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Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Contact: Ben Langer, 202-366-5580
DOT 121-03
Minority and Women Entrepreneurs Honored During DOT Awards Ceremony
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today presented Minority Enterprise Development (MED) awards. Each recipient received an award for “significant contributions to the transportation industry and the nation’s economy.”
“The Bush administration firmly believes that entrepreneurship is the path to prosperity for many Americans,” Secretary Mineta said. “Today’s award winners are proof that creativity, enterprise and risk-taking can pay off in both the public and private sector. Government is at its best when it creates an environment for businesses, entrepreneurs and families to dream and flourish. These award winners have successfully created such an environment.”
The awards were presented to 13 minority and women entrepreneurs, six U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) employees, a prime contractor and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) team.
Secretary Mineta presented the awards at a ceremony following the 21st annual national observance of MED Week, which was celebrated Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, 2003. The theme for this year’s MED Week was “Strategies for Growth in the American Economy, Part III: Pursuing the Global Economy.”
The ceremony, sponsored by DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, is part of the Department’s 21st annual observance of Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. Created in 1983, MED Week celebrates the achievements of exemplary minority entrepreneurs and the contributions of outstanding advocates on behalf of small, women-owned and disadvantaged businesses.
DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) seeks to promote customer satisfaction through successful partnerships that result in an inclusive and effective small business procurement process. To accomplish its mission, OSDBU has organized its responsibilities, programs and activities under four lines of business: Advocacy, Outreach, Financial Services, and Organizational Excellence. The results achieved under all four lines of business support the accomplishment of one part of DOT’s strategic plan – to expand opportunities for all businesses, especially small, women-owned and disadvantaged businesses in DOT programs.
The Department recognized David Bechthold, Zenith Tech, Inc., Waukesha, WI from among its prime contractors to receive the minority business enterprise award for significant contributions to and promotion of DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program.
Department of Transportation individuals who were recognized for their contributions to the department in the area of minority- and women-owned business enterprises were:
Sherril King
Office of the Secretary
Valerie J. Payne
Federal Highway Administration
Julee McTaggart
Federal Highway Administration
Western Federal Lands Division
Lori Millen
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Tracey L. Ford
Maritime Administration
Michael Attachi
Research and Special Programs Administration
The following individuals from the FAA were presented with a team award for their contribution to the department in the area of minority and women-owned business enterprises:
Dave Bailey
Thais Davis-Campbell
Dave Ford
Steve Holliday
Eileen Lee
Jamie Marek
Michele Merkle
Richard McCarthy
Jan Smith
Minority and women entrepreneurs receiving awards were:
Rebecca Rygiel
CTR Investments & Consulting, Inc.
Fairfax Station, VA
Charlie Han
MacroSys Research and Technology, Inc
Washington, DC
Trib Singh
Hi-Tec Systems
Egg Harbor Township
Manisha Chakraburtty
AMC Systems
Oklahoma City, OK
G. Ramanujam
SOMAT Engineering
Detroit
Patricia A. Hynes
Hynes Concrete Contractor, Inc.
Fairport, NY
Kathleen Ruiz Williamson
Manila Consulting Group, Inc.
McLean, VA
Sushma Kohli & Vijay Kohli
Fulcrum Corporation
Fairfax, VA
TiTi McNeill
Trantech, Inc.
Alexandria, VA
Dolores D. Fisk
Mega-Tech, Inc.
Falls Church, VA
Cynthia D. Washington
Washington Concepts, Inc.
Cheltenham, MD
Mike Davis
Davis-Paige Management Systems
Fairfax, VA
Dorothy C. Johnson
Johnson Security Bureau, Inc.
Bronx, NY
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