GSA's Mirinda Jackson Receives Award at White House

GSA # 9730

September 12, 2000
Contact: Eleni Martin (202) 501-1231
eleni.martin@gsa.gov

Washington, DC - During a White House ceremony yesterday, Mirinda Jackson, U.S. General Services Administration Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Enterprise Development, received the highest National Women's Business Council (NWBC) award for her role in expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs.

Also, NWBC presented the first Dietra L. Ford Award of Excellence to the Department of State. The Ford Award was established in memory of GSA's former Associate Administrator for its Office of Enterprise Development, who died last October. Ford was a well-known national leader and advocate for small business in the private as well as public sector.

The NWBC presented "The Seat at the Table" award to Jackson for her role in making GSA the Federal procurement agency with the highest percentage of women-owned businesses.

GSA Administrator David J. Barram praised Jackson for her valuable contributions and accomplishments to increase access and opportunities for women entrepreneurs. GSA's extensive outreach efforts increased procurement with women-owned businesses by more than 400 percent over the nine-year period from 1992 to 1999 -- up to $451.5 million from $97 million -- just under GSA's 5 percent goal.

GSA's Office of Enterprise Development's Women's Business Program attributes its success in increasing contracting opportunities to its outreach program, where the word "access" dominates the planning of a host of formal and informal forums for women business-owners. The forums provide opportunities to meet key contracting experts and obtain counseling on the marketing strategies and contracting vehicles, including GSA's Federal Supply Schedules, which lead to the highest procurement success.

The awards were presented at the White House, as GSA, NWBC and the Small Business Administration, members of the Interagency Committee on Women's Business Enterprise, launched WomenBiz.gov. The new web site, with volumes of government information on Federal acquisition, is the official information gateway to enable women-owned businesses to tap into the $190 billion Federal procurement market.