Reminder - ECDC Event

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity

Diversity Planners Network Breakfast

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

“A Regional Approach to Minority-Owned Businesses in Chesapeake”

Speaker Steven Wright

Director of Economic Development, City of Chesapeake

Speaker Angela Barber

Marketing Research Specialist/SWaM Coordinator, City of Chesapeake

At the offices of Parsons Brinckerhoff in the training room

6161 Kempsville Circle, Norfolk, VA 23502

8:00 AM registration

8:30 to 10:30 AM event

Continental Breakfast provided

Abstract:

This event is the latest in the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity Committee’s (ECDC) Diversity Planners Network Breakfast Series. A SWaM (Small, Women and Minority Owned) firm is required on certain local and state-issued contracts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Like any small business, a SWaM business must be competitive and aggressive, but such a business within the City of Chesapeake will not succeed if the client base is only within the City of Chesapeake. This rings true for SWaMs in every locality in Hampton Roads. Therefore a regional approach is required for all SWaMs in the area for competitiveness and survival. Steven Wright and Angela Barber will delve into the challenges of SWaM firms in Chesapeake and what their Department is doing to make these firms competitive within Hampton Roads. This Breakfast will serve as a predecessor to a regional ECDC symposium of Minority Business Development in Hampton Roads. 2.0 CM credit pending.

Getting there:

From Hampton: I-64 E to exit 284B for Newtown Rd; Keep left at the fork to continue toward Newtown Rd; Take exit 15A for Newtown Rd South; Turn right onto Newtown Rd, Take the 1st right onto Kempsville Rd; Turn left onto Kempsville Circle.

From Chesapeake (Greenbrier area): I-64 W to 284B to Newtown Road; Keep left at the fork to continue toward Newtown Rd; Take exit 15A for Newtown Rd South and follow directions above.

From Downtown Norfolk: I-264 east to 15A Newtown Road South and follow directions above OR (if you’re adventurous) a 15 minute walk along Kempsville Road from the Newtown Road Tide light rail station.

Space is limited to 20 attendees. RSVP without delay.

Contact Joseph Curtis (curtisj@pbworld.com or (757) 466-9622) for more information or to RSVP.

Learn more about the ECDC by going to our webpage (to be updated soon!) or contacting Nicole Thompson, ECDC Chair at ecdc@apavirginia.org.