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Minority & Small Business Week
September 26, 2012
Business Diversity Excellence Awards
Contractors
honored for
achievements
Every September, Portland’s
Business Diversity Institute and
its members recognize a group
of contractors during the Minor
ity E nterprise D evelopm ent
Week. MED Week is a celebra
tion of the contributions made by
minority enterprises and achance
to recognize and honor accom
plished minority business own
ers and advocates throughout
the state and country.
This year, with the help of
Business Diversity Institute mem
bers and the non-profit Home
Forward, formerly Housing Au
thority of Portland, five local
winners have been recognized
in the disciplines of services, pro
fessional services, construction
and manufacturing.
Howard S. Wright was se
lected as the Corporate Diver
sity Award winner as a result of
their dedication to the inclusion
and support of minority owned
businesses as well as for their
participation in the Oregon As
sociation of Minority Entrepre
neurs (OAME) and the group’s
micro-loan program.
Sam Brooks, president and
board of directors' chair for
OAME has been chose for the
Life Achievement Award.
Brooks has been a catalyst
for m inority-ow ned, women-
owned, and emerging small busi
ness (M W ESB) for decades.
Sam supports young people
through O A M E’s annual youth
entrepreneurship event and is
always ready and willing to men
tor or coach the next generation
of leaders.
Jaime Ramos of Ramos Con
struction was nominated as an
“outstanding company and one
to watch in the future.”
Ram os C onstruction has
Sam Brooks
Tyrone Henry
om e F o rw a rd (formerly the Housing Authority of
Contact Home Forward for more
Portland) provides shelter and support for our neighbors
information or to learn about specific
in need. Because with the essentials of a home, individuals
opportunities, or for information
can move forward in life. Today, we are more committed than ever
about resources such as free training,
to serving our community of Multnomah County by providing
technical assistance, and workforce
hope, a cce ss, and th e p o te n tia l fo r a b e tte r to m o rro w .
hiring and training programs.
To achieve our goals, however, requires the help of our business
Herb Yamamoto
partners. We frequently have contract opportunities—particularly
w orked on both TriM et and
Howard S. W right projects and
at each, did exemplary work and
set the sta n d a rd fo r lo cal
MW ESB constructions com pa
nies. The company works hard
to utilize other MWESB vendors
and connect members o f the
Hispanic community with con
struction job opportunities.
W inner o f the Professional
Services A w ard was CADD
C o n n ectio n s. The com pany
founded by Herb Y am am oto
has provided Building Infor-
continued
on page 7
for m inority, wom en-owned and emerging small businesses—
in the following areas:
• Professional Services
• C on structio n Services
• Social Services
hom eforw ard.org
<5T
homeforward
hope, access, potential.
For more information, contact:
Cinna’Mon Williams, CPPO, CPPB, MCA
Procurement & Contracts Manager • 503.802.8533
Cinnamon.Williams@homeforward.org