Originally Posted - February 19, 2007

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ALBANY---An executive order creating an Executive Leadership Council and Corporate Roundtable to promote opportunities for Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) has been signed by Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

The MWBE Executive Leadership Council will seek to improve the participation of MWBE businesses in the state's procurement process through recommendations made by executives in state agencies and public authorities that award business contracts to the private sector. The MWBE Corporate Roundtable will seek to do the same through recommendations made by corporate executives in the private sector.

The MWBE Executive Leadership Council (ELC) will make recommendations to increase MWBE participation in state contracting, including:

--Identifying best practices for state agencies to use to promote MWBE business participation;

--Identifying laws, rules, regulations, and practices of state agencies which are counter-productive or unfavorable to MWBE businesses seeking state contracting;

--Recommending ways to improve inter-governmental cooperation among state agencies and public authorities to improve the goals of the MWBE program; and

--Evaluating the practices of public authorities in promoting the participation of certified MWBE businesses, including, but not limited to, underwriters legal counsel, financial services firms and consultants.

The council will consist of at least 16 members including the commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, the director of the Division of MWBE Development, the State Comptroller, the director of the budget, the New York State chief information officer, the commissioner of the Office of General Services, the Chancellor of the State University of New York, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Transportation, the Commissioner of Correctional Services, the president of the Battery Park City Authority, the executive director of the Development Authority of the North Country, the executive director of the Dormitory Authority, the Executive Director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the executive director of the Thruway Authority.

The MWBE Corporate Roundtable will make recommendations to increase MWBE participation in state contracting, through areas such as:

--Advancing technology to facilitate and track MWBE contracting;

--Setting goals for MWBE utilization;

--Benchmarking and accurate recording of MWBE utilization; and

--Training of state procurement officers to ensure full understanding of the MWBE program and opportunities.

The Roundtable will consist of at least 16 members including the commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, the director of the Division of the MWBE Development and thirteen business executives representing corporations that have distinguished themselves by purchasing a significant percentage of goods and services from a diverse supplier base. The corporate representation of the members will reflect the diversity of contracting engaged in by the state.

In 1988 New York State enacted a law establishing a comprehensive, statewide Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise program. This program has certified 6,975 minority and women-owned business to date.
2-19-07

© 2007 North Country Gazette