Conference Call Meeting

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Members in Attendance

  • Jay Narang (GDKN Corporation)
  • Michelle Andrewin (ADA Program)
  • Julius Davis (VoltAir Consulting Engineers)
  • Janet Harris-Lange (Agenda Dynamics, Inc.)
  • Johnny Helms (Lumbee Resource Management)
  • Eduardo Louimet (Uber Operations0
  • Mariana Lugaro (United Data Technologies)
  • Kathey Porter (University of Florida Small Business & Vendor Diversity Relations)
  • Augusto Sanabria (Prospera)
  • Deborah Thompson (Deborah K. Thompson Consultants)
  • Brian Williams (T&G Constructors)
  • Christine Yerkes (Yerkes South, Inc.)

Staff in Attendance

  • Hue Reynolds, Executive Director, Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD), Department of Management Services (DMS)
  • Donna Williams, Marketing Manager, OSD, DMS
  • Bre Stephens, Marketing Assistant, OSD, DMS

Public in Attendance

  • None

Call to Order

  • Chair Narang called the meeting to order at 2:04 p.m. when a quorum was met.

Public Comments

  • None

Agenda

  • The agenda with modifications was approved by general consent.

Minutes of October 4, 2017, Meeting

  • The meeting minutes of October 4, 2017, were presented. Deborah Thompson made the motion to accept the minutes, and the motion was seconded by Janet Harris-Lange.The minutes were approved unanimously.

Minutes of November 8, 2017, Meeting

  • The meeting minutes of November 8, 2017, were presented. Deborah Thompson made the motion to accept the minutes, and the motion was seconded by Mariana Lugaro.The minutes were approved unanimously.

Council Chair/Vice Chair/Member Update

  • Chair Narang mentioned the House and Senate versions of the Tax bill. If the bills are passed, Chair Narang stated there may be an influx of businesses as well as residents relocating to Florida. With this being a possibility, Chair Narang suggested the Council make recommendations to the State that will help small, diverse, and veteran owned businesses be positioned to take advantage of the influx in the upcoming years.
  • Vice Chair Louimet informed the Council of his goals to assist in making Florida more competitive in small business entrepreneurship along with making the process to do business with the state less intimidating for start-up and small businesses.

News Articles and Links

  • None

Committee Reports

  • The Legislative Committee will be chaired by Deborah Thompson. The scope of the Legislative Committee is to consider the economic impact of legislation of small business, invitesmall businesses from different regions to present their business and issues being faced, and review and recommend how to navigate the various certifications throughout the state.
  • The Strategic and State Comprehensive Planning Committee will be chaired by Julius Davis. The scope of work for the Committee is to work with Enterprise Florida and other grants or funds available to businesses both out-of-state and in-state to be more inclusive of small, diverse, and veteran owned businesses.
  • Deborah Thompson made the motion to review the Research and Emerging Trends Committee during the Council’s February meeting, and the motion was seconded by Michelle Andrewin. The February’s agenda item was approved unanimously.
  • Deborah Thomson made the motion to set the Council’s meeting frequency to the first Wednesday of every other month from 2:00– 3:00 p.m., with an understanding that the standing committees will meet during the Council’s off months, and the motion was seconded by Brian Williams. The meeting frequency was approved unanimously.

OldBusiness

  • Annual Report
  • Modifications were requested and approved by general consent.
  • Johnny Helms made the motion to accept the Annual Report with approved modifications, and the motion was seconded by Janet Harris-Lange. The Annual Report was approved unanimously.

New Business

  • The Parliamentary Procedure/Robert’s Rules training by Deborah Thompson will rescheduled for the Council’s February meeting. This motion was approved by general consent.

Announcements

  • None

Next Scheduled Council Meeting: February 7, 2018.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:57pm.

Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development

Florida Department of Management Services