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April 25, 2007
Page B3
Minority Contractors Celebrate New Chapter
New opportunities
on major projects
Representatives from elected officials
offices, governmental agencies, national
construction firms, local transportation
agencies and minority contractors re
cently gathered to celebrate Oregon’s
official title as a m emberof the National
Association of Minority Contractors.
The event was hosted by the NW
Natural Gas Company and drew special
guests Karmen Fore, district director
for U.S. Rep. Peter Defazio who serves
as chair of the House Transportation
committee.
The event also featured State Sen.
Avel Gordly; Bill Bruce, project man
ager and sponsor from Stacy and
Witbeck General Engineering; Craig
Honeyman, executive director of Asso
ciated General Contractors of Oregon;
and representatives from the Portland
Economic Development Commission
and City of Portland.
Fore made it clear that her office will
work with the National Association of
M inority Contractors of Oregon to high
light the importance of minority busi
ness participation on public transpor
tation projects and hold public agen
cies that receive government funds, ac
countable.
Faye Burch, NAMCO vice president,
said “With the support of DeFazio's
office and other governmental repre
sentations, we have an opportunity to James Posey and BUI Bruce survey contracting needs for the TriMet light rail
change the on-going nature of the con- and bus mall project, downtown.
struction landscape that is currently
limiting opportunities to minority con
tractors, it's unfortunate that we still
have to provide advocacy at this level
to open up the playing field, but we will
continue to push until those is su e s are
resolved”,
James Posey, NAMCO president,
said "It’s time to get serious, and with
the support of the National organiza
tion and the support of our local mem
bers and partners, we intend to build an
infrastructure that w ill give much needed
opportunities to minority contractors
to build their business by receiving work
from public and privately funded con
struction projects."
Posey presented the General Con
tractor of the year award to Stacy
Witbeck, an outstanding general con
tractor who continues to prove that the
ability to incorporate minority contrac
tors into their projects contributes to
the success of the project and recog
nizes the outstanding accomplishments
and contributions made by minority con
tractors.
Stacy and Witbeck is building major
light rail projects around the country
including Oregon, Utah, Denver, Dallas
and Houston.
Bill Bruce accepted the award for
Stacy Witbeck and spoke about his re
lationship with Posey and members of
NAMCO.
“I couldn't have asked for a better
person or group of people to partner
with in creating significant opportuni
ties for minority contractors to work on
our Interstate MAX project and the
Women in NAACP Fundraiser and Health Fair
A local group of African
American women activists will
host a breakfast fundraiser and
a health fair Saturday, May 5.
The Women in the NAACP
breakfast takes place from 7
a.m. to 10 a.m. at Sylvia's
Corner. 1301 N.E. Dekum St.
A menu of biscuits, sausage
gravy, eggs, bacon and coffee
will come with a $5.95 cash
only donation, with carryout
available.
Helen Sherman, chair o f the
Oregon chapter, said proceeds
will go toward writing bylaws
for the organization and es
tablishing a Women in the
NAACP project at Hillcrest
Juvenile Detention Hall in Sa
lem.
“We hope to build an edu
cation and training avenue for
w om en re tu n in g h o m e ,”
Sherman said, “and to help them
use the resources we already
have.”
The Women in the NAACP
annual health fair takes place the
same day, May 5 from I p.m. to
4 p.m. at Portland Community
College Cascade Campus, 705
N. Killingsworth St.
The organization is working
with the W om en's Resource
Center at PCC to bring guest
Women in Trades Career Fair
Local residents are invited to
discover high-paying careers
in construction-related trades
during this year's Women in
Trades Career Fair from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at
the N EC A /IB EW E lectrical
Training Center, 16021 N.E.
Airport Way.
There will be hands-on ac
tivities such as operating a crane,
c o n s tru c tin g a b ird house,
building a house frame and wir
ing a light switch.
Special guests will include
successful tradesw om en role
models, including electricians,
heavy equipm ent operators and
more. You can also learn about
apprenticeship program s and
training opportunities.
No advance registration is re
quired. There will be free park
ing. free childcare, free admis-
sion and free shuttle provided
from Gateway Transit Center.
The construction industry is
expected to grow by 18 per
cent during the next 10 years.
By 2014. an additional 10.000
w orkers are expected to be
needed to fill new construction
jobs.
Call 503-335-8200 extension
2 1 or visit tradeswom en.net for
more details.
speakers on a range of topics,
including HIV/AIDs, grief sup
port and midwifery.
There will be information on
children and adult diabetes,
Alzheimer's disease, blood pres
sure and autism, plus education
geared toward caretakers.
Sherman said the fair is open to
the public. For more information
about either event, call 503-249-
6263.
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The Portland Observer
82nd Avenue of
Roses Parade
82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association invites every
one to attend and celebrate its first annual Avenue of Roses
Parade Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. at Eastport Plaza, 4000
S.E. 82nd Avenue. It will be the year's first Portland Rose
Festival-sanctioned event.
The parade will travel north on 82nd Avenue and turn west
onto Southeast Yamhill Street, disbanding at Sourtheast 78th
Ave.
Participants include Madison High School Marching Band,
the Chinese Lions, the Keystone Kops, Royal Rosarians. Rose
Court Princesses, Portland Corvette Club, clowns and more.
Festivities continue after the parade with a sidewalk festival
hosted by the Montavilla East Tabor Business and Montavilla
Neighborhood associations.
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Are you currently in an
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Portland Transit Mall, Jam es's knowl
edge and commitment was contagious
and the results matched and exceeded
our goals,” Bruce said.
The minority contractors group also
proudly highlighted its founding spon
sors and partners, which consist of Kai
ser Permanente, Portland Development
C om m ission, Stacy and W itbeck,
Hoffman Construction. Legacy Health
System. Providence Health System, the
City of Portland and the Black United
Fund of Oregon.
The chapter's priorities for 2007 in
clude building the technology capabil
ity of its members, participating in com
munity-based workforce programs to
provide staffing, working to develop
options for prevailing wage projects so
that non-union members can partici
pate fully and providing technical sup
port and training programs where needed
to build capacity.
Other priorities include developing
better relationships of trust with our
union partners, and with AGC and ABC,
developing new and continuing exist
ing partnerships with local business
organizations and minority chambers
and more.
NAMCO invites all of its partners to
lend their voice of strength to the mem
bership as we advocate for greater par
ticipation and build the capacity of our
local construction and contracting busi
nesses.
For more information, contact execu
tive committee members Faye Burch at
503 936-6898 or James Posey at 503 936-
0277.
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