February 2002 Meeting Information

Minority Business Development: Increasing Your Power.

Speakers were Laveda Brown and Jennie Montgomery.

Laveda Brown, C.B.D.S.

McLennan Community College Small Business Development Center Government Contract Assistance Center, Waco, Texas Director: Linda Ramirez Position: Business Consultant/Procurement Specialist Duties: Coordinator of the Government Contract Assistance Center. Major duties include counseling small businesses in government and prime contractor procurement procedures; contracting regulations research; assist with minority business certification programs; conducting workshops business development workshops and counseling for seven (7) counties; and planning women/minority owned business and procurement conferences. Organizer/Coordinator of the Heart of Texas Business Breakfast Meeting.

Eight years of procurement consulting experience with increasing responsibilities in business development and performance consulting. Exceptional management and organization skills; negotiation, leadership, and communication skills. Ability to work with variety of industry and agency requirements, which developed board knowledge of purchasing and contract administration processes; including e-commerce. Ability to develop trust relationship that communicates a compelling vision and shared sense of purpose. Member, National Association of Purchasing Managers and National Contract Management Association.

Jennie Montgomery
Business Opportunity Specialist

Jennie Montgomery is a Business Opportunity Specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration in Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. Montgomery has been with the SBA since 1970. During her career at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Jennie has worked in the 8(a) Business Development Program at the district, regional and central office level. She has processed applications and terminations for the 8(a) Program in the Division for Program Certification and Eligibility. Jennie coordinated business development activities for the ten district offices of Region VI while working in the Dallas Regional Office. She has worked in the Dallas/Fort Worth District Office as well as the San Antonio District Office. Jennie attended the University of Texas at San Antonio. In 1995 when the Dallas Regional Office was restructured, Ms. Montgomery was transferred to her current position as Business Opportunity Specialist in the Dallas/Fort Worth District Office. She provides assistance to the firms in her portfolio as well as assists the general public to understand not only the 8(a) Business Development Program, but also the Small Disadvantaged Business Program and the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program. Jennie is the District Liaison as well as the Regional Liaison for the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program of the U.S. Small Business Administration.