creating the Colas Foundation Fund through the Oregon Community Foundation for Haiti relief efforts. The foundation raised $50,000 in its first year.
This year's MED Week events also included trainings on how to better incorporate minority and women-owned small businesses into contracting policies and tips for how minority enterprises can access capital.
Metro is committed to encouraging greater investment in minority and women-owned small businesses throughout the region. To ensure it fulfills its goals of promoting diversity, Metro is currently in the process of updating its Diversity Action Plan which will identify a number of policy changes, educational opportunities and other methods to increase diversity and cultural competence throughout its operations and better reflect the diversity of the community it serves.
Additionally, Metro and the City of Portland, TriMet, the Urban League and other regional partners submitted an application for a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Sustainable Communities program. The funding would allow the region to better provide housing and transportation options to historically underserved communities.